Iraqi Kurds Want Genuine Partnership with Ankara

The fact that the Shiites have turned against the U.S. while the Kurds have strongly supported Washington has been noted at the White House and has placed Jalal Talabani and Masoud Barzani as the favored personalities for the U.S. administration, diplomatic sources told the Turkish Daily News.

The Iraqi Kurds in return say the rising Shiite militancy against the U.S. in Iraq shows that the year ahead will be a period of turmoil with tribal leaders and Shiites bickering but also say they expect the situation to eventually stabilize.

However, the Kurds insist that if Iraq adopts a unitary state formula with a strong centralized administration there is a possibility that it will be dominated by the Shiite majority and that in return means the country could fall into the hands of religious fundamentalists. "We will never accept this kind of a state for Iraq and we as the Iraqi Kurds will dramatically review our position and consider other options for our people," Saleh told the TDN.

He said, however, if Iraq adopts a federal system based on geography and that the north becomes a part of this arrangement then this would eliminate the possibility of the creation of an Islamic state next door to Turkey and the north could establish close links with Ankara and even become the hinterland of Turkey opening up into Iraq.

"That is why we feel Turkey should support our push for a federal system to be established in Iraq,: Saleh added.

Iraqi Kurdish sources say they have the impression that the Americans are not looking too warmly to the idea of allowing Turkish companies to be involved even as subcontractors in the projects for the reconstruction of Iraq but stress Turkish businessmen could enter the Iraqi projects through the help of the Iraqi Kurds.

However, the Iraqi Kurds say they expect Ankara to treat them as equals and partners rather than sidekicks. They feel some Turkish officials still have not abandoned the mentality of bullying the Iraqi Kurds and feeling northern Iraq is their back-garden where they can operate freely without any obstruction.

They say these officials were rudely awakened to the fact that these are not the realities of northern Iraq any longer when American forces apprehended a group of heavily armed Turkish soldiers just outside Kirkuk and handed them over to Turkish authorities at the Habur border gate.

Saleh said the Kurdish leadership has decided to anchor northern Iraq to Turkey and establish very close political and economic links.