Ankara may not Recognize Election Results in Kirkuk

[TexasLawyer]

As if we're not having enough problems with the rest of Iraq! Kirkuk is going to be BIG trouble sooner or later. Maybe sooner, from the sound of these threats.

From Journal of Turkish Weekly, on-line news

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=3120

Ankara may not Recognize Election Results in Kirkuk

There is speculation on which strategy Turkey will adopt after the elections in Kirkuk (Kerkuk) in the wake of its tough warnings about the Iraqi city.

According to information received by Zaman, Turkish Daily, from government sources, it is likely that Ankara will say that it does not recognize the elections in Kirkuk. Comments have been made that intervention by Turkish military forces is still an option that cannot be ignored though it seems unlikely. Deciding to participate in the elections 'to spoil the games played in Kirkuk', the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) is also said to have held talks about not recognizing the elections. Yunus Bayraktar, a Turkmen member of the Kirkuk District Council noted that they are considering not recognizing the election results because the election committee is not showing the required objectivity.

Turkish general Ilker Basbug, the Deputy Chief of Staff has expressed the Turkish army's anxiety about the security situation in Kirkuk in an announcement last week, saying, "If the result of the Kirkuk elections do not reflect all segments of society, there could be a conflict that would threaten Turkey's security." Following these remarks, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a tough warning and said: "Any wrong step in Kirkuk could cost very heavily. Those who overlook this will have to pay theprice."

There is speculation of whether Turkey will intervene militarily if events lead towards conflict in Kirkuk, but this possibility is not being considered 'for now' in Ankara.

<snip>

Source: Zaman, 30 January 2005

By Erdal Sen, Cetiner Cetin
2005-01-30 21:11:51

[cvoogt]

1. that's OK

The Kurds don't recognize Ankara's right over Kurdish territory anyway.

[Canuckistanian]

2. There's a surprise

Turkey is scared sh*tless about the prospects of a free Kurdistan.
Interesting to see just how far the misadministration will go with this....

[cliss]

3. As I'm eating a lovely Greek Dolma; a rolled grape leaf,

and thinking about politics.

Someone said that politics is never clear-cut or easy. He said that it was more like a game of pool. He said, "you hit one ball, and it might skim by another ball, which hits a few others, and it causes a chain reaction on the other side of the table".

In other words, one's actions can have unintended consequences, and new dangerous developments may suddenly happen because of the original action. Definitely not for the dense of brain.

Now, the Neanderthals in Washington with their 1" inch thick craniums don't get this subtlety. Their approach is to go in with both barrels blazing. "Shoot first, ask no questions later". "Dead men tell no Tales".

Subtlety is definitely not their forte. Things have to get real bad before they listen. So far, the world has obliged them by not blowing itself up, hard pressed though it may be at the moment.

So they've dodged many bullets as they've careened around like Bull in a china shop. However, luck is not everlasting, and now we see Turkey starting to flex its muscles.

This administration has been fooled by them before. However, I seriously doubt they learned their lesson because Power is a delusion unto itself. Turkey may need to hit them over the head with a 2X4 like a dense horse (sometimes it's the only way to get its attention).

The problems with the Kurds is a powderkeg ready to blow, and it could affect the entire Middle East. Turkey has already shown it doesn't always kiss Washington's ass.

So the mentally delayed decicion makers in Washington better pay attention.

[Wilms]

4. Another reason they had to can the "Coalition of the Willing " list.

What a mess.

[Igel]

5. "election committee is not showing the required objectivity"

which is to say, not declaring that all the Turkomen candidates are the winners.

Gotta love ethnic jingoism.

[hector459]

6. This Turkey just "negotiating" for more "$$$aid" from the US.

We'll pay them and they will fall in line.

[TexasLawyer]

7. Turkey wouldn't take $40+ billion

to let the US use Turkey as a northern staging area for the initial U.S. attack of Iraq. On certain things the Turks may stick to their principles.

[cliss]

8. An interesting fact, which

explodes like a pineapple grenade in Bush's face: for all his talk about "Democracy", Turkey has caused him huge problems in the past.

Of all the muslim countries, Turkey is a democracy. It's a fragile one, but they are in the right direction. They voted on it, and turned the Gilded Offer down cold ($45+ for An Offer You Can't Refuse).

I remember reading about this, how Tayyip Erdogan regretfully announced that they voted against the US using Turkey as a staging ground. The US was already on its way!!! Steaming into the strait of Hormuz. Unbelievable what a miscalculation. I recall Wolfowitz, his face twisted with rage and fury, unloaded on them.

I would say that Democracy is completely incompatible with the Cro-Magnons in Washington.

[TexasLawyer]

10. This is how I've always imagined

the start of World War III. Ever since the Iraq War was just a glimmer in bush's eye, it's been clear that the Kurd/Turkey problem was going to be a HUGE problem. Turkey is a NATO member, which makes the future especially sticky.

[Swede]

9. The fuse has been lit.

Turks,Kurds,Persians,Arabs are all going to be really disturbed now.

[cthrumatrix]

11. compliments of the "idiot"