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Cabinet discusses economic measures against Iraq
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In the face of Iraq's failure to cooperate with Turkey against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants holed up in Iraq, Turkey is getting ready to play the embargo card.
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Suggestions for possible economic measures drawn up by Nazım Ekren, the deputy prime minister in for economy coordination, and Hayati Yazıcı, the deputy prime minister who oversees Customs, in line with a decision taken at the National Security Council's (MGK) meeting held on Oct. 24, will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting today.
The first stage of short, medium and long-term plans for sanctions consist mainly of economic measures such as intermittently cutting the electricity supply to northern Iraq and preventing passage of construction materials and foodstuff through the Habur border crossing. Turkey currently supplies 10 percent of northern Iraq's electricity needs. Turkey may eventually opt to close down Habur, the single and most important border crossing between Turkey and Iraq.
Previously, Turkey had planned to construct another border crossing in Ovaköy as an alternative to Habur, but could not make any progress with that project. Another border crossing, Nusaybin, seems more viable than Habur, as 85 percent of its construction has been completed.
Reports drafted by Ekren and Yazıcı also identify the extent of economic measures that Turkey may employ against Iraq. Turkey’s action plan also takes into consideration the risk of the Iraqi administration’s shutting down the Kirkuk-Yumurtalık pipeline. When this pipeline operates at full capacity, Turkey earns $300 million from it annually. However, following the US occupation of Iraq, this pipeline has never operated at full capacity, due to sabotage, and Turkey’s revenue from it has dropped to $100-150 million a year. In the event of a Turkish military incursion into northern Iraq, the pipeline may be shut down and Turkey may lose this source of income. However, given rapid fluctuations in crude oil markets, Turkey does not think that the Iraqi administration will be willing to shut down the pipeline.
The details of the action plan prepared by the deputy prime ministers will be decided on by the Cabinet, which will also identify export items to be subject to sanctions.
Aware of the fact that 30 percent of logistical supplies to US troops pass through the Habur border gate, Turkey will act with common sense in its economic measures against Iraq in order to ensure that Turkish-US relations are not affected negatively by its embargo. Recognizing the importance of the Habur border crossing in the reconstruction of Iraq, the government is planning to block passage of construction materials to northern Iraq. No restriction is planned for medical supplies and medicine, as such sanctions would be a violation of international conventions. Initially, exports of foodstuffs and agricultural products may be restricted.
No plan for full closure
In the short term, Turkey does not plan to completely close the Habur border crossing as this may weigh heavily on Turkish-US relations. However, if Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq continue to make unfriendly remarks toward Turkey, Turkey will seriously consider opening the Nusaybin border crossing as an alternative to Habur. The opening of the Nusaybin border crossing, constructed by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) for $30 million, may be accelerated and it may be opened in 2008. The government has to obtain consent of about 35 TOBB-member companies who undertook the construction and modernization of both border crossings under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model before moving to close the Habur border crossing. For this reason, the government is currently holding talks with the TOBB.
The opening of the Nusaybin border crossing may prove to be another thorn in Turkish-US relations as it bypasses the Kurdish region in northern Iraq to access the Arab region of Iraq. Because of its problematic relations with Syria, the US administration may oppose the opening of this border crossing on the grounds of security problems in the Arab region of Iraq.
The current state of border crossings between Turkey and Iraq as well as Turkey and Syria will be assessed as part of the report prepared by Yazıcı. The report gives the current state of border crossings as follows: “Mardin-Nusaybin-Kamışlı (railroad, currently open), Mardin-Nusaybin-Kamışlı (highway border crossing, currently open), Mardin-Şenyurt-Derbesiye (highway border crossing, currently closed), Şanlıurfa-Ceylanpınar-Ra’sal Ayn (used during religious festivals), Şanlıurfa-Akçakale-Tell Ağabeyyat (highway border crossing, currently open), Gaziantep-Karkamış-Carablus (highway border crossing, currently open), Gaziantep-Çobanbey-Akderun (railroad and highway border crossing, currently closed), Gaziantep-Islahiye- Ekbez (railroad, currently open), Kilis-Öncüpınar-El Selame (Azez) (highway border crossing, currently open), Hatay-Cilvegözü- Bab Al Hawva (highway border crossing, currently open), Hatay-Yayladağı-Kesep (highway border crossing, currently open).”
According to a report to be discussed at the Cabinet meeting, during the first nine months of 2007, exports from the Mersin Free Zone to Iraq amounted to $4 billion. Turkey’s exports were $800,000 in 2003, the year the US occupation started, $1,8 billion in 2004, $2,7 billion in 2005 and $2,5 billion in 2006.
Another option before Turkey is to close down its airspace to flights to northern Iraq. According to the action plan developed by the Transportation Ministry, planes flying to Arbil Airport will not be allowed to use Turkey’s airspace. As part of political sanctions, Parliament has decided not to set up a parliamentary friendship group with the Iraqi parliament.
Turkish flights to Iraq may be suspended, warns Yıldırım Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım announced on Tuesday that Turkey may suspend flights to Iraq and prohibit Iraqi planes from using Turkish airspace in line with the imposition of economic sanctions on northern Iraq. Participating in a panel discussion titled “Today and Tomorrow in the Communications Sector” held at Gazi University, Yıldırım warned that the scope of economic sanctions against northern Iraq could be expanded as a measure to deter the regional Kurdish government from backing terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) elements in the region. Recalling the decision made the previous week by the National Security Council (MGK) to take economic measures against groups directly or indirectly supporting the separatist terrorist organization in northern Iraq, Yıldırım said necessary studies are being conducted to this end. He added that this issue will be discussed in the upcoming gathering of the board of ministers, saying: “It is a natural approach to back the fight against terrorism with diplomatic, political and economic measures. We may suspend flights between Turkey and Iraq and prohibit Iraqi planes from using Turkish airspace, if necessary.” The Turkish government brought up the possibility of serious sanctions against northern Iraq last week, specifically mentioning the idea of cutting the sale of electricity to Iraq’s north, closing the Harbur border gate, ordering Turkish companies to leave northern Iraq and chasing out any Turkish company that has even the slightest affiliation with the northern Iraqi regional government. Gökhan Kulaş Ankara
Ankara Chamber of Industry fully supports embargo on Iraq The recent terror activities left their mark on a meeting of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) that took place on Tuesday, when the ASO council agreed on “unconditional support” for any measures that Parliament, the government or the army take against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Pointing out that Turkey’s economy has been growing rapidly for the last five years, ASO Chairman Nurettin Özdebir said one of the reasons for the terrorist attacks is to harm this development. Özdebir also stated that the economic embargo, aiming at terror and its supporters, will bring effective results. The council decision says “We unconditionally support the Parliament, the government and our army regardless of what they decide to do to fight against terrorism. We will back any future decisions of an economic embargo as much as possible and we will also support our members that may find themselves in a disadvantageous situation after such an embargo.” It was also highlighted during the meeting that the terror attacks, which target the unity of Turkey, will be ineffective against Turkish society’s underlying bonds and that the nation-wide struggle will eventually be victorious. Özdebir remarked on the fury incited by the terror attacks and went on to say this anger shouldn’t be allowed to lead people in the wrong direction because terrorism is actually trying to create hatred between people of different ethnic origins living in Turkey. He also stressed that the people should respond to the terror attacks with unity and solidarity. Ankara Today’s Zaman
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31 October 2007, Wednesday
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ERCAN YAVUZ, TODAY’S ZAMAN
ANKARA
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