Yigit Alpogan and
Condoleeza Rice
Although Turks say Turkey hasn’t got anything
against Kurds in “Iraqi Kurdistan”, Turkey warned
America and Baghdad again against Kurdish control of
the oil-rich city Kirkuk. One might wonder what
Kirkuk has to do with Turkey? What is Turkey up to?
It's clear that the Turkish policy towards Kurds
doesn't only applies to Kurds who live under their
own rule; it transcends the "Turkish borders". It
almost looks like Turkey does everything to stop the
Kurds.
According to Turkey a formal inclusion of the
oil-rich city of Kirkuk into the semi-autonomous
Kurdish region would be detrimental to efforts to
create a unified and stable Iraq.
Yigit Alpogan, the secretary-general of the National
Security Council (MGK), cautioned that “If Kirkuk
goes [to Kurds], then Iraq also will go. If Kirkuk
is attached to one of the Kurdish regions, it will
be very difficult to preserve Iraq's unity.” |
Vladimir van Wilgenburg
Journalist - Netherlands |
|
He also urged the postponement of a planned
referendum in Kirkuk next year for the city's future
- which Ankara fears - because the substantive
changes Kurds have made in the demographic structure
of the city since the U.S. invasion of Iraq three
years ago would very likely seal Kurdish control of
the area.
Alpogan's statement on Kirkuk during Washington
talks were the strongest by a senior Turkish
official in recent months. But the head of the top
advisory body for Turkish policy did not say what
Ankara would do if things developed in a way
unfavorable to Ankara.
In an address to the Washington Institute for Near
Eastern Policy Alpogan complained that Kurdish
groups were still trying to change the demography of
Kirkuk and cautioned that “this is very dangerous
and undermines Iraq's existence and unity”.
This while election results proved the majority of
Kerkuk is Kurdish. Why Turkey wants to postpone the
planned referendum? There are no changes? Saddam
changed Kirkuk! He deported thousands Kurds! Kurds
from Kirkuk fled from Kerkuk to countries like
Europe and America, where there is freedom! Because
Kirkuk was Arabised by Saddam.
Now finally when the Kurds have the change to bring
safety and freedom to Kirkuk, to return to their
homes in Kirkuk; Turkey says “KURDS CHANGE
DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE OF KIRKUK”. Kurds didn't
change it! Saddam tried to change the Kurdish
demographic nature of city and now Turkey is
supporting it, because Saddam can't do it anymore.
Turkey apparently think Saddam’s policy of Arabising
Kirkuk was good. According to them Kurds must be
kicked out of Kirkuk for good, because if they
return they change the “demographical structure”. It
appears that “unification” means that Kirkuk
Kurdistan must be oppressed again for decades.
Stopping the referendum would be the condoning and
approval of the extension of ethnic cleansing
against Kurds in Kirkuk.
The Kurdish media declared that the Kurdistani
alliance managed to secure 5 out of the 9 seats
given in Kirkuk and that there was no corruption,
problems or anything wrong happened during the
elections in Kirkuk. This again proves the
Kurdishness of Kirkuk! Not even all Kurds who come
out of Kirkuk are living there now! A lot of them
live in the diaspora.
Look at this
results in Kirkuk. Kurds clearly have
the majority.
Maybe Turkey wants to protect the “Turkmen majority”
in Kirkuk. Maybe this explains why the Kurdistan
Alliance got 51.89% of the votes in Kirkuk and the
Turkmen front only got 11.62%! (59716 votes). And I
haven't included other Kurdish parties! (Which maybe
is 2% extra more Kurdish votes).
Why does Turkey have problems with Kirkuk under
Kurdish control? The future of the town will be
determined in 2007. If the roads of Kirkuk are
controlled by peshmerga’s and local Kurdish police
and the oil revenues of Kirkuk are shared with the
Iraqis, then what's the problem? You'll have more
safety and more investments.
Kurdish parties have stated many times, they don't
want the oil. They just want Kirkuk under control of
the Kurdish government and safety, stability for
Kirkuk. Turkey interferes in Kurdistan again and
prooves again to the Kurds they are no friend!!
If this referendum doesn’t goes on, it will be a
source of instability, because then the Kurds have
no choice then to fight for their “heart of
Kurdistan (Kirkuk dle Kurdistan, as the Kurds say)
”.
Hamid Afandi, the minister of Peshmerga for the
Kurdistan Democratic Party, one of the two major
Kurdish groups, said in an interview at his office
in the Kurdish city of Hewler. "If we can resolve
this by talking, fine, but if not, then we will
resolve it by fighting."
http://vladimirkurdistan.blogspot.com/
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