Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 23 2007
US congressman concerned over Turkish `middle generals’
A US congressman expressed concern over a possible intervention in
Turkish politics by the military, using the issue of the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a pretext.
"What happens if the generals, particularly the middle generals, feel
that what’s happening is that the government is not being strong
enough against the PKK," asked Congressman Bill Pascrell during a
briefing session in the US House of Representatives in Washington.
"Turkey has a history of the military taking hold for one or two
years and backing off, and [then] allowing civilian government."
Turkey has repeatedly urged the United States to crack down on PKK
bases in northern Iraq. The Turkish military has recently called for
a cross-border operation to hit the PKK bases, but the government
said the fight must focus within Turkish borders first. Pascrell said
the US administration must "take a stronger stance" against the Iraqi
Kurdish leadership in northern Iraq to curb the influence and
terrorist operations of the PKK.
Ömer Taþpýnar, a Washington-based Turkish analyst who also addressed
the session, said it would be very difficult for Turkey to take
further democratic steps towards pluralism when there is a terrorist
threat. He added that the Iraqi Kurdish leader, Massoud Barzani,
should also show some leadership in the struggle against the PKK.
"I don’t think Turkish generals are interested in invading northern
Iraq. What is really threatening the Turkish establishment and
Turkish democracy right now is basically terrorism," Taþpýnar told
the packed session. "I’m afraid this could turn into an ugly game of
internal domestic politics … where you have segments of the Turkish
nationalist establishment using an incursion into northern Iraq as an
excuse to derail the democratic process and to, basically, put an end
to the elections process."
Responding to a question on a pending resolution in the House of
Representatives on the alleged genocide of Armenians at the hands of
the late Ottoman Empire, Pascrell said: "I think history is history.
… I want to move forward. Now if the only way we could move forward
is to agree to a specific word, then that’s something that the
parties have to continue to discuss."
23.06.2007
ALÝ H. ASLAN WASHINGTON
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
