WP: Turkey should play historic role in Iraq’s reconstruction

In an article written by Zeyno Baran from the Nixon Institute, it was stated, "Not taking up arms against neighbors matters in the Middle East. By staying out of the war, Turks have not bloodied their hands. But tension between Turkey and the United States, and between Turks and the Iraqi Kurds is running high over fears of Turkish wholesale military moves in northern Iraq."

Baran continued, "By acting now, the government has an opportunity to outsmart both civilian and military hard-liners and start building trust with the Kurds and the Americans. Turkey’s elected leaders should make a strong commitment that even if the situation in northern Iraq remains tense in the short term, they will not use force. Instead, while Turkey is focusing on reconstruction, it will rely on its NATO ally, the United States, to reestablish security in northern Iraq. By doing so, Turkey could provide an Islamic vanguard for NATO in the Middle East. This would circumvent divisive arguments over whether the United Nations or the United States alone will be in charge of reconstruction, and help establish NATO as a force for change in the Middle East."

According to the arguments of the article, by behaving like this "Turkey’s image would also improve, transforming the Arab view of Turks from one of historic occupiers and modern oppressors of the Kurds into one of a trustful partner in building democracy, peace and stability in Iraq and the Middle East… This gesture on the part of Turkey would represent a leap forward after centuries of hostilities throughout Ottoman history. And it would be a major success for a Bush administration that is so eager to promote democratic, secular, Muslim Turkey as a model for the new Iraq and for the Islamic world."