US Gives Operation Two Weeks Notice
The US told Turkey that it “should finish the operation in one or two weeks and then leave Iraq.” When US Secretary of State Robert Gates arrived in Ankara yesterday he said: “The Turkish Armed Forces must finish the operation within one to two weeks.” In response, the Turkish Committee in Iraq said that “no timetable will be determined until the PKK is removed.”
Although it’s logical that the US wants Turkey to withdraw ASAP, it’s a bit ironic that the same administration that calls those who want a timetable for its own presence in Iraq “naive” (and worse), now demands that Turkey - one of its main allies (in the region) - does just that.
Snarks aside, the situation is of course quite different. The US wants to bring stability and peace to Iraq, whereas Turkey simply wants to destroy or at least severely weaken the PKK. Or, put differently, the US wants to stop Iraqis from killing Iraqis, whereas Turkey wants to stop Iraqis from killing Turks on Turkish soil.
As such, Turkey doesn’t need to be in Iraq for a long time. A couple of weeks should be sufficient.
That means that the US doesn’t have anything to worry about. Obviously the US knows this, which makes Gates words mere rhetoric, not aimed at Turkey but at its allies in (Northern?) Iraq.
I doubt if the spring thaw happens in two weeks. The deadline is as meaningless as Iraqis benchmarks. Besides, isn’t a sovereign Iraq supposed to make this demand?
good for Turks, no deadlines!
Just like us…
Actually, Turkey could also adopt the line "if we withdraw prematurely, Al Q.. –pardon me, Al PKK– will reestablish itself in Northern Iraq." But everybody knows that.