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Turkish PM Erdogan opposes US military
presence in Kurdistan-Iraq
5.12.2006 |
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Ankara, December
5, -- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced
opposition to a possible U.S. move to redeploy some
U.S. forces in Iraq to the war-torn country's
Kurdish-controlled north Kurdistan autonomous
region.
"I personally find the shifting of U.S. forces to
northern Iraq to be wrong. There is no problem in
northern Iraq. The United States should keep its
soldiers in areas with problems," Erdogan told
reporters on the plane en route to the Iranian
capital of Tehran late on Saturday.
An increasing number of leading Democratic Party
figures have been urging Republican President George
W. Bush's administration to reduce U.S. force levels
in Iraq and in the meantime move part of the troops
to “friendly and safe” Kurdistan (northern Iraq).
Similar calls have gained strength following a
Democratic victory in congressional elections last
month,
prompting the resignation of Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld and a review of Bush's Iraq policy. |
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan |
In the event Washington decides to withdraw from
most of Iraq, redeploying its forces in Kurdistan
region (the north of Iraq) and in Kuwait -- as many
Democrats want -- the U.S. troops in Kurdistan
region (northern Iraq) would need logistical support
either through Turkey or by air from Kuwait.
In such a case Turkey would refuse to help,
according to analysts who earlier spoke with the
Turkish Daily News in Washington.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani voiced backing for
the idea. Qubad Talabani, representative of
Kurdistan's government to the U.S. in Washington,
earlier said he would support it if the United
States decided to deploy its military forces in
Kurdistan Region (northern Iraq).
On the plane, Erdogan also commented to Turkish
reporters on the country's European Union accession
process. "The Italian president [Romano Prodi], whom
I met on the sidelines of the NATO summit, said
there was no need to panic [on the EU Commission
recommendation to not open eight out of 35 chapters]
and added it was even useful. He is an experienced
person who chaired the European Commission."
turkishdailynews com.tr
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan".
Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan but
unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag is
banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it is
a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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