Q&A: Turkish President’s visit to Iraq

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Question:  The Turkish President Abdullah Gül paid a two-day visit to Iraq on 23^rd March, 2009. This was the first visit by a Turkish President to Iraq in 33 years. He met the Iraqi President Talibani and the Prime Minister Noori al Maliki as well as the Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani. This prompted the Kurd Prime Minister to emphasise that this meeting meant an implicit recognition of Kurdistan by Turkey. [Turk TV News 25.03.09]. the Iraqi President Talabani clarified during a press conference with Abdullah Gul that it was now for the Workers Party of Kurdistan (the PKK) to either lay down their arms or leave. [Sawa Radio station: 23.03.09].  Does this mean that the PKK has ceased to exist in Iraq in exchange of recognition by Turkey for the Kurd province within the state of Iraq? Consequently, have the Kurds in Iraq lost their hopes in the American prominses of a separate state independent of Iraq? Also, does this visit have any international ramifications or is it merely within bilateral contexts?

Answer:  

1. Yes Indeed, the American promises made to the Kurds of Iraq of a separate independent state were not meant to be serious even for a moment. This was merely a ploy hatched in order to exploit the Kurds and fight with their own brothers in Iraq so as to enable the Americans to conquer and keep Iraq in occupation. Similarly Britain had promised a Kurd state to Mahmood Al-Hafeed in 1919 C.E in exchanges to fighting the Ottoman forces in Sulaimaiyyah. Al-Hafeed’s men fought, killed their own Othmani brethern and expelled them, but of course Britain not only backed away from its promises, it also exiled al Hafeed to its colony –India. Again at the the Sèvres treaty in 1920, Britain insisted with the Ottman state to include a clause regarding the state of Kurdistan only to frustrate Khaleefah Mohammad Waheeduddin. At this treaty, it was the delegation of the Khaleefah that was negotiating. When Britain succeeded in destroying the Khilafah and installing its own man Mustafa Kemal as the president of the Republic of Turkey, and after it signed the Lausanne treaty with it in 1924, Britain refused to include the Kurd state clause simply because it had already achieved its aim, which indeed was to destroy the Khilafah State, therefore this promise had now become redundant! It was Britain that instigated the Kurdish nationalistic sentiments and slogans as well as all other nationalistic ‘aspirations‘ in the entire region and it was Britain again that also exploited these sentiments and exhorted them to fight and rebel against the Islamic State so that Britain could achieve its aims. It then used all such elements who cooperated with it and used them as its agents and installed them as rulers and leaders in those countries. Then came America and played its part and used its agents just as Britain had been doing. i.e. making emply promises with no intention of honouring them, making promises solely with the aim to exploit the people to serve its interests. Therefore when they achieved their goals, the promises would simply evaporate as if they were never made!
2. It is not ruled out that Turkey may officially recognise the Kurdistan province, but merely as a part of Iraq and not as a separate entity and that too will be linked to expelling the PKK. Abdullah Gül clarified this to the journalists after his talks with Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani: “I have made it clear that the PKK is a terrorit outfit and its military facilities are located in your region and it is required that you take a clear stand against them. After they (PKK) have been eliminated, evrything is possible between us. You are our intimate neighbours. [Reuters: 25.03.09]. Gül had met Talabani on 17^th March, 2009 on the sidelines of the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul and clarified that formation of an independent Kurdish state was preposterous and that such nation of a Kurdish state was merely a fantasy of the Kurdish poetry. Gul also demanded that the PKK surrenders its arms.It appears that the Kurdish officials want to give in to the Turkish demands in exchange for recognition by Turkey. Nechirvan Barzani said: “We want the relationship Turkey to be very good, we understand their concerns“. [CNN: 25.03.09]. He added: “We do not accept attacking of Iraq’s neighbouring country bordering Kurd region.“  [CNN: 25.03.09]. It was recently announced by the Turkish foreign minstry that Turkey has accepted the request of Kurdistan region President Masood al- Barazani to visit Ankara. [CNN: 26.03.09]. This visit is also linked to the same issue i.e. the expulsion of PKK from the Kurd region in exchange of recognition by Turkey of a Kurd region within the state of Iraq. This is despite the fact that the very existence of the PKK in the northern Iraq was camouflaged in Barazani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
3. In addition to this, Gul’s visit also dealt with the solution of the Kirkuk issue; Turkey is opposed to the annexation of Kirkuk in the Kurdistan province. Gul met with the Turkman representatives and assured them that Turkey will reject annexation of Kirkuk to any region. He of course did not stress much on this issue because it is of secondary importance to Turkey. On the other hand, Turkey acknowledges that there will be formidable impediments if the Kirkuk region is not tied up to the Kurd province, Turkey itself is one such hurdle.

   Other issues such as transportation of crude oil through Turkey, trade and increase in water supplies were also discussed and the two parties made efforts to show that they are in agreement over these issues.

4. As for this visit being of a global nature, yes, indeed it has international ramifications and it was important. The visit of the Turkish President comes in the aftermath of the decision by the US to pull out its forces gradually from Iraq except from the very sensitive places. America wants a loyal and close ally to play its role so as to prevent the entry of another big power in the region and exploit the situation or may work to weaken American influence there.

   Hence the role of Iran, in tandem with the US and agreed upon it by them. It was only after this that the Irani president paid a visit to Baghdad last year. But of course, America does not want to rely on one country alone, which may be useful to an extent but may not be able to fulfill all American aspirations. It is with this aim that America wants to have Turkey and Syria as well on board…Gul’s visit to Baghdad comes in this context, immediately after which the Syrian foreign minister visited Iraq and met Talabani. America can not realize all its aims by isolating the neighbors of Iraq, and this is true of any nation. We can see the US engaging with Pakistan and Iran, who are Afghanistan’s neighbors, so that it can achieve its objectives there. It even engages with such nations where it shares influence with Britain; like Saudi Arabia which it works with in order to bring the Mujahideen to the negotiating table. The Lahai conference held yesterday 31^st March, 2009 bears strong testimony to this. Some 70 countries attended the conference and Iran was prominent among these. The head of the Iranian delegation met the US envoy to Afghanistan and remarked that their meeting was cordial…!

   After tasting defeat at the hands of the resistance forces in Iraq, the US wants to protect its stronghold and influence in Iraq and its position as the biggest global superpower. It was almost on the verge of losing its eminent position as a great power, however its position of reeminence when it boasted that it could do whatever it pleases, has taken a beating!

   It was in this context that Obama sent a letter to Turkey seeking its assistance. Thus Turkey help to America, or rather a correct way of putting it is, America’s use of Turkey, is not in the Iraqi scenario alone; there are many other issues the US wants to use Turkey like the nations of Caucasia, Russia and the Middle East Issue. This why the new US president Obama has said that he intends to visit Turkey shortly. Obama had sent another letter to Iran to seek its help, or rather to use Iran, in the Afghan issue as well as in Iraq.

6th Rabee al Thani. 1430 A.H
1st April.2009 C.E