Iraqi Kurds push for Turkish dialogue
Turkish Daily News reported earlier this weekend that the prime minister of the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan said that ‘Turkey must engage in dialogue if it wants the assistance of the northern Iraqi administration in its fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.’
“How you can help someone who does not talk to you? We don’t know what sort of assistance they ask from us because they don’t meet with us,” Nechirvan Barzani said in an interview with the Anatolia news agency.
Although Barzani’s words may appeal to some, the Turkish government has quite a good reason not to talk to northern Iraqi authorities: Ankara believes that the Iraqi Kurdish administration supports the PKK politically and logistically. In essence, Barzani is asking Turkey to talk about fighting the PKK to the ones supporting and enabling the terrorist organization. Since Turks are generally quite hawkish when it comes to the PKK and terrorism in general, their leaders’ refusal to do is logical.
Then again, Turkey cannot win the battle against the PKK itself. It needs Iraqi authorities to help out. As such, a gesture of good will, and a move to get Iraqi authorities involved could help a great deal.
That having been said, the Turkish government has clearly told the Iraqis what it wants them to do. It has appealed to them to take care of the PKK itself, without Turkish involvement. Iraqi authorities have said numerous times they would do so, yet have done nothing. In short, Barzani’s words could also be interpreted as highly hypocritical.
Our leaders should meet with Barzani - we will never have a similar chance again to outlaw the PKK within the kurdish population in Iraq - and thus Europe and Turkey. Barzani gives a damn about the ideology of the PKK, his own goal is to create and develop a presperous kurdish autonomy region in the north of iraq - a goal for which he needs Turkey urgently, as the Turks are the biggest investors ans businessmen in N.Iraq. For many Kurds in Europe, Barzani has become a hero, not because he ever did something special (he did not), but because he is the first political representative of kurds in this world. If we would get him on our side, and he condemns the PKK, calls them a terrorist organization, says that they actually harm the kurdish people - we will split the kurdish movement in europe, which finances the PKK through donations, and where a large number of PKK fighters are recruited. Kurds would actually start to doubt the PKK themselves. Furthermore, Barzani controls the whole N.Iraqi Media, and thus the public opinion, and he could easily outlaw the PKK.
So we would get a anti-pkk public opinion within the kurds in iraq, and he would get his safe environment and investments from turkey - perfect deal. Anyone has a different opinion?
Looks like the turkish government read my comment
http://haberturk.com/haber.asp?id=102506&cat=110&dt=2008/10/13