Category: Iraq

Opposition Leader Says ‘Turkey Wants to Harm the Kurdish Cause’ in Syria

Abdulhakim Bashar, the first president of the Kurdish National Council (KNC) and the secretary of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (Al Party) Photo: Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Abdulhakim Bashar, the first president of the Kurdish National Council (KNC) and the secretary of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (Al Party), who directs his party from Erbil, accuses Turkey of supporting Arab fighters against the Kurds in Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain).

He told Rudaw that by doing so Turkish intelligence wants to harm the Kurdish cause, but that by backing radical Islamists on its border Turkey is threatening its own future security.

Rudaw: Why have the Arab fighters directed their heavy weapons towards Serekaniye? Does capturing Remelan have something to do with attaching Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain)?

Abdulhakeem Bashar: Serekaniye is an alarm that shows the existence of groups that are hostile toward the Kurds and want to eliminate their cause. Some terrorist groups have come to Serekaniye after the withdrawal of the Syrian regime from that town. They are easing the pressure on the Syrian regime. If these groups really care about fighting the Syrian regime, then they should go and fight in Damascus and Aleppo where the real fight is. These fighters are making a big mistake by fighting in Serekaniye, because by doing so they help the Syrian regime and create a Kurdish-Arab war. This will change the path of the Syrian revolution dramatically. There is an Alawite-Sunni conflict in Syria, and if a Kurdish-Arab conflict is created, then the Syrian regime will never collapse. For these reasons, I believe that these groups are either very narrow-minded or they are working for the Assad regime. I hope this issue will be solved politically; otherwise, as the AI party, we will have a different reaction.

Rudaw: Will you send your armed forces to Serekaniye?

Abdulhakeem Bashar: We will send our forces to Serekaniye if deemed necessary. This is a sacred duty, for which we will have to sacrifice.

Rudaw: Do you believe in the existence of external influence in this issue?

Abdulhakeem Bashar: We treat Turkey as a friendly country, but unfortunately it facilitates the movement of the Arabs into Serekaniye. This means that Turkey wants to harm the Kurdish cause. But, this will only increase the problems for Turkey, because it will complicate the Kurdish issue inside Turkey, and the radical Islamists will settle on the Turkish border. The Turkish government might not be involved in this, but according to the information we obtained, there are signs of involvement of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in this issue.

Rudaw: But isn’t the MIT under the control of the Turkish government?

Abdulhakeem Bashar: A group inside the Turkish government is involved. But this does not mean that there is a political decision behind it. I can’t say for sure which group it is, but this action surely does not serve the interests of Turkey, nor ours. If Turkey were truly a friend of the Syrian revolution, then supporting these groups would be a mistake. If it were a friend of the Syrian Kurds, then supporting these radical Islamists would again be a mistake, as well as a threat to the border security of Turkey.

Rudaw: Have you tried to contact the Turkish consulate in Erbil to convey your grievances to the Turkish government?

Abdulhakim Bashar: No. But a woman from the Turkish consulate contacted me and asked me questions about this issue. I told them that the situation was very bad and that we might change our way of thinking about Turkey if things continue in this manner.

Rudaw: Do these groups seek to control only Serekaniye, or do they have other goals?

Abdulhakim Bashar: I believe that these forces cannot control Serekaniye, unless it is done over the dead bodies of the Kurds. This will become a national war for the Kurds and all Kurds shall support it.

Rudaw: What kinds of affiliations do these radical groups have?

Abdulhakim Bashar: These armed groups are connected to Jabhat al-Nusra and Ghuraba al-Sham. The United States branded the former as a terrorist group. Ghuraba al-Sham was previously called Jund al-Sham, which was a terrorist group and created by the Syrian intelligence agency. This group carried out 80 percent of the terrorist attacks in Iraq. The leader of this group was called al-Qaaqaa and was killed in Aleppo three years ago. They later changed their name to Ghuraba al-Sham, but they are still controlled by the Syrian regime.

Rudaw: How long will the conflict in Serekaniye last?

Abdulhakim Bashar: If the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) intervenes, then the conflict in Serekaniye will stop. But, if things continue in this way, this conflict will worsen and become a war between Kurds and Arabs.

Rudaw: How is the situation in west Kurdistan after receiving humanitarian aid?

Abdulhakim Bashar: It has become better. We thank the Kurdistan Region very much. But, the distribution of the humanitarian aid was not very organized. Some groups claimed to the people that the aid was their own in certain regions. We also hoped that the aid would somehow reach Ifrin and Kobani, as these two regions have suffered a lot. We ask the Kurdistan Region to help these two regions as well.

Rudaw: But geographically it is not possible.

Abdulhakim Bashar: We can do this through Turkey’s help. The Kurdistan Region must ask for assistance from the Turkish government.

via Rudaw.net – English – Opposition Leader Says ‘Turkey Wants to Harm the Kurdish Cause’ in Syria.

February 9, 2013
Turkey to continue its oil trade with Iraq despite US opposition, Erdogan says

Turkey will continue its oil trade with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has said, while confirming the trade as legitimate, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Turkey is supporting its neighbor in its need to trade and buying petrol in return, he said during an interview with reporters on his way back from a mission to Eastern Europe yesterday. Below are his responses to questions from journalists.

Is Turkey signing a broad energy agreement with northern Iraq?

The central government wants to keep everything under its control. At this point they say they could do anything if the regional administration in northern Iraq does not withdraw from such business.

“We would give gasoline if they want, we would give diesel if they want,” they say.

But we do not have a [stance] about this [dispute], despite the American inclusion.

America says you are doing wrong.

No, we believe this is included in the [Iraqi] constitution. Because northern Iraq has an authorization of right on an 18 percent structure it might use this authorization with any country. And we are its neighbor. It has such a need. As their neighbor, we are helping them in meeting this need. In return we buy petrol or such things.

What are your thoughts on Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s response to Iraqi PM Noiri al-Maliki?

Maliki began to go too far. Davutoğlu’s remarks were also very hard. When Maliki sent such a message I decided not to respond him, but Davutoğlu did instead. This was Davutoğlu’s response.

Have you had any news from Iraqi President Jalal Talabani?

We only know that his situation is serious. Some say it is serious, some say not.

Will the opposition in Syria talk with President Bashar al-Assad?

The statements by [Syrian National Council Head Sheik Ahmad] Moaz al-Khatib were twisted. Al-Khatib says they would meet a government that does not include al-Assad. Not the one with al-Assad. But they have twisted it and made it look like a contact with al-Assad. Al-Khatib by no means accepts al-Assad, he says they wouldn’t talk. Such a thing cannot happen. But they might sit at the table with the other remnants of the regime. And this is a reflection of the Geneva talks.

And the [Democratic Union Party] PYD is restless because the opposition has started squeezing the PYD. The PYD has a serious problem particularly in Qamishli and Hassake. The opposition is continuing this process [of pressure] very well. The regime is losing power in terms of air control. Of course this does not mean that they do not have any air control.

Some say Turkey should play pioneer role in persuading allies?

Our initial approach about going into such a tour to persuade allies has been talking with the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organization of Islam Conference, Russia and China. But we could not achieve the required result.

Even the Arab League is not yet giving enough support. The U.N. Security Council had unfortunately not taken bunch of steps until its latest meeting in Doha.

It is obvious who donated money at the Doha meeting: the Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia. The sum is said to be $1.3 billion as far as I remember, and a $600 million portion was promised by Saudi Arabia and Qatar alone. But despite all this, I tell you that al-Assad will go. He is not here to stay. The opposition powers are working with all they have today. After the Doha event, the support for them will grow continuously and we are continuing our humanitarian support. Our open gate policy will continue. Our spending so far has surpassed $600 million. In the upcoming period we will keep on locating [refugees] in houses or camps.

How will the process work during a second Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) mission to İmralı?

We will talk on the issue with colleagues tomorrow [Feb. 8]. In the meantime, maybe the MİT chairman might give a talk. He will inform us about the issue.

You had set a March deadline for the work on the new Constitution.

This is the timing for the Parliamentary speaker. We did not set a deadline but this cannot be limitless. Keeping it limitless means diluting the process.

via Turkey to continue its oil trade with Iraq despite US opposition, Erdogan says – AzerNews.

February 9, 2013
Iraqi MP: Turkey’s Policy on Iraq to Ignite War

TEHRAN (FNA)- An Iraqi lawmaker lashed out at Ankara for its aggressive policy on Iraq, and cautioned that the policy will likely result in conflict.

“Ankara wishes to annex Iraq to Turkey even if the materialization of that dream results in a new war between the two neighboring countries,” Hossein al-Maraabi told FNA in Baghdad.

He added that Turkey has taken advantages of the political crisis in Iraq to meddle with Baghdad’s affairs in a move to obtain its interests.

Meantime, the lawmaker blamed Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi for preventing Baghdad from giving a firm response to Turkey.

“The ignorance shown by Osama al-Nujaifi towards this issue caused Iraq to avoid adopting such a strong stance as severing its economic or political ties with that country,” he said.

In similar remarks last week, a senior advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki lashed out at Ankara for its interference in the internal affairs of the regional states, and took Turkey responsible for growing unrests in the region.

“The wrong policies of the government of (Turkish Prime Minister) Erdogan and the country’s Foreign Minister (Ahmet Davutoglu) are the main cause of unrests in the region,” Ali Al-Moussavi told FNA on Sunday.

“With the green light of some powerful countries, Erdogan has started unjustified and unnecessary meddling in the affairs of the regional countries, specially Iraq and Syria since several months ago and that meddling can fuel unrests in the region,” Moussavi stated.

He added that Iraq has informed Ankara of its anger at Turkey’s policies through Ankara’s embassy in Baghdad, and noted, “Their policy is outside the diplomatic norms and is also condemned at the UN.”

The remarks by Moussavi came after Davutoglu on Friday expressed deep concerns over the ongoing internal tension in neighboring Iraq and claimed that Maliki appeared to have largely lost the confidence of his people.

via Fars News Agency :: Iraqi MP: Turkey’s Policy on Iraq to Ignite War.

January 23, 2013
Turkey’s big thirst for new power

Turkey’s big thirst for new power

Florian Neuhof

Turkey is in a rush to grow its energy sector. And recent news that the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, known as Taqa, will invest heavily in Turkish coal-fired power plants shows how serious Ankara is taking this commitment.

The deal, announced at the start of the year, will see Taqa build and operate a power generation base totalling 7,000 megawatts, or about 10 per cent of Turkey’s electricity needs by the time the plants are completed.

Turkey’s energy minister, Taner Yildiz, is keen to emphasise that efforts will be taken to minimise the environmental impact of the country’s power sector.

The plants will be fed with lignite, a soft brown coal reviled by environmentalists for the emissions its use entails. Lignite is found in Turkey’s soil and offers some relief in the complicated task of securing hydrocarbons from abroad.

Turkey is dependent on imports for 91 per cent of its oil and 98 per cent of its natural gas and it relies heavily on Iran and Russia for its supplies. It is therefore keen to push the share of electricity produced from gas from about 50 per cent to less than 30 per cent in the next decade and to diversify its hydrocarbon sources.

Turkey has reluctantly complied with United States and European Union demands to reduce imports from Iran as part of a new round of sanctions, but its dependence on Iranian supply has meant it has refused to cut economic ties with the country.

Nevertheless, Turkey has announced it will import more Saudi Arabian and Libyan crude to counter the effect of the sanctions on Iran and the trend for Arabian Gulf oil to depart to Asia.

Turkey’s confrontational stance with Syria, Tehran’s long-time ally, could also endanger imports from Iran.

Iraq’s immense oil and gas reserves are another source of hydrocarbons, and a pipeline already flushes 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iraqi crude across the border to the Turkish harbour of Ceyhan. But, rather than focusing on good relations with Baghdad, Ankara seems intent on carving out its own oil and gas base in Iraq by encouraging the autonomous Kurdish north in its efforts to create an independent energy sector.

The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and Turkey are close to signing a deal under which the Turks will build production and pipeline capacity in Kurdistan, enabling the Kurds to export their hydrocarbons outside the Iraqi infrastructure.

The KRG’s efforts to take control of its resources is a huge source of irritation to Iraq’s central government. While closer ties with Erbil can serve to secure a great deal of oil and gas supply, the uncertainty of the geopolitics can also undermine future security of supply.

Turkey pays attention to its gas supply in particular. With electricity use projected to rise dramatically in the coming decades, adding further gas imports is crucial in spite of efforts to reduce its share in power generation.

But Turkey also has ambitions to establish itself as a gas-trading hub between the Middle East, gas rich Azerbaijan and Europe. Turkey and Azerbaijan have agreed on the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline project that will connect the latter’s Shah Deniz II gasfield development with the Bosphorus.

Turkish demand for gas stood at about 125,000 cubic metres a day at the end of last year. Before it can think of gaining in status as a transit hub it needs to ensure its own demands are met, experts say.

“It still needs to facilitate additional gas purchases and encourage new developments such as Shah Deniz Phase II and Kurdistan volumes to meet its own requirements,” says Stephen O’Rourke, a gas supply analyst at Wood Mackenzie.

Although piped gas plays the biggest part in Turkey’s thinking, Ankara has remained open to all options. This month, Mr Yildiz announced that he was in discussions with Qatar over an import terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Another future source of gas could be the Levant Basin, where huge reserves are believed to lie under the deep seabed. But Turkey’s confrontational stance towards Greece and its icy relations with Israel disadvantages Ankara’s position in the Mediterranean, in spite of an exploration agreement with North Cyprus.

If the Levant Basin fulfils its potential and starts yielding large amounts of gas, it could threaten Turkey’s position as a transit hub, analysts predict, as the most direct route to Europe is via Greece. But gas produced there may not be destined to Europe, anyhow.

“We expect LNG to be the most likely export monetisation solution for these discoveries, and consequently Europe is not a guaranteed market for this gas,” says Mr O’Rourke.

Overall, Turkey remains in a strong position to secure the gas necessary for its economic growth and to make it a significant regional hub.

“Turkey should be able to maintain its long-term energy objectives. However, this will become more complicated, given its increasingly complicated relationships with Syria, Iran, Cyprus, and Israel,” says Daniel Wagner, the chief executive of the consultancy Control Risk Solutions.

via Turkey’s big thirst for new power – The National.

January 14, 2013
Iraqi bloc to sue Turkey PM over meddling in internal affairs

An Iraqi political movement says it is planning to sue Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over what it calls Ankara’s interference in the Iraq’s internal affairs.

According to the al-Qanoon News Agency, Ahrar al-Iraq bloc will file charges against the Turkish premier for harboring Iraq’s fugitive vice-president Tariq al-Hashemi, who has received multiple death sentences in absentia over involvement in terrorist activities and running death squads in post-war Iraq.

The movement also criticized Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul for calling Shias a minority group in Iraq, saying his remarks aimed at fomenting discord among Iraqis.

On Sunday, several Iraqi lawmakers and politicians condemned as “unacceptable” Turkey’s interference in their country’s internal affairs after Erdogan accused the Iraqi government of sectarian behavior.

Ahmad al-Hosseini, an Iraqi political activist, said the Turkish government’s interference in Iraq is increasing day by day especially after the recent demonstrations in Iraq’s western province of Anbar following the arrest of Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi’s bodyguards on terrorism charges.

Iraqi lawmaker Yasin Majid demanded the expulsion of Turkey’s ambassador to Baghdad in response to anti-Iraq remarks made by Erdogan.

Ankara-Baghdad relations turned sour last year after Turkey expressed support for Hashemi and gave him refuge. Turkish air strikes against PKK positions in northern Iraq have also created more tension in the relations.

The two countries are also at odds over the Syrian unrest. While Turkey has become one of the main supporters of anti-Damascus militants, Baghdad has refused to join calls for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

HM/PKH/SS

via PressTV – Iraqi bloc to sue Turkey PM over meddling in internal affairs.

January 3, 2013
Turkey’s CHP plans an extended trip to Iraq

Main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is planning an extended trip to Iraq to both the capital and the country’s Kurdish north, not long after Turkey’s energy minister was prevented from flying directly to Arbil by Baghdad, Hurriyet reports.

“A new invitation came and I accepted. I am planning to go to Baghdad on plane and return to Turkey by highway. I’d like to visit Kirkuk and Arbil and meet with [Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) leader Masoud] Barzani if the conditions are OK,” Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kılıçdaroğlu told reporters Dec. 7, adding that the invitation has stood for a long time. Responding to a question on whether he would comment on the denial of Energy Minister Taner Yıldız’s inability to fly to Arbil during his visit in Baghdad, Kılıçdaroğlu said he did not know if the issue would come to the table, but that “we always defend our country’s interests everywhere.”

Kılıçdaroğlu said he did not feel comfortable when Yılmaz’s flight to the northern Iraqi city of Arbil was denied by Baghdad, adding that he was surprised by the official’s passive reaction to the slight.

“No Turkish minister’s visit has been denied by either Iraq or any other country throughout the history of the Turkish Republic. I can’t stomach this situation Turkey is experiencing in its foreign policy. I can’t understand how the minister could stomach it,” said Kılıçdaroğlu.

via Turkey’s CHP plans an extended trip to Iraq | Vestnik Kavkaza.

December 9, 2012