Why Won’t Turkey Stand Up To Iraq, US on Aiding PKK?

By: Melih Asik posted on Thursday, Jun 21, 2012

The PKK crossed the Iraqi border into Turkey with 300 men and killed eight of our soldiers. The main opposition MP, Onur Oymen, asked the critical question:

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Summary:

Melih Asik wonders why Turkey never holds Iraq and the US responsible for attacks from the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), even though they are based in northern Iraq. Recently, a PKK incursion into Turkey resulted in the deaths of eight Turkish soldiers. Turkish politicians, says Asik, act like they owe their positions to the US.

Publisher: Milliyet (Turkey)

Original Title:

We Were Never Like This

Author: Melih Asik

Published on: Thursday, Jun 21, 2012

Translated On: Thursday, Jun 21, 2012

Translator: Timur Goksel

Categories : Security Turkey Iraq

When looking for those responsible for the Daglica attack, nobody remembers to accuse the Iraqi government, which is allowing the PKK to take refuge there. Why not? Prime Minister Erdogan criticizes Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki for his poor treatment of Sunnis. The two men occasionally engage in nasty exchanges, but Iraq’s harboring of the PKK is never mentioned. While Daglica was under attack, Erdogan was in Mexico with Obama discussing how to solve the Syrian crisis, not the PKK one.

And our opposition party? Until today, it has never accused Iraq or the United States. Why not? Because they know the US stands behind the PKK and the Kurds. They don’t want to upset the US by accusing Iraq. They are behaving like politicians who owe their positions to the US.

The PKK, knowing that it is supported by the US, Iraq and Barzani, naturally disregards Ankara’s gestures of peace. It is locked onto the idea of a Kurdish state, so they keep pounding Turkey.

While we are strutting about with empty rhetoric on how we are the 16th strongest economic power in the world, how we are the regional leaders and how everybody is copying our model, the PKK continues to slap our faces.

Imagine if somebody crossed the border into Israel and killed eight Israeli soldiers. The next day, Israel would level that country. And what does Turkey do?

It has never been so impotent.

via Why Won’t Turkey Stand Up To Iraq, US on Aiding PKK? – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East.