US struggles to avert Turkish intervention in northern Iraq

[Dover]

Source: Guardian

US struggles to avert Turkish intervention in northern Iraq


Simon Tisdall in Ankara
Thursday March 22, 2007
Guardian Unlimited



The US is scrambling to head off a "disastrous" Turkish military intervention in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq that threatens to derail the Baghdad security surge and open up a third front in the battle to save Iraq from disintegration.

Senior Bush administration officials have assured Turkey in recent days that US forces will increase efforts to root out Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) guerrillas enjoying safe haven in the Qandil mountains, on the Iraq-Iran-Turkey border....>



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/turkey/story/0,,2040626,00.html

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Turkey makes Caspian Basin energy moves

Turkey seeks to reduce its energy dependence on Russia by expanding its share of Caspian Basic natural gas exports via friendly relations with Turkmenistan's new leader.

By Nicholas Birch for EurasiaNet.org (05/03/07)


Seizing on an opportunity created by Turkmenistan’s political transition, Turkey is trying to expand its share of Caspian Basin natural gas exports, thereby reducing its own energy dependence on Russia. Turkey’s natural gas export strategy relies on a two-pronged diplomatic offensive that strives to improve relations with both Turkmenistan and Iran.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a frequent visitor to the Turkmen capital Ashgabat since the sudden death in late December of the Central Asian country’s despotic ruler, Saparmurat Niyazov. Erdogan’s most recent trip occurred on 14 February to attend the inauguration of the new Turkmen leader, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Erdogan’s visits sought to revive bilateral relations, which had become strained during Niyazov’s last years in power.

"We rather let Turkmenistan drop in recent years", says Erdal Safak, one of a handful of Turkish journalists who accompanied Erdogan on the mid-February trip to Ashgabat. "Erdogan made it absolutely clear that he intended to remedy that."

"We’ve done everything we could to establish good relations with the new government," agreed a senior official in the Turkish Foreign Ministry. "And we have reason to believe dialogue will bear fruits."

Turkey’s interest in Turkmenistan, like everybody else’s, stems from the fact that the Central Asian nations possesses huge reserves of natural gas. Dependent on Russia for over 65 percent of its domestic gas supplies, Turkish officials see stronger relations with Ashgabat as a means to reduce Turkey’s energy dependency on Moscow. More importantly, it sees Turkmenistan as crucial to its broader strategy to turn itself into an energy corridor, a "fourth artery" for Russia-dependent Europe....>

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=17320

[roamer65]

1. Personally, I think the Turks are going to invade.

Elections are this year, I believe and their politicians want to look like they are cracking down on the PKK. There is incredible internal pressure in Turkey to occupy northern Iraq right now, mainly based on the fear of a independent Kurdistan government in Kirkuk with all the oil wealth at its disposal.

Yet another "thing" to come out of the Pandora's Box that Bush 41 wisely did not open...an invasion of Iraq.

[badgervan]

2. Yep

Just a matter of time, and that time could be any day now. What a hornet's nest that this crew of neocon numbnuts has enabled. Something tells me that this is just what they want - total chaos in the middle east.

[MarkR1717]

10. Is a Tukish .....

invasion of Kurdish Iraq a good thing, or a bad thing?

Just asking.

[Bozita]

3. This is why Iraqi Kurds want US troops to stay in Iraq

[ohio2007]

9. A four day old report from Northern Iraq

March 19th;
http://www.michaeltotten.com/

Nobody else is covering the northern "no fly zone" so stay tuned to what he next reports.
Could be interesting

[roamer65]

4. Turkey has a very well trained, 1 million plus conscript army.

One of my friends went thru Turkish boot camp. It was NOT fun. He said it was rather brutal. if they go in, it will not be pretty.

[sabra]

5. kick

:kick:

[KansDem]

6. Wasn't there speculation that this might happen if Bush invaded?

Ah, yes! Here...

From May 25, 2002

The military assessment backs up the messages pouring into the White House from elsewhere. The dangerous situation involving India and Pakistan, as well as Israel and Palestine, unnerves diplomats. World opinion ranges from the wary - in Britain - to the vehemently opposed.

Even Turkey, regarded by the Iraq-hawks in Washington as a crucial and loyal ally on this issue, is said by government sources there to be "very nervous indeed" about the idea, mainly because of fears of the political instability that would result. Officials are also getting bleak assessments about the quality of the Iraqi opposition to Saddam Hussein, and about the likely reaction of the Iraqi people should the Americans invade.

"The Iraqi people hate Saddam," said Judith Kipper, the Iraq expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "but they blame the US for their problems. Nobody likes foreign troops marching through their country, especially the Iraqis."

The cost of American military ambitions is mounting. And, with the mid-term elections only five months away, analysts believe an invasion is impossible before 2003, and that the White House is already starting to look for a way of reconciling its declared policy of "regime change" in Iraq with the need to back away from what looks increasingly like an untenable position.

commondreams

"Politically instability?" Naaaahhhhhh!!!

[knight_of_the_star]

7. Ah great

I wonder how the MSM will play this off.

[ohio2007]

8. - crickets- by the MSM except for British hostages taken by Iran

The Kurds have a flourishing economy but their "people" are spread out in Iran,Turkey,Iraq and Turkmenistan.....

[Doctor_J]

11. Ah, the cakewalk continues

I think we need another prance on an aircraft carrier to raise morale during these trying times.

[bemildred]

12. Gee, who could have predicted this? nt