Cook: Friction in U.S.-Turkey Relations over Iraqi Kurdistan - C. Steven A. Cook, CFR fellow and expert on political reform in the Arab world, says relations between the United States and Turkey are strained due to conflicting interests in Iraqi Kurdistan. Washington does not want to upset the relative stability in northern Iraq, whereas Turkey seeks to remove the threat of Kurdish militants in the region. "Many Turks blame the United States for their national security problems and the larger concern about the emergence of an independent Kurdish State," Cook, who co-authored a recent Council Special Report on U.S. -Turkey relations, says. What are Turkey's foreign policy interests in Iraq? Its primary interest is maintaining the unity of Iraq because they are very concerned about the rise of Kurdish nationalism.
I read there are business interests for Turks in northern Iraq? Yes, there is quite a bit of Turkish investment. Does the Turkish business lobby hold any real influence? The United States recently said it would send an envoy, General Joseph W. Profile: The PKK. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has been a thorn in Turkey's side for decades. The group, which has Marxist-Leninist roots, was formed in the late 1970s and launched an armed struggle against the Turkish government in 1984, calling for an independent Kurdish state within Turkey.
Since then, more than 37,000 people have died. During the conflict, which reached a peak in the mid-1990s, thousands of villages were destroyed in the largely Kurdish south-east and east of Turkey, and hundreds of thousands of Kurds fled to cities in other parts of the country. In the 1990s, the organisation rolled back on its demands for an independent Kurdish state, calling instead for more autonomy for the Kurds. In 1999, it suffered a major blow when its leader, Abdullah Ocalan, was arrested. Escalating violence There were reports of splits within the organisation. Splinter groups And the PKK remains popular with many people there. Inside the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) - Council on Foreign Re. Toward a new era in Turkish-Iraqi relations regarding the PKK Ab.
Edition 16 Volume 6 - April 17, 2008 Turkey, Iraq and the PKK • New Turkish strategy points the way ahead - Bulent ArasTurkey considers itself a responsible actor in Iraq and tries to preserve good relations with all segments of Iraqi society. • Turkey's problematic Middle East role - Steven A. CookNorthern Iraq is a flashpoint that has the potential to trip Iraq into another round of civil war. • Toward a new era in Turkish-Iraqi relations regarding the PKK - Abdulkadir OnayTurkish officials believe that Iraqi Kurds view the PKK as a potential bargaining card. • A time for moderates?
New Turkish strategy points the way ahead Bulent Aras Turkey has a new strategy in its war against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terror. The Kurdish question is a serious domestic problem for Turkey. But the ruling party still received more support than the DTP in populated Kurdish regions. Turkey also pursues international diplomacy and prioritizes coordination and cooperation with the US and EU.
Prof. Turkey's Problematic Middle East Role - Council on Foreign Relat. With all the attention in Iraq over the last five years focused on the fate of al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, the conflict between Sunni and Shi’ite, the role of Iran, the security of Anbar province, the “surge” and, most recently, the further deterioration of Basra, the situation in northern Iraq has only received sporadic attention. The conventional view has been that the predominantly Kurdish north has been the one relatively stable part of Iraq since the beginning of “Operation Iraqi Freedom” and thus was a good story.
Unlike other parts of the country, the invasion left the north relatively unscathed and what became known as the Kurdish Regional Government enjoyed a 12-year head start in building government institutions. In the immediate post-Saddam period, the KRG was able to deliver services and, importantly, security to the area. Yet, northern Iraq is a flashpoint that has the potential to trip Iraq into another round of civil war. PKK attacks: Turkey's leader vows to ‘annihilate’ Kurdish rebels. • A daily summary of global reports on security issues. Skip to next paragraph Recent posts Subscribe Today to the Monitor Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS ofThe Christian Science MonitorWeekly Digital Edition Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will not stop until the PKK is “annihilated” after the Kurdish rebel group killed 12 Turkish soldiers over the weekend.
The PKK attacks in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeastern region come amid an escalation of violence after the perceived failure of the government’s attempt to solve the Kurdish problem politically, with a reform initiative to give Kurds more political and cultural rights. Fighters from the Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK) on Saturday attacked a Turkish military outpost near the border with Iraq, killing nine soldiers. Mr. The BBC reports that Mr. Turkey responded to the attacks by launching airstrikes against PKK bases inside northern Iraq Saturday.