Options on table as state’s top brass convene to discuss terror

Among the options available are redefining the Turkish border with Iraq, establishing a professional army to be deployed on the Turkish-Iraqi border to fight PKK terrorists and putting into operation the Integrated Border Management (IBM) project, which entails the establishment of a separate border guard unit.

Two separate terrorist attacks killed 12 soldiers over the weekend, hastening the MGK to convene in order to discuss what to do concerning the recent escalation in terrorist attacks.

Among the participants of yesterday's MGK meeting were President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek, Interior Minister Beşir Atalay, Defense Minister Vedci Gönül, Land Forces Commander Gen. Işık Koşaner, Gendarmerie General Commander Gen. Atila Işık and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) undersecretary Hakan Fidan.

A brief statement by the president's office said the council decided to impose additional precautions against terror in the region in the short and medium-terms, including the revision of the intelligence flow and qualifications of the security staff posted there. The office also said efforts to coordinate the fight against terror with foreign countries should be strengthened.

Sources close to Today's Zaman also said the council focused mainly on three options to fight terror. The first is a change in the Turkish-Iraqi border. The idea is fervently backed by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). In addition, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) believes the redefinition of Turkey's border with Iraq will help prevent the infiltration of PKK terrorists into Turkey through northern Iraq.

Such a redefinition, however, depends on the approval of the Iraqi administration. Turkey believes it may persuade Iraq to exchange territory extending to the lower slopes of the mountains on the Iraqi side with some territory cleared of land mines on the Turkish side. The idea to change the Turkish-Iraqi border was first announced in October of 2008 when 17 Turkish soldiers were killed by PKK terrorists at a military outpost in the Aktütün area in Hakkari.

The mountains lining the border between Turkey and Iraq are too rugged to control the free movement of terrorists. Rich in caves and valleys, the mountainous area between Turkey and Iraq harbors many PKK members. The Turkish government is reportedly planning to discuss the redefinition of the Turkish-Iraqi border with Iraqi officials soon.

Professional army on Iraqi border?

Fully aware of the fact that Turkey will not be able to win the battle against PKK terrorists with untrained young conscripts, the MGK also discussed the establishment of a professional army to be deployed on the border area with Iraq. The PKK has existed since 1984, when the terrorist organization was set up to establish an autonomous Kurdish state in the eastern and southeastern parts of Turkey. More than 40,000 civilians and security forces have become victims of PKK terror thus far.

There have been growing calls from the public to establish a professional army and launch a new strategy in the fight against terrorism. However, the General Staff believes it is not possible to establish an army made of all professional soldiers. Instead, it plans to professionalize a few brigades of the Gendarmerie General Command and the Land Forces Command. As a first step towards professionalizing the whole military, the MGK discussed yesterday establishing a few brigades of professional members of the military who will be sent to the border area with northern Iraq to fight PKK terrorists.

The government is expected to increase pressure on the General Staff to finish preparations related to the professional brigades and deploy them on the Turkish-Iraqi border. Many terror analysts believe the PKK would not have as much freedom to commit terrorist attacks if Iraqi border areas were protected by a professional army.

Military reluctant on border project

The MGK also discussed the establishment of the IBM project as part of efforts to curb the terror threat. The project envisages the establishment of a border guard organization that will compromise 70,000 staff subordinate to the Interior Ministry and will be charged with securing land and marine borders.

The project is estimated to cost 3.7 billion euros, 60 percent of which will be funded by the EU. In the initial phase, the EU has already channeled 685,000 euros into the project.

Not a single step has been taken towards implementing the project since it was launched on March 29, 2006, mainly due to the reluctance of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to withdraw its security forces from the areas currently being protected by the Land Forces Command and the Gendarmerie General Command.

According to the IBM project, privates will not be accepted into the project; only specialized staff from the land forces and gendarmerie will be employed. If the first two fall short of meeting the required number of soldiers, 70,000, the staff will be supplemented by police officers. The Interior Ministry will organize an examination to find eligible civilians if the police force can't supply sufficient personnel.

In the meantime, President Gül received the AK Party's Erdoğan, the MHP's Devlet Bahçeli and the Peace and Democracy Party's (BDP) Gülten Kışanak for a second summit at his office after the security meeting. The CHP's Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said he will pay a visit to the president today after he returns to Ankara from his visit to Adıyaman.