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Is it Iraqi patriotism or Kurdish
nationalism to boycott Turkish products?
23.1.2008
By Dr Hoshiar Molod, Saudi Arabia
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January 23, 2008
Dr Hoshiar Molod, (eKurd.net), -- The boycotting of
Turkish products by the people is the start of
gaining Kurdish respect. We should start creating
actions that affect our surroundings. We shouldn’t
wait for Kurdish or Iraqi politicians to solve all
the problems. They may not be able to do this and
may feel embarrassed to admit it.
Iraqi patriotism should force us to boycott Turkish
products. It is not only Kurds who should boycott
Turkey, but also every proud Iraqi should join hands
to defend ourselves against the threat of outsiders.
Turkey attacks the sovereignty of Iraq everyday and,
apart from Kurds; no Iraqi voice is heard to condemn
this action by the Turkish army.
Who gave Turkey the right to solve its internal
affairs in Iraq? Turkey crosses the Iraqi border at
will. But when Israel fighter plains entered the
Turkish air space for a few minutes, Turkey demanded
a formal apology, which was granted by Israel.
I don’t compare Iraq to Israel or Turkey, but I
should not allow Turkey to succeed at my expense.
Turkey is attacking Kurdistan with the excuse of
fighting terrorism. PKK captured 8 Turkish soldiers
in an ambush,www.ekurd.net
but they handed them
back to the Turkish government. Turkey brands PKK as
a terrorist party, but have you ever heard of a
terrorist organization that hands back captured
soldiers to their enemy without prior conditions?
Problems between PKK and Turkey are not my problems;
they should sort out their problems inside Turkey. I
am more concerned about the destruction that is
reaching Kurdistan, which caused by Turkish war
machines.
Is it really because of the PKK presences or it is
to undermine the Kurdish authority and Iraqi
government and sending a message to Iraq or it may
be because of the article 140?
The Turkish President Abdullah Gull responded when
he was asked by reporters about the recent situation
in Iraqi Kurdistan, that if we want to harm Iraq, we
will impose sanctions on them1. He also stated that
4000 trucks cross the Kurdish border to Iraq every
day.
Let us stop on two points made by the Turkish
President. First the Turkish President waving the
sanction card as if Iraq does not have enough
difficulties of its own. It seems that the Turkish
President learned from his American counterpart to
use the carrot and stick philosophy. Secondly the
Turkish President admits that 4000 trucks cross the
Kurdish border everyday. Kurdistan and Iraq are
consuming 4000 truck loads of Turkish products
everyday.www.ekurd.net
This figure is quite
overwhelming. Imagine that if Kurdistan and Iraq
boycott the Turkish products, most of the 4000
trucks will not leave Turkey. Imagine the effect
that this action would have on Turkey.
The action that Turkey could take in response to the
boycotting of their products in my view would be:
1. Closing the Kurdish border, but they are
already threatening Iraq with sanction[1].
2. Using army force to attack Kurdistan, but
they have already attacked Kurdistan.
3. Turning off electricity on Kurdistan.
Again, they have already done that.
The Turkish President is threatening Iraq with
sanctions. It seems that the Turkish President
doesn’t know that the cheapest way to ship goods
into Iraq is through UmQasir port and not Turkey.
This means that most of the goods imported by Iraq
come through UmQasir. This proves my previous point
that most of the 4000 trucks, if not all, crossing
the Turkey-Kurdistan border every day, are made in
Turkey.
In a previous article, I gave examples of two
products that we should stop buying from Turkey
immediately, which are yogurt and carpets. The
reason for my plea is as explained below:
1. A dairy manufacturing company has been set
up in Kurdistan recently. But it was closed down
soon after opening, because this young factory can
not compete with cheap Turkish yogurts.
2. A carpet manufacturing company was set up
7 years ago with ten production lines by the Kurdish
regional government[2]. This promising factory has
not produced a single carpet since it opened,
because it can not compete with the cheap carpets
produced by Turkey.
The above examples are only two factories that have
been paralyzed because of Turkey. Imagine how many
more factories, businesses and work forces have been
undermined in Kurdistan and Iraq because of the
invasion of Turkish goods.
The boycotting of Turkish products is not only
because of Turkey’s stand against Kurdistan and
Iraq, but it is also to protect Kurdistan’s and
Iraq’s national security.
The boycott should be the first step in supporting
national products. The government should introduce a
law to control importing goods from overseas. At
present,www.ekurd.net
Kurdistan and Iraq are
open to a flood of cheap and illegal products from
allover.
I don’t want Turkey controlling what I consume; it
is as simple as that. Turkey harmed Kurdistan for
many years and I think it is time for Turkey to
apologize to us and stop killing more innocent
people.
Dr Hoshiar Molod. You may reach the author via
email at: hoshiaryousif (at) hotmail.com
[1]. www.sbeiy.com, Monday, 14/01/2008.
[2]. Kurdistani New, No 4469, 14/01/2008.
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