COLD TURKEY
By Annelena Lobb
Wall Street Journal
Oct 11 2007
Relations between Turkey and the U.S., strained during the 2003
invasion of Iraq, may take a turn for the worse as events unfold both
in Washington and along the Turkey-Iraq border.
At the border, Turkish troops on Wednesday shelled suspected
Kurdish rebel positions, including some in northern Iraq. The Kurds,
which make up a large minority population in both Iraq and Turkey,
have long held aspirations of nationhood, and more-radical elements
have frequently challenged Turkish authority. Turkey, in turn, has
accused Kurdish rebels of taking haven in Iraq. On Tuesday, Turkish
prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said preparations for Turkey’s
parliament to authorize a cross-border mission were under way, but
didn’t say when the motion would reach the floor. The U.S. opposes a
Turkish move into northern Iraq, which would open a new battleground
in what is presently the most-stable part of the country. Meanwhile,
in Washington, U.S. lawmakers were addressing an issue of great
sensitivity to Turkey. The House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs
Committee on Wednesday forwarded legislation that would label the
WWI-era deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians on Turkish
territory a genocide. Turkey has long contested the numbers and argued
that the violence was a part of much more complicated circumstances
involving the integrity of its borders.
Before the House vote Wednesday, President Bush spoke out against the
legislation, saying its passage would damage the U.S. relationship with
Turkey, considered an important NATO ally. Although Turkey restricted
use of its territory during the Iraq invasion, the U.S. still uses
Turkey as a major base for its military operations.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that 70% of U.S. air cargo
headed for Iraq goes through Turkey, as well as about a third
of the fuel used by U.S. military in Iraq. He added that 95% of
recently-purchased Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles — highly
armored vehicles set to be sent to Iraq — will ship through Turkish
territory. Bipartisan approval for the highly armored vehicles has been
an emotional touchstone during the congressional sessions of the past
few weeks. Still, some members of Congress say the moral implications
of calling the WWI killings anything but a genocide outweigh matters of
security and friendship with Turkey. "The sad truth is that the modern
government of Turkey refuses to come to terms with this genocide," said
Republican Rep. Chris Smith, according to the Associated Press. "For
Armenians everywhere, the Turkish government’s denial is a slap in
the face."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
