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Turkey, The Sick Man of the Middle East
7.9.2012
By Hiwa Osman
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Ekurd.net |
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Hiwa Osman, IWPR Iraq’s country director, previously
served as Iraqi president Jalal Talabani’s media
adviser. •
Read more by the Author
September 7, 2012
By the time this article is published, CIA Director
David Petraeus will be in Turkey, according to the
Turkish daily Aksam.
Petraeus is to conduct talks with Turkish officials
on the situation in Syria and the fight against
terrorism. The visit will highlight a number of
important issues in U.S.-Turkish relations.
But the question remains, in today’s world — or more
precisely, in today’s Middle East — how useful is
this relationship for Turkey and for the U.S.?
It goes without saying that both are looking to each
other as strategic allies, especially with the new
Middle East that is emerging before our eyes.
The vision of Turkey and the U.S. is clear: a Middle
East where Turkey has the upper hand or is the elder
brother. But can Turkey do that?
What is the U.S. doing to help its strategic partner
assume this role? Nothing. In fact, it is
encouraging Turkey to go the other way.
During discussions over whether Turkey would join
the European Union, it was often called the sick man
of Europe because of its economic situation and
human rights record,www.ekurd.net
including its treatment of the Kurds.
In today’s Middle East — the Middle East of the
people — Turkey runs the risk of being the new
Middle East’s sick man.
In almost all the countries that have endured
change, the people are heading towards equality and
working relationships with their compatriots. This
is what people discuss during and after uprisings.
Turkey is the only place that is stable, for better
or worse. It will neither have a revolution in its
Turkish region nor does it seem to be solving the
Kurdish issue.
This dangerous limbo that Turkey is in will not make
it fit to become a leader in the Middle East either.
It may lead now, but not during a time of stability.
All of Turkey’s fears about what goes on along its
borders are somehow related to its Kurdophobia. The
starting point for settling this issue will be when
Turkey takes the PKK as a partner for peace and not
a terrorist organization.
Turkey should be cautious not to repeat the Israeli
mistake of looking for a peace partner in everyone
but President Arafat.
The reality is that all roads in Kurdish politics in
Turkey lead to the PKK and Ocalan. Turkey should
recognize this reality and that the Kurdish issue is
one of a people, rather than reducing it to a matter
of terrorism.
Here, the United States must take a different
stance. Rather than treating Turkey like a spoiled
partner by agreeing with everything it does and
talking about “terrorism” at every opportunity, the
U.S. should recognize that it needs a healthy
partner — and Turkey with the Kurdish problem is not
healthy.
The U.S. should also be aware that the Kurds are one
of the most pro-America nations. Constantly labeling
as a terrorist organization a group that did not
conduct any attacks against America may prompt
negative reactions among Kurds and raise calls to
attack Americans.
“Unless you attack America, you do not get noticed,”
said a Kurdish veteran who watched America’s
counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq.
The headlines concerning Petreaus’ visit and
Turkey’s attitude today have a lot to do with the
Kurds: the situation in Syria refers to Kurds on the
Turkish border; terrorism is the code word for the
PKK.
Had Turkey gotten over its Kurdophobia, the
headlines could have been: Turkey supports equal
treatment of the Kurds in the new Syria, Iran and
Iraq.
Hiwa Osman is IWPR’s country director in Iraq, previously
served as Iraqi president Jalal Talabani’s media
adviser, a regular contributing writer and columnist for
Ekurd.net. Osman's
website is www.hiwaosman.com
Copyright © 2012 Ekurd.net
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