Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
July 19 2006
Right of Self Defence, Terror and Turkish-American Relations Print
Tuesday , 18 July 2006
View: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner
Palestine lost almost all infrastructures when Hamas militants
kidnapped one Israeli soldier. 1.5 millions have been confined to a
life without electricity, water and job. On the other hand, killed
more than 200 Lebanon people, bombarded cities, airports, destroyed
highways and so many places became a compensation of two kidnapped
Israeli soldiers. Isreal says ~SI am defending my-self.~T At the same
time, the countries like USA, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia
say that Israel have a right to self defence. It is very open that
Tel-Aviv acts such a careless way by gaining the support of the US.
But, does the right of self defence just belong to Israel in the
Middle East? For example, doesn~Rt Turkey have such a right?
Turkey has given terrorism more than 36.000 victims. The PKK is the
bloodiest terrorist organization in the world. It is among the first
places in the lists of terrorist organizations of both the US and the
EU. Besides, it does not have democratically elected-members unlike
the Hamas and Hezbollah. It sustains its name with its massacres. It
has not become possible to destroy this organization in spite of all
efforts of Turkey because of the foreign support to the PKK
terrorism: The main supporters of the organization were Syria, Greece
and Greek Cypriots. The PKK trained its militants in these countries.
The retired or active high ranked soldiers from the Greek Army
trained the militants by personally attending the PKK camps in
Lebanon and Syria. When Abdullah Ocalan was captured, he was carrying
the Greek Cypriot passport. The PKK’s leader was captured in front of
the Greek Embassy in Kenya. Ocalan entered Greece several times and
made high level contacts there. The supprot to terrorism is not
limited just these three countries. The organization also had offices
in Russia, Armenia and several other countries and it collected
extortions and donations, made drug smuggling, kidnapping people,
human trafficing etc. Its de facto current supporter is the US
controlled state Iraq.
The PKK has more than 10 armed camps in Iraq. These camps are located
in the northeast part of the country. In addition to this, the PKK
have direct or indirect offices in many cities of Iraq. Lastly, they
opened an office in Baghdad called ~SOcalan Culture Center~T. Turkey
transferred the information of all these developments with the
documents to the Baghdad Government, to the US authorities and to the
Kurdish authority in the north Iraq. Yet, they have nothing to do
except wasting Turkey~Rs time. The USA says: ~SGo and talk to the
Baghdad, they are governing the Iraq~T. On the other hand the Baghdad
says ~SI have no power in that region, I cannot destroy the PKK bases,
go and talk with the Kurdish Authority in the North Iraq.~T However,
the Kurds in the North Iraq say that ~SMy power is not enough to fight
against this organization~T. But, it is well known fact that Barzani
supports the PKK and Talabani neglects the PKK activities. It is very
open that the PKK opened the offices with condoning of Iraqi Kurds
and the Baghdad administration. It is not true that the USA is not
competent in the country. USA, it is the most powerful element to the
most distant police station in Iraq today. America can make raids
with weapons even to the bedrooms of the houses when it wants to deal
with the Al Queade. But when it is time to take into consideration to
deal with a terrorist organization which is attacking to Turkey the
situation is changing.
Turkey~Rs patience is finishing. The PKK is attacking civil targets in
Turkey under the protection of Iraq and Iraqi Kurds. It kills police
officers and soldiers. The PKK puts bombs to the school buses… And
the USA says ~Swe cannot do anything~T.
It is not possible for Turkey to endure to this game.
Turkey also has a right of self defence and it has to use this right
immediately. The Kandil Mountain and its environment is about to be
bombarded in near future. What is more important is that the groups
who are protecting the PKK in the North Iraq are all in the target.
The US also should know: The main reason of the US troubles in the
region so far is that it became an enemy with anybody in the region,
except the Kurdish tribes. Along the history the only super power
which established its Middle East policy by excluding Arabs, Persians
and the Turks all together is the US, and the failure is very vivid.
If the US needs Turkey in any area, it must give up protecting the
PKK in Iraq. The Turkish people never give tolerance to any super
power which gives tolerance to an organization that kills their
children. If the US is a superpower, it should have the power to
prevent the terrorists to establish terror bases in north Iraq, if
the US is not a superpower, Turkey has enough power to protect its
children from PKK terrorism.
Trn. by Emre Ozkan, USAK
JTW
18 July 2006