Turkey becomes hub of Iraq diplomacy

As Turkey considers sending peacekeeping troops to Iraq in a move to play a role in the restructuring of the war-torn country and fix the soured relations with the United States, Ankara became a hub of Iraq diplomacy.

John Sawers, the British government’s Special Representative for Iraq, visited Ankara yesterday and met Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal.

Speaking to the press after his meetings with Turkish officials, Sawers said that sending troops to Iraq is a political decision which will be decided by the Turkish Parliament and Turkey’s contribution will be very much welcomed.

Besides Sawers, Iraq’s Constitutional Monarchy Movement leader Sharif Ali bin al-Hussein will meet with Turkish Foreign Ministry officials today to discuss the latest developments in Iraq.

U.N. Special envoy for Iraq Sergio De Mello is due to visit Ankara early next week.

On the structure of the newly elected Iraqi governing council, Sawers told reporters, "For the first time the council is representing all the Iraqi people."

Answering questions on representation of Iraqi Turkmens (ethnic Turks) in the Iraqi governing council, which Ankara thinks is not adequate, Sawers said he didn’t share the same views with Ankara.

Sawers added that the exact population percentage of ethnic groups in Iraq could not yet be determined.

Turkmens, the third biggest ethnic group in Iraq following Arabs and Kurds, could not get the necessary number of representatives in the newly elected Iraqi governing council as a result of the strained relations between Turkey and the United States, after Turkey’s rejection to open a northern front from its soil.

The governing council — which brings together Iraq’s diverse mosaic of Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and Turkmens — includes only one Turkmen in the 25-seat council.

"The constitutional period that will be established in the next months will pave the way to free elections in 2004," Sawers said.

Diplomatic sources say the thoughts of both sides on the Iraq issue overlap. Ankara is ready to contribute to the stabilization of Iraq, but this will not be an easy process.