Iraq condemns Turkish cross-border operations against PKK
Iraq's objection to Turkish violations of its sovereignty will have little impact on cross-border operations against the PKK, analysts say.
By SES Türkiye -- 19/07/12
In another sign of deteriorating relations, Iraq warned Turkey on Tuesday (July 17th) over violations of its territory and airspace in response to repeated cross-border Turkish military operations against PKK hideouts in northern Iraq over the past month.
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![A Turkish military helicopter takes off from a base in Cukurca, near the Iraqi border. [Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/07/19/TURKEYIRAQphoto-310_213.jpg)
A Turkish military helicopter takes off from a base in Cukurca, near the Iraqi border. [Reuters]
![A Turkish military helicopter takes off from a base in Cukurca, near the Iraqi border. [Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/07/19/TURKEYIRAQphoto-800_550.jpg)
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"The Iraqi government condemns these violations of Iraq's airspace and sovereignty and warns Turkey against any violations of Iraq's airspace and territory," Iraq's government spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh said on Tuesday (July 17th) after a cabinet meeting, threatening that the Foreign Ministry could take the matter to the UN Security Council.
Tuesday's announcement highlights the increasing rift between Ankara and Baghdad, but analysts say Iraq's threats will not limit the Turkish military freehand to combat the PKK in northern Iraq.
"This statement will have little impact on Turkey's cross-border PKK raids and are more an attempt to flex Baghdad's muscle, and verbally retaliate for Turkish-Erbil energy deals than a real attempt to check Turkey's military interventions," Denise Natali, a Kurdish expert at the National Defense University told SES Türkiye.
The Iraqi central government has strongly objected to Turkish oil deals with the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). In May, Turkey and the KRG announced possible plans to develop an oil pipeline to Turkey, effectively bypassing the central government in Baghdad.
Last Friday (July 13th) Turkey's Energy Minister Taner Yildiz announced Turkey started importing 5 to 10 truck tankers of Kurdish oil per day and that the number could increase up to 100-200 tankers. The oil is processed into diesel and exported back to the Iraqi Kurds.
The Iraqi government called the imports "illegal" and said it would harm bilateral relations, but Turkish officials said they would continue. Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdish region have been at odds for years over a national hydrocarbon law to govern the exploration and export of Iraq's energy resources.
Once close ties between Turkey and Iraq started to sour in 2010 after Turkey backed the Sunni and secular Shi'a Iraqiyya bloc against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Relations cooled further in December after Iraq’s fugitive Sunni vice-president, Tariq al-Hashemi, faced with charges of running death squads, fled to Turkey. In April, Maliki described Turkey as a "hostile state".
Nihat Ali Ozcan, an analyst at the Economic Policy Research Centre in Ankara, told SES Türkiye that despite Iraq's threats the country doesn't have the military capacity to prevent Turkey from continuing military operations against the PKK.
"[The Iraqi government] can only turn this into a topic of diplomatic discussion, for example at the UN," he said. "On the other hand, the goal is create a psychological effect and send a message to [Turkish Prime Minister] Erdogan."
The latest statement against cross-border operations comes as Turkey has backed the KRG and Iraqi Sunnis in their attempt to prevent Maliki's increasing consolidation of power, David Romano, a professor of Middle East politics and author of The Kurdish Nationalist Movement: Opportunity, Mobilization and Identity, told SES Türkiye.
"What he gets from these demands is the image of standing up as both an Iraqi nationalist and a protector of Kurds, while the KRG stands idly by and allows Turkey to conduct its operations in Iraqi Kurdistan," he said. Such rhetoric helps Maliki by making "[KRG President] Barzani look like a tool of foreign powers."
But Romano said that "Maliki can't, and doesn't want to, enforce his demands".
What do you think of this article? (Total Votes )
22 Like(s)
9 Dislike(s)
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Everyone should know his/her place. Otherwise, we would teach them.
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Is that possible for contractor Erdoğan to find and opportunity from Barzani and thus to concentrate on the problems of Iraqi Turkmens? 5-10 truck tankers, huh! Enjoy your import…
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Kurdish regions in Turkey will belong to Kurds, just like in northern Iraq and Syria.
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Erdoğan always sees us, Kurds as an enemy. He defends Arab rights, but denies Kurdish rights. What kind of Muslimhood is this? It is unacceptable. This is simply racism. I condemn it.
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The tongue of the one who defame the indivisible unity of my country is certainly jabbed out.
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Ignoring a people and banning its language and culture means denying the verses of Allah related to the existance. According to Quran, each language and the colour of each human are the verses of Allah. Creation of earth and seven sky are the verses of Allah too (Section Rum, verse no.22). If a human denies the Allah’s verses related to existance or inspiration, it means that this person is denying the Quran. The one who is denying the Quran, becomes a convert, abandoned the religion. I wonder whether the governors in Turkey are aware of the fact that while they are doing this, their faith evaporates and they deny the Quran.
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I condemn all kinds of racism, be it pro-Turkish or pro-Kurdish. Let’s not fall into the traps of the imperialists. Turks and Kurds are siblings.
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What separation are you talking about? Nobody, who is fair enough to research this matter, would call Kurds separatists. The Syrian border divided my family. Half of my tribe is on one said of the border and other half is on the other side. Northern Kurds, southern Kurds, eastern Kurds, western Kurds… What kind of cruelty is that? When will it end?
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Everyone should know very well that there are grey wolves who have dedicated themselves to this country, nation, flag and martyrs. There are patriots. There are the parents’ of martyrs. There is the whole Turkish nation, in other words. Nobody can easily divide this country. as long as we are alert and do not talk to Barzani, Talabani or the likes. They are all bloody terrorist leaders. However, our government gives credit to them. How weird is that!
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Religious and nationalist democrat Turks, who say that every nation has the right to determine its fate! Why do you remain silent when it comes to Kurds?
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Hey, the situation is like this: There is nothing being called as “seperation”. Kurds and Turks, everybody is the grnadsons of the same ancestors, aren’t they? The people fight with each other for nonsense things. The important thing is not this side, but the other side.
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Our philosophy should be the humanity, the problem finishes if we all say we are earthmen, instead of from east, from west. Saying that “I’m nationalistic” means “I’m the superior race”, isn’t it? What is its difference from saying that “I’m Nazi, I’m Hebrew”? Yes, I’m a Kurd, I’m proud of this but a Kurd is never superior to any other race.
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Hey, let’s stop this war anymore, finish it, we don’t want it. Brother is shooting brother, what kind of thing is that? I’m calling you the Prime Minister: Why do you put us, Kurds into the prisons because we want peace and you let the idealists, secularists, seperatists of Turkey wander around? Have a heart!
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May Allah happen and give us the Kurds the best of everything. I’m calling to Turks as well: We’ev always seen you as brothers but you’ve always seen us as 2nd class. Allah will be with the righteous ones.
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Why? Because it’s always been against the Kurdish state. We’re human being too and why we the Kurds have been divided into four? Unity is our right too. May Allah be with us.
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Turkey is meddling with everyone, but it should solve its own issues before interfering other countries’ internal affairs. First they oppress Kurds and then say “We are brothers.” Why do you care about Syria or Iraq? First of all, eliminate the injustice in your country. Then you are free to do whatever you want.
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It was not the Kurds who had drawn the borders in Lousanne. Nobody asked us back then. The border is surrounded by Kurds and it is [called] Kurdistan. This will happen sooner or later. We have the right to be independent like every other nation, and we do not intend to ask for permission for that. People will live together in the Middle East and what other people should do is to contribute to this and live in peace.
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What a shame! This is neither a Turkish nor a Kurdish fight, this is a fight for the profit at top. Everybody has a drum on his shoulder and plays on all volumes. Let get our head in between our two hands and think. What are we chasing for? Whose hands we are playing in? At the end, this flag and this land is enough both for you and me.
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Human beings! What are you still running after? You’ve come with an azan and you’ll go by a pray. Come, Kurd, Turk, Laz, Circassian, let’s all live in brotherhood. Don’t be on fire by the infidels, the demon’s servants; my Kurdish brother, nobody will give you any land from here. The great powers could not get, you can not receive any land. Let’s not pour blood for nothing. We’re together for 1000 years and will still continue to be together. Understand what they want properly.
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1 day, what a shame, this is neither a Turkish nor a Kurdish fight, this is a fight for the profit. Everybody has a drum on his shoulder and plays on every string. Let’s get our head in between our two hands and think. What are we running after? Whose hands do we play into? In the end, this flag, this country would suffice both for you and for me.
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The land is not given, it’s taken. Furthermore, Kurdish people do not demand land, you still don’t understand this. Well, what shall I say to you, but sometimes we get so angry, we even do not want to breath the same air with you.
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If it goes like this, the end of this state is not good at all. Nobody should cheat anybody. Earthquake happened in Van, and this government has sent only 2 items to Van while sending 6 to Africa. I think they plan to enter into elections there, so they make their investmens from now. While there are hungry people in your country, your geography, your own homeland, then you should first start helping from there. Leave the poors at your door and go and help the people who slaughter each other, so that they can kill each other more, because the aids that you do ill-gotten, you are not aware.
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Erdoğan has granted many rights to Kurds, but those ungrateful people did not appreciate it. They cannot ruin the Turkish Republic no matter how hard they try. The revenge of the martyrs will be taken on those handful of looters.
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Denying Kurds is equal to denying the verses of God. Some so-called Muslims, who leave comments here, think they are superior to everyone else. You defend the rights of Turkmens in other parts of the world, don’t you? Turkmens in Syria seized control of a 150 km land and you were delighted to hear that. But when Kurds stand up for their rights, those of you, who have a fascist mindset, immediately react to them. Do you really believe in God? How can you deny and insult a race God Almighty created? Everyone is made of a single drop of water. How dare you deny and insult people? Who gave you such a right?
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I somehow cannot understand what northern Iraq is about. Is Barzani also president along with Talabani? I cannot understand it. Iraq is virtually divided into two, that is clear. But is this an official or an unofficial division? Who is serving who? OK, they are not autonomous, but which section serves which country? Celal Talabani used to be a terrorist and now he has become a president – like Lech Walesa. The world is so strange.
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At most, we sell this homehand by the price we bought it. We bought it by blood. We take the lives of the ones who look askance at it.
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This racism discord has been put between us by whoever does not like a strong Turkey in the region. And we are deceived too. Turk or Kurd, we’re killing each other. How far? When it will end? As a Kurd, I’m very upset for this situation. Isn’t there any smart one, a fellow who will put out this fire? Are the people of this country so much helpless? I’m 48 years old and we’re killing each other for 30 years, mothers’ hearts have been burnt out. Mothers should not cry anymore. I only wish peace, peace, peace. May my Allah give this to us. Amen.
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Kurds, the rights been given to you … God damn you thankless ones!
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How happy is a man who says I am a Turk.
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