WHAT’S IN IT FOR TURKEY?

Then, answering his own question, he said he thought it was the latter. In truth, there is a widespread misconception that the reason for Turkey’s interest in Iraq is its obsession with the Kurdish issue. My European colleagues believe that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) secretly want to fight with Iraqi Kurds in order to take advantage of the chaotic situation in northern Iraq. No matter how hard I try to tell them these are only idle rumors, the prejudice is unfortunately a common one.

Gen. Basbug’s remarks rocked the financial markets. Moreover, certain key members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Malaysia oppose Turkey’s intervention in the region. They found Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s recent remarks outlining Turkey’s stance to be unsatisfying.

It seems to me that only the US will applaud Turkey’s intervention. Americans are well aware that Turkish soldiers won’t be enough to establish peace and stability in the war-torn country. They also know that the number of American casualties is unlikely to fall after the Turkish troops arrive. However, they still need us as psychological support to make them forget how alone they are in the international arena.

It’s still unclear how Turkey will benefit from this military alliance. If our problem is northern Iraq, it’s already clear that our troops won’t be allowed to enter this region. The TSK is of course capable of giving the necessary answer to its enemies and facing down such threats. However, I don’t think that our government is up to grappling with the serious political problems quite likely to emerge in the near future.”