Turkey wants clarification on US stance on Iraq

Rejecting the tag of occupier, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Group Chairman Salih Kapusuz said on Monday that in fact colonial powers had only swept into Iraq after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, bringing a prolonged period of political and social instability.
Speaking at a press conference at his office at the parliament, Kapusuz said that Turkey wanted to see a restoration of peace and prosperity in neighbouring Iraq.
“We want the Iraqi people to acquire their own administration,” he said. “However, I want to stress that the Ottoman Empire did not have any imperialist goals in its campaigns against other countries. In fact, the Ottoman Empire acted on behalf of the humanity. Therefore, its activities should be assessed objectively. If such an assessment is made, it will be seen that the Ottoman Empire was not colonialist in its geography at all and that it did not intervene in local cultures.”
The tension between Ankara and Washington has centred on the US’ request that Turkey deploy troops in Iraq as part of an international peace keeping force, a proposal opposed by Iraq’s Interim Governing Council and many factions in Iraq. The US now appears to be backing away from its initial request, citing the unwillingness of Iraq leaders to have Turkish troops on their soil.
Turkey has insisted that any Turkish troops sent to Iraq would be deployed as peace keepers, not as an occupational force.
“We do not want to see an extended period of terrorism, turmoil and uncertainty in Iraq, Kapusuz said. “If events in Iraq develop contrary to our views, they can cause serious mistakes that might distract us for a long time. We are sensitive to the events in Iraq because of our country and our neighbourly relations with Iraq. The parliament, therefore, authorised the government (to dispatch troops overseas). The government has been monitoring all developments in the region and expending efforts to do whatever are necessary. We want a stable Iraq.”