Op-Ed Commentary

 

 

Scott Sullivan :
Turkey needs US reassurance on Kurds

The US can help calm the constitutional crisis in Turkey by reassuring the
Turkish military about US intentions in Iraq. The US can reassure Turkey's
military by making explicit US policies that would preclude an independent
Kurdistan, deter the PKK from using northern Iraq as a staging area for
attacks inside Turkey, and discourage the Kurdish-Iranian alliance aimed at
partitioning Iraq.

If the US fails to reassure Turkey, then the US itself becomes a major
contributor to Turkey's crisis. Moreover, short sighted US policies that
favor the Kurds and Iran play directly into the hand of Turkey's military,
giving the military yet another "bloody shirt" issue in politics in addition
to preserving Turkish secularism.

How can the US reassure Turkey on the Kurds and Iran? The most important
steps the US can take are those which close the door to US recognition of
independent statehood for the Kurdish regional government (KRG) in Iraq.

First, the US should maintain its current travel advisory for the Kurdish
area, in line with the policy for Iraq as a whole. Establishing a separate
Kurdish travel advisory, as desired by the KRG, promotes Kurdish separatism

Second, the US should instruct the KRG to restore the Iraqi flag in the
Kurdish area. A KRG failure to raise the Iraqi flag will be met with Iraqi
prosecution of Kurdish officials, including Barzani.

Third, instruct the KRG that no future meetings will take place between KRG
officials and officials of Iran's paramilitary organizations such as the
Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the Quds Force.

Fourth, inform the KRG that continued tolerance of the PKK presence will be
met with a withdrawal of US forces from the Kurdish area.

Fifth, the US shall discourage USG agencies such as the Commerce Department
from visiting the KRG without coordinating the visit first with the Baghdad
government.

Sixth, the US shall instruct US oil companies to sign agreements with the
Baghdad government, prior to signing agreements with the KRG.

Seventh, the US shall inform Iran that Iran's encouragement of Kurdish and
Shi'ite separatism in Iraq, as by Iran's attempted takeover of Basra in
southern Iraq, shall be considered a hostile act against the US.

In short, US policy today is fueling Turkey's internal conflicts by
encouraging Kurdish and Shi'ite separatism in Iraq. If the US is serious
about restoring stability to Turkey, the US must reassure Turkey's military
with changes in US policy that explicitly and without exception preclude the
breakup of Iraq.

 

 

Scott Sullivan is a former Washington government employee. Petroleumworld not necessarily share these views.

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Petroleumworld News 05/02/07

Copyright© 2007 Scott Sullivan . All rights reserved.

 

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