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In December a private
Turkish airline began flying between Istanbul and
Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdish-controlled
northern region (Kurdistan). Company officials say
booming business between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds
propelled their decision to become the first Turkish
airline company to connect Turkey to Iraq after the
fall of Saddam Hussein. Amberin Zaman reports from
Ankara on the increasingly cordial relationship
between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds.
The commander in chief of Turkey's Armed Forces,
General Hilmi Ozkok, recently summarized Turkey's
new policy when he said the country needed to adapt
to what he called the "changing conditions" in Iraq.
Until recently it would not have been surprising for
General Ozkok's colleagues in the military to
threaten an invasion of northern Iraq if the Kurds
were to seek to establish their own state.
But Iraq's newly approved constitution creates a
federal model that gives the Kurds greater autonomy
than they have ever enjoyed.
Safeen Dizayee is in charge of foreign relations for
the largest Kurdish faction in northern Iraq
(Kurdistan), the Kurdistan Democratic Party called
KDP for short. Mr. Dizayee recently told VOA that
Turkey has come to accept that the federal model has
been embraced not only by the Kurds, but by most
Iraqis and has revised its policies accordingly.
"Recently as you know the referendum on the
constitution was passed where there is a
constitution [sic] within that constitution it gives
legal status for the situation of Kurdistan, for
self rule, self administration of the Kurds and this
is recognized by the Iraqi people and also per the
United Nations program it is documented and has
gained recognition by Iraqi people, by the national
assembly therefore we feel there is much more of an
understanding by Turkey that the will of the Iraqi
people is being respected and the pragmatic position
and the approach of the ruling party, the A.K. party
seems to be more positive," he said.
Before the U.S.-led coalition toppled Saddam
Hussein's regime, U.S. and British warplanes that
patrolled a no-fly zone over the Kurdish region to
protect it from possible attack by Hussein's forces
were based in Turkey. Under allied air cover, the
Kurds created their own de-facto state that many
Turks fear will become a magnet for Turkey's
estimated 14 million Kurds.
Mr. Dizayee says that one way of helping to overcome
that suspicion is to promote trade.
"The volume of trade between Turkey and Kurdistan
has increased especially in the construction
sector," he explained. "There is a huge demand and
most of the companies functioning in Kurdistan are
Turkish companies. There are almost $1 billion worth
of contracts [that] have been awarded to Turkish
companies and that is excluding household goods,
electrical goods and foodstuff which is also coming
from Turkey."
Analysts say that alongside trade, a far more
crucial step towards bolstering ties between Turkey
and the Iraqi Kurds would be cooperation in
combating terrorism.
About 5,000 Kurdish rebels that had been fighting
the Turkish army since 1984 retain mountain bases in
northern Iraq (Southern Kurdistan). After a
five-year lull, the group known as the PKK, which is
on the State Departments list of terrorist
organizations, has resumed attacks against
government forces in predominantly Kurdish southeast
Turkey.
Hasim Hasimi is an independent Kurdish politician
from Turkey. He believes that the Iraqi Kurds can
play an important role in helping mediate a lasting
truce between Turkey and the PKK.
Like many Kurdish politicians in Turkey, Mr. Hasim
argues that the best way to solve the PKK problem is
for the government to issue an amnesty for PKK
fighters.
In October, Turkey's national intelligence chief,
Emre Taner, traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan to meet with
KDP leader Massoud Barzani. They are widely reported
to have discussed possible joint measures to address
the PKK problem. But hawks within Turkey's security
establishment continue to favor military action
against the rebels.
Mr. Hasim counters that more than two decades of
fighting has failed to extinguish the PKK. He says
that alternative means need to be explored if Turkey
is to solve its Kurdish problem.
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