Campo Antiimperialista
Tuesday, 09 February 2010
| Turkish threats and Kurds playing with fire |
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| Monday, 05 November 2007 | |
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A comment by Lars Akerhaug, Norway Once again the Turkish generals threaten to invade areas in Northern Iraq, or, if you want, Southern Kurdistan. Historically these areas with their flat fields around Euphrates and Tigris, surrounded by peaked mountaintops have been home for a multitude of religions and cultures, in the way mountainous areas often are. But after decades of war, dictatorship and ethnic persecution these places have been cleansed of minorities, in the way it often happens when imperialist forces cut artificial borders and build artificial states. But since the occupation of Iraq this area has actually been one of the few things Washington dares to boast about. The area of the Kurdish regional government has been noted for its stability and has seen economic growth. Maybe not so strange, as these areas have been ruled by the iron fist of the two dominating Kurdish parties in Iraq, PUK and KDP and at the same time been a major pint for trade between Iraq, Turkey and Iran. Why, in areas where political opposition is being marginalized and persecuted, stability often follows. And at major road crossings for smugglers of guns and drugs you're seldom short of cash. The black sheep is the Northern Kurdistan guerrilla PKK which has their military camps based in the Qandil mountains of Southern Kurdistan. Since 2002 the group has attempted to improve their relations to the West and America. Leaders from their sister party PEJAK in Iran have travelled to the United States and met American officials. In Turkey the group has attempted a moderate line with several unilateral ceasefires and attempts to follow the rules of parliamentary politics through running for elections with independent Kurdish candidates and setting up a legal parties. None of the attempts had much effect. Turkey hasn't softened up to the guerrilla. The US hasn't done anything and at the same time the secular nationalist movement is losing votes and popular support to the Islamists in Northern Kurdistan. So, it's nothing strange that the PKK broke the ceasefire this spring. Anything else would be a political suicide. Neither is it strange that a united Turkish public opinion now aims at Iraq and the PKK. Though it's hard to see that Turkey in any way would gain from invading their neighbouring country, making it more unstable, it's easy to see that in a country where a large majority of the citizens hold strong nationalist opinions, all big parties gain from promoting Turkish chauvinism. Actually all parts could be seen to gain from a war. Already now the Turkish state and the nationalist falangs are directing hard strikes to the Kurdish and democratic movement, both in Turkey and Europe. Even if the Turkish generals know that they cannot win control over Southern Kurdistan, they might think they're getting one step closer in exterminating opposition in the Turkish state. At the same time, the post-Islamist party AKP could prove their worth as "real nationalists". And, ironical as it may be, weakening the PKK would probably only strengthen the Islamist adversaries of the military council in Northern Kurdistan. And it might look like the PKK is consciously trying to get Turkey involved in Iraq. Maybe they want to weaken relations between Turkey and the US (they're bad enough already) and thus indirectly strengthen their own relations to Washington. Maybe the guerrilla is betting that the neocons once again will attempt to exploit the Kurds, this time in a crusade against Iran? The situation in Turkey, Iraq and Kurdistan is a bright example of how geopolitics is centred around the United States. Since the Iraq war Turks and Kurds have fought over support from the White House. Anyone could've predicted this recent conflict. At the same time the US never had many options. They don't exactly have plenty of friends in this part of the world. This war could easily become the last step towards the collapse for the US occupation of Iraq. |
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