AK Party’s Şaban Dişli: Turkey's major priority regarding Iraq is the establishment of an Iraq that can maintain its border security, preserve it national and territorial integrity and that is in peace with its neighbors. We are particularly concerned that the Kirkuk issue may trigger ethnic conflicts in Iraq, which is under the shadow of sectarian conflict.
CHP’s Onur Öymen: This is our suggestion to Washington: Establish a nation state in Iraq. Bring a real democracy. Leave Iraq and deploy a UN peacekeeping force. To eliminate terrorism, the central Iraqi government must ensure border security. If the Iraqi government fails to do this, it must be done by the US. And if they won't then Turkey will step in.
MHP’s Mehmet Şandır: Mosul, Kirkuk and Iraq policies are national policies and national causes for Turkey. These are Turkish lands. We cannot view these lands with some dictated understandings. During the term of the MHP we will never renounce our rights in Iraq that stem from history.
DP’s Çağrı Erhan: We deem it compulsory for a three-phase action plan to be implemented for the future of our neighbor, friend and brother Iraq. If our cooperation initiatives prove fruitless and if Iraq cannot be saved from division, Turkey will act on its own and withdraw from the Ankara agreement, which we were obliged to accept in 1926.
IRAQ POLICY
AK Party: Turkey’s major priority is territorial integrity of Iraq
Şaban Dişli*
Turkey’s major priority regarding Iraq is the establishment of an Iraq that can maintain its border security, preserve its national and territorial integrity and is at peace with its neighbors.
Given the current problems in the Middle East, it is obvious that Turkey’s vision is the only option for ensuring stability and solving vital problems in Iraq, including amendment of the Constitution, the review of de-Baathification, fair representation of all ethnic elements in the country, the removal of the militia, ending the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) attacks from northern Iraq and the Kirkuk issue.
We are particularly concerned that the Kirkuk issue may trigger ethnic conflicts in Iraq, which is under the shadow of the sectarian conflict. In this respect, we believe that by postponing a referendum on the status of Kirkuk, the groups in Kirkuk should be given an opportunity to consider a solution, which includes granting a special status to Kirkuk.
Unfortunately, northern Iraq has become a base and training field for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). It is indispensable to root out the PKK existence in northern Iraq as soon as possible.
Turkey has powers and international rights to take the necessary steps, yet Turkey prefers to be cautious in its actions. This is because we do not want to hurt the Kurdish people in northern Iraq for the lack of common sense in some of their leaders. For this reason we are trying to exhaust all diplomatic means and mobilize our allies and the central Iraqi government.
Turkey has repeatedly mentioned that it will not avoid using its rights under international law until the very end against the terrorism threat directed from the Iraqi territories to Turkey. In this context, both the central Iraqi administration and local administrations should understand that ending the terrorism threat in Iraq against Turkey is a requirement of both neighborly relations and international law.
Resisting an understanding of this brings along heavy responsibilities with it. It is a fact that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has clearly conveyed to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, via Turkey’s special envoy in Iraq, that he severely condemns PKK terrorism and that would take the necessary measures against it.
I see it very useful to remind the international community of a certain thing once again in order to prevent any misunderstandings. Turkey does not have an eye even on the smallest part of Iraqi land and those who attempt to divide Iraq should know that they will face Turkey in such an attempt. The Iraqi government and the local administrators in the north should declare the PKK as a terrorist organization and cooperate with Turkey for the measures to be taken against this terrorist organization. Otherwise, as how the US did not avoid taking measures to protect its citizens following the Sept. 11 attacks, the Turkish Republic is ready to take any kind of measure to protect our citizens against the terrorism threat resulting from northern Iraq, including a cross-border operation. Turkey has a wide range of potential cooperation matters with Iraq such as training of security forces, economy, energy, humanitarian aid among others. We want to benefit from this potential in the maximum possible way for the interest of both countries’ people. Turkey will continue to do its best to contribute to the settlement of Iraq’s problems and maintenance of its stability.
* Şaban Dişli is AK Party deputy chairman and candidate from Sakarya.
CHP: Turkey will step in, if Iraq and US don’t
Onur Öymen*
Currently the most influential power in northern Iraq is the United States. The US is the biggest ally of Turkey and was the second country after Turkey to declare the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) a terrorist organization. The US is openly stating that it is planning to eliminate all the terrorist organizations in the world. This government has failed to mobilize the US when it comes to this issue, and this cannot be understood. Iraq is Turkey’s neighbor. Under the relevant UN resolution Iraq, just like all other countries, is required to forbid the presence of terrorists in its territory. Turkey has failed to force Iraq to abide by this resolution.
No justification can be provided for not combating terrorism. There are UN resolutions and there are UN Security Council resolutions. These resolutions do not suggest that governments battle terrorism if they have favorable conditions, but describe an unconditional fight against terrorism as a duty.
In the past Turkey maintained relations with the groups in northern Iraq. The representatives of these groups, as well as those of Turkmens, would attend the meetings held within the framework of the Ankara agreement process, which I co-chaired. Thanks to this initiative we reinstated peace in northern Iraq and mobilized these groups for the struggle against the PKK. What was our motivation for doing this? It was because the Iraqi government had no authority in the areas north of the 36th parallel. However circumstances have changed. Today there is a central government in Iraq and it is responsible for the whole of Iraq. Turkey’s contact in Iraq is the central Iraqi government. We must not talk with local governments in Iraq, whether they support the PKK or not. How the government will establish its relations with northern Iraq is the responsibility of the Baghdad government. Whatever actions local governments take do not interest us.
If we assume power, we cannot do the opposite of what we preach. Since February 2002 we as the Republican People’s Party (CHP) have been proposing that the government obtain authorization from Parliament for an incursion into northern Iraq. They have obtained such authorization twice, but they did not put it to use. To obtain authorization from but fail to enforce it is what the CHP will not do. We want to establish good relations with all our neighbors, but the price to pay for it shouldn’t be the deaths of our people. We will not advocate good relations with neighboring countries at the expense of ignoring our own dying soldiers. Whatever price is to be paid, we are determined to stop the killing of our soldiers.
This is our suggestion to Washington: Establish a nation state in Iraq. Bring a real democracy. In a country with a Muslim population, real democracy can only be attained through secularism. Leave Iraq and deploy a UN peacekeeping force that consists mainly of soldiers from Islamic countries. To eliminate terrorism, the central Iraqi government must ensure border security. If the Iraqi government fails to do this, it must be done by the US. And if they won’t do it then Turkey will step in.
We will not only stop the violence, but also develop economic, social, cultural and commercial relations with Iraq. We will develop our firms in this respect and are planning to make our traditional relations with Iraq more active.
* Onur Öymen is former ambassador and CHP deputy chairman.
MHP’s Iraq policy based on historical rights of Turkey
Mehmet Şandır*
Mosul, Kirkuk and Iraq policies are national policies and national causes for Turkey. These are Turkish lands. Turks have lived in these lands and ruled them for over 1,000 years. We cannot view these lands with some dictated understandings. This region, which is a national cause for us, has historical roots.
When the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) arrives in power, foreign policy will be managed as a state policy rather than being a party policy. Policies that have historical roots and are followed during every term shouldn’t be changed along with the changing governments or under the changing conditions.
Mosul and Kirkuk, Iraq, are national causes -- so are Cyprus and other similar issues. During the term of the MHP we will never renounce our rights in Iraq that stem from history. The results produced today by international law cannot eradicate this reality and should not. This doesn’t mean fighting or violating another country’s sovereign rights. Mosul and Kirkuk are today inside the boundaries of Iraq. We respect the sovereign rights of the Republic of Iraq. However, the eradication of the cultural identities of people living there, assimilating them and violating their property rights, is unacceptable. During the term of the MHP, any sort of victimization caused by an attack carried out by either government forces or by any other group in Iraq will be turned into a problem at the international level. And we will put up a defense within the limits of international law. According to us, around 3.5 million Turks live in Iraq. They have lived there for about a millennium. The Seljuk Emperor Tuğrul Bey had a sermon delivered in his name in Baghdad in 1038. This is a sign of sovereignty. Turks have governed that region ever since. The MHP government will prioritize defending the protection of the Iraqi state’s administrative, political and territorial integrity and the foundation of a democratic republic as a subsequent action, and making the establishment of the unitary identity of the state a constitutional obligation.
We will evaluate this ethnic-political identity together with the settling of the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization in northern Iraq, where it plans its attacks against Turkey, and we will consider it a national security issue for Turkey.
We will also object, in this regard, to the support given to this ethnic-political identity at the international level. It will be opposed on the grounds that it is a threat.
The MHP will as soon as possible destroy the separatist terrorism continually threatening our people. In this sense, northern Iraq occupies a significant position. These Barzani and Talabani-based efforts should be mentioned together with the PKK threat. The separatist terrorism of the PKK aims at making Turkey recognize a policy through armed terrorism. This political goal is to divide Turkey with its land, people and state. Any group, any person or any country that supports this policy will be considered an enemy of Turkey. The MHP government will differentiate between Turkey’s friends and foes. And it will adopt attitudes accordingly.
During the term of the MHP, the foreign policies will be conducted through a law determined by the historical rights of Turkey that centralizes the future and interests of the Turkish nation. We will determine our policy and program with this understanding during the term of the MHP. We are allies with anyone who sincerely contributes to this policy and program, and who receives them with appreciation. We will cooperate with everyone. However, the MHP will adopt a stance against any group or country working to destroy the Turkish nation’s historical rights and developing policies to harm Turkey’s interests.
* Mehmet Şandır is deputy chairman of MHP and candidate from Mersin.
DP will base relations with Iraq on ‘common economic living area’ model
Çağrı Erhan*
Today a de facto formation in the Southeast that threatens our security, borders and integrity has appeared, despite strong opposition from Turkey.
As the Democrat Party (DP) we are loyally committed to the principle of not intervening in the internal affairs of any of the countries in the world. However if a problem concerning Turkey’s future occurs and a carbuncle threatens to turn into a gangrene that will impose an embargo on our future, we will not remain a stranger to it.
We deem it compulsory for a three-phase action plan to be implemented for the future of our neighbor, friend and brother Iraq:
1. The occupation that has been dragging Iraq into more and more instability for three years, smothering our Iraqi brothers in blood and tears and killing hundreds of thousands of Muslims, should be stopped at once. The end of the occupation is an indispensable condition to be able to prevent the division of Iraq.
2. Parallel to putting an end to the occupation, an agreement of alliance that guarantees Iraq’s territorial integrity should be signed among the neighbors of Iraq. This agreement can be an expanded and reinterpreted version of the Saadabad Pact of 1937.
3. A cooperation mechanism between Turkey and Iraq will be formed that guarantees the mutual territorial integrity of the both countries, and that includes conducting a joint fight against all sorts of threats directed at this integrity.
If our cooperation initiatives prove fruitless and if Iraq cannot be saved from division, Turkey will act on its own and withdraw from the Ankara agreement which we were obliged to accept in 1926 under the prevailing conditions of the time.
That’s what we mean by “uniting the destinies of Yozgat and Mosul.” However this approach shouldn’t be interpreted as acquiring land by use of force. We are aiming at applying an economic integration model that suits today’s conditions and that is successfully practiced in many regions of the world. We are also planning to put the model in question, whose details we provide below, into practice with our other neighbors.
Turkey is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), but its economic and commercial relations with its neighbors are at a very low level.
It’s impossible for us to become an influential power in the region without developing our economic relations with our neighbors.
During our term the DP will form a “Common Economic Living Area” to which we will invite all neighbor countries, without discriminating against any of them.
The Common Economic Living Area will be an initiative serving the interests of all participant countries within which goods, services, labor and capital will freely travel.
Contrary to the claims of some, there is nothing that will prevent the realization of this process, including our economic relations with the EU.
The chief target of the DP in the area of foreign policy is to make Turkey a global power and world leader in the 21st century.
Turkey will assume this global leadership by making a leap from its own region.
* Çağrı Erhan is DP deputy chairman and a candidate from Ankara.
WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY?
Mustafa Öz (39) merchant
We expect dialogue, not war, with respect to the Iraq issue. In the final analysis, the people living there are our relatives. We must refrain from war at all costs. We cannot fight against our brothers and sisters there. The PKK terrorism is another issue. We must first eliminate the terrorist threat within our borders. If we have a strong country, no external threat will do damage to us.
***
Mehmet Doğanay (52) merchant
Iraq is our neighbor and we have kinship relations with it. Therefore I expect the future government to protect the territorial integrity of Iraq. The new government should adopt a friendly attitude toward them and employ diplomatic efforts. On the other side, the Iraqi people must expel PKK terrorism from their country.
***
Barış Ateşalp (29) manager
The first thing for the next government to do is correct the errors of the previous government. We cannot remain silent to what happens in Iraq. Therefore a decisive operation must be conducted. Diplomatic efforts have produced nothing for years. For this reason other solutions must be developed. But we are dependent on foreign countries and therefore we cannot act independently.
***
Kamil Güneri (70) retired public servant
A temporary military operation might be useful. This may lead to a full-fledged war, but I don’t think the government will do anything about this issue as no previous government has made any progress on it. The new government should show that Kurdish people are also esteemed and they are not disparaged, thus obtaining their support.
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