Responsibility to protect the Kurds - Navend
Responsibility to protect the Kurds - Navend
Responsibility to protect the Kurds - Navend
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>Responsibility</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>protect</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Kurds</strong><br />
March 2003<br />
Turkish forces (as it did in <strong>the</strong> aftermath<br />
of <strong>the</strong> 1991 war); <strong>the</strong> fate of <strong>the</strong><br />
Turkomans in <strong>the</strong> future of Iraq, which<br />
some Turkish political and military forces<br />
see as a leverage <strong>to</strong> control <strong>the</strong><br />
developments in Kurdistan; and most<br />
importantly Turkish insistence on Iraq’s<br />
terri<strong>to</strong>rial integrity and by implication <strong>the</strong><br />
prevention of ‘<strong>the</strong> emergence of a Kurdish<br />
state’. 1 For <strong>the</strong> purpose of this report, <strong>the</strong><br />
last concern is <strong>the</strong> most important.<br />
Several observers have maintained that<br />
ever since <strong>the</strong> Bush administration’s<br />
indications of a possible war against <strong>the</strong><br />
regime of Saddam Hussein, Turkey has<br />
stressed its unwillingness <strong>to</strong> allow <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Kurds</strong> ‘<strong>to</strong> establish an independent state’ 2<br />
in <strong>the</strong> shadow of <strong>the</strong> changing<br />
circumstances. Tension between Kurdish<br />
political leaders and Turkey has<br />
increased remarkably during <strong>the</strong> last year<br />
on this very subject. The <strong>Kurds</strong> fear <strong>the</strong><br />
worst-case scenario if Turkish forces<br />
were <strong>to</strong> enter Kurdistan, while Turkish<br />
authorities have used America’s need <strong>to</strong><br />
open a nor<strong>the</strong>rn front from Turkey <strong>to</strong><br />
influence American decision-makers <strong>to</strong><br />
accept Turkey’s own conditions and<br />
perception.<br />
Turkish politicians, military and media<br />
have presented <strong>the</strong> developments in<br />
Kurdistan as a threat <strong>to</strong> Turkish security,<br />
Kurdish leaders have several times<br />
addressed Turkey’s security concerns by<br />
reassuring Turkish officials that <strong>the</strong> <strong>Kurds</strong><br />
will prevent PKK (KADEK) forces <strong>to</strong><br />
attack Turkish forces from <strong>the</strong>ir terri<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
1 Carol Migdalovitz, Iraq: The Turkish Fac<strong>to</strong>r. CRS<br />
Report for Congress, RS21336, Updated Oc<strong>to</strong>ber<br />
31, 2002.<br />
2 Hamit Bozarslan, ‘Turkey’s perception of<br />
developments in Iraqi Kurdistan’, Iraqi Kurdistan<br />
Dispatch, November 2002, available at<br />
http://www.ikurd.info<br />
10<br />
and <strong>the</strong>y <strong>the</strong>mselves will not embark on<br />
any political adventure that would<br />
endanger <strong>the</strong>ir survival as a group.<br />
Kurdish political negotiations with <strong>the</strong><br />
Iraqi opposition leaders have, <strong>the</strong>refore,<br />
focused on <strong>the</strong> <strong>Kurds</strong>’ commitment <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
terri<strong>to</strong>rial integrity of Iraq. Despite that<br />
Turkish officials seem <strong>to</strong> be determined <strong>to</strong><br />
block and undermine any potential<br />
development that would lead <strong>to</strong> formal<br />
recognition of <strong>the</strong> de fac<strong>to</strong> existing<br />
Kurdish entity within any future<br />
arrangements for Iraq.<br />
Despite that <strong>the</strong> Turkish government and<br />
military maintain that <strong>the</strong> Kurdish leaders<br />
would pursue <strong>the</strong>ir own agenda. Turkish<br />
officials cite <strong>the</strong> possibility for <strong>the</strong> Kurdish<br />
forces <strong>to</strong> capture <strong>the</strong> oil-rich city of Kirkuk,<br />
which provide <strong>the</strong> <strong>Kurds</strong> with <strong>the</strong> financial<br />
means <strong>to</strong> establish a separate Kurdish<br />
state. The Turkish foreign minister has<br />
reportedly expressed this line of thinking<br />
as late as February this year, saying<br />
At present <strong>the</strong> Kurdish area enjoys a<br />
certain au<strong>to</strong>nomy.... We do not want<br />
this <strong>to</strong> be consolidated fur<strong>the</strong>r and <strong>to</strong><br />
be transformed in<strong>to</strong> a federal state or<br />
an independent state. 3<br />
The Turkish government opposes this<br />
consolidation on <strong>the</strong> grounds that it might<br />
provide a model that would encourage<br />
Kurdish separatism within Turkey as well.<br />
Turkish authorities have indicated that<br />
Turkey would field more troops than <strong>the</strong><br />
US in Kurdistan and that <strong>the</strong>se troops<br />
would be prepared <strong>to</strong> go in<strong>to</strong> combat <strong>to</strong><br />
prevent Kurdish forces seizing Kirkuk and<br />
<strong>the</strong> oil fields around it, but also <strong>to</strong> disarm<br />
Kurdish forces that have administered <strong>the</strong><br />
3 As quoted in Human Rights Watch, March 2003,<br />
Turkey and war in Iraq: Avoiding past patterns of<br />
violation, p. 1.