18 January 2007

1. "Turkey Concerned as Kurds Take Control of Northern Iraq", Ankara is thinking aloud about a possible military intervention in northern Iraq. As the Kurdish population consolidates its hold on oil-rich Kirkuk, the Turkish government worries about increased sectarian violence among the PKK.

2. "Turkish-US Relations Could Turn Sour", Turkish-US relations are going through a period of instability due to Ankara's doubts about US plans for the Kurdish people not only in Kurdistan region (northern Iraq) but also in Kurdish southern Turkey.

3. "PM Continues Sueing Journalists", PM Erdogan files another case against Tuncay Ozkan, claiming Ozkan insulted him during a programme broadcasted January 7. Two other cases brought to court by PM's lawyers against Ozkan are still pending. On another account journalist Babahan is acquitted.

4. "Cyprus issue must be resolved on reunification basis: Cypriot president", Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos emphasized on Tuesday that any solution to the long- standing Cyprus issue should be aimed at the reunification of the country.

5. "Magazine Banned on Religious Rudiment", reporters Sans Frontiers criticized the ban on the last issue of Historia Thematique magazine, devoted to fundementalist political movements, in Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia. An alleged photograph of Prophet Mohammed is grounds for the prohibition.

6. "US Forces Raid Kurdish Refugee Camp In Northern Iraq", US troops in Iraq on Wednesday raided a refugee camp housing Turkish Kurds in northern Iraq, Turkish news agencies reported.

1. - Der Spiegel - "Turkey Concerned as Kurds Take Control of Northern Iraq":

ISTANBUL / 17 January 2007 / by Annette Grossbongardt

Ankara is thinking aloud about a possible military intervention in northern Iraq. As the Kurdish population consolidates its hold on oil-rich Kirkuk, the Turkish government worries about increased sectarian violence among the PKK.

The confidential report on strategic threats to the Turkish nation issued by Turkey's National Intelligence Service (MIT) bore a simple title: "Iraq, Terror, Kirkuk and the PKK." Copies of the explosive document were already lying on the desks of the Turkish president and of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan before the beginning of the new year.

And it is explicit about the threats facing Turkey -- especially the one posed by Iraq. Kurdish PKK militias have withdrawn to the northern part of Turkey's neighbor to the south, and the region's Kurdish population already enjoys far-reaching autonomy. Were Iraq to break apart, Ankara would suddenly be faced with a Kurdish state as a neighbor, a situation, the report makes clear, which could incite Kurdish rebels in south-eastern Turkey to continue their fight for independence.

Kurds are already attempting to alter the demography of the oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk in their favor, the document warns. Some 600,000 Kurds have already been drawn into the multi-ethnic city, many of them returnees after former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein followed a policy of increasing the city's Arab population. Some Kurds have even been lured back with cash -- while at the same time some 200,000 members of the Turkmen minority have been driven out, according to the confidential report. Come referendum time -- when Kirkuk residents will be asked to vote on whether the city should become part of the autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq -- the increase in Kurdish residents is meant to ensure a favorable result.

A Turkish military intervention in Iraq?

Turkey, the report says, cannot afford to remain passive in the face of such developments, a point of view Erdogan emphasized in Ankara on Tuesday. "Turkey will not remain a silent observer of developments in Iraq and will not remain indifferent to developments in Kirkuk," he said.

The Turkish government has called for the referendum in Kirkuk to be postponed -- a position that reflects a recommendation of the Iraq Study Group, which provided a non-partisan analysis of the situation in Iraq for the US government in early December.

Even a military intervention could not be excluded as "one option" an Erdogan advisor told DER SPIEGEL. "The territorial integrity of Iraq has to be preserved. A civil war in Kirkuk must be prevented," he said.

But the advisor also said the bases the separatist Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) has set up in northern Iraq remain Ankara's greatest worry. The number of Turkish troops around the Iraqi border has already been increased, Turkish newspaper Zaman reported. Even the political opposition in Ankara has said it would support a parliamentary resolution to send Turkish troops into northern Iraq.

Deniz Baykal, the leader of CHP, the largest opposition party in Ankara, is interested in attracting popular attention ahead of presidential elections in May and general elections in November. He has effectively urged the Turkish government to prepare a military intervention in Iraq. "We are ready to back the government (on intervention)," he said over the weekend. "We're planning to invite parliament to debate this."

Alarmed, the US government in Washington had its ambassador in Iraq, Zalmay Khalizad, warn the Turkish government against interfering in Iraqi affairs.

Increasing the pressure on Washington

Despite the rhetoric, it is hard to imagine Turkey risking a major confrontation with its close ally the US. Such a move would also risk spreading the conflict to the entire region and bogging Turkey down in the increasingly violent Iraq quagmire. The fallout would be difficult, if not impossible, to control.

But things are far from having developed that far. Ankara's threats are intended first and foremost to up the pressure on Washington. Turkey already feels its overseas ally has let it down when it comes to fighting the PKK. Now it wants the United States to at least make sure the Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq keep their hands off Kirkuk. "We have to make it clear to the Iraqi Kurds that they mustn't go too far with their demands," one Turkish diplomat said.

Turkey is especially sensitive when it comes to Kirkuk: The city, whose oilfields are among the richest in the world, was once part of the Ottoman Empire. The prospect of it becoming the capital of a wealthy Kurdish state is a nightmare for Turkey. An oil pipeline connects Kirkuk to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean coast. But oil delivery has been interrupted repeatedly since the war in Iraq. Turkey also feels obliged to use its political power to protect the Turkmen minority living in Kirkuk, a population ethnically related to the population of Turkey.

Let down by the United States

But sending troops into Kirkuk would be highly risky for a Turkey which is primarily interested in peace and stability in the region. A military intervention against the leaders of the PKK who are hiding in the mountains of northern Iraq seem like a more probable development. It is from there that the PKK organize attacks on Turkey -- and where they acquire weapons before smuggling them across the border.

Turkey has kept quiet for years, repeatedly pacified by promises from Washington. Now Ankara is making it clear its patience is running out. Ankara, for example, recently received classified information that the two PKK leaders most wanted by Ankara, Murat Karayilan and Cemil Bayik, were on their way for a health check-up at a hospital in northern Iraq. The government was enraged to find it had no means of arresting them.

Ankara felt it had been let down again by its American friends. At the party meeting, Erdogan said he expected "solid results" from the United States showing that Washington shares Ankara's concern about the PKK and is willing to lend its support just as Ankara supported Washington after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The Turkish government is concerned about a possible new wave of PKK attacks in the spring. But Ankara ignored a cease-fire offered by the organization last year, stating blandly at the time that the offer was not to be taken seriously. Now, Erdogan seems to be making up for having previously neglected to formulate a comprehensive strategy to deal with the PKK.

2. - KUNA - "Turkish-US Relations Could Turn Sour":

ANKARA / 17 January 2007 / by Tareq Bouhaimad

Turkish-US relations are going through a period of instability due to Ankara's doubts about US plans for the Kurdish people not only in Kurdistan region (northern Iraq) but also in Kurdish southern Turkey.

Up till now, Turkey has listened to Washington's advices and abided by them. But The Turks are realizing that the Americans are facing increasing problems in Iraq and have little or no time to spend on Ankara's concerns with regard to expansionist or separatist designs by the Kurdish minority in both Turkey and Iraq.

Now while Turks and Kurds are getting ready for a possible clash, Turkey has given up hope that the Americans would cut the Kurds to size and hopes instead to get a green light from Washington to launch a "limited strike against bases of the Kurdistan Workers Party" (Kurdish: Partiya Karkeran Kurdistan or PKK), in Iraqi provinces close to the border.

Ankara also hopes that the US administration would convince Iraqi Kurds to sit on the fence and watch and not interfere with Turkey's action against the PKK.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan had confided to UA President George W. Bush in July 2006, during telephone calls between the two leaders that the strikes against the PKK should be launched as soon as possible or he (Erdogan) could lose control over Turkish generals keen to launch such a strike as soon as possible.

Erdogan's remarks were prompted by the growing number of victims of PKK attacks against Turkish targets.

Similarly, a senior Turkish Intelligence officer was quoted as saying that the wait-and-see policy with the Kurds was no longer tenable and action was needed.

Meanwhile, a Turkish political analyst called Ehan Bashi told KUNA that the question was, at present, not whether or not the Turkish strike against the Kurds would take place, but what would be the response to such a strike by the US army.

"Washington is certainly not be happy about the Kurds helping the PKK, which is not likely to give up the fight and call it a day," Bashi said. He added that Turkey was not just any country, but a member of NATO and a major power in this part of the world. Therefore, it (Turkey) should not be overlooked in a political and military context, he said.

He stated that the NATO base in Incirlik, in south Turkey, was a non-combat base. But, just the same, it was a base for military aircraft for NATO in general, but for US forces in Iraq in particular.

Another analyst, Mehmet Ali Brand Feri, said in his daily column that Washington was not convinced that the problem (of the PKK) would be resolved by any Turkish military intrusion in northern Iraq's Kurdish provinces. Therefore, Washington would dislike such an intrusion for its negative effect on turbulent Iraq.

"Washington cannot afford such adventures that could trigger more ethnic and sectarian hatred in Iraq," Feri said.

The worst case scenario for Turkey is the setting up of a separate Kurdish state in Northern Iraq because that would have a devastating effect on Iraq's national unity.

Kirkuk in particular is a source of concern for Turkey, in case there is a separate state, because the city is made up of several ethnic minorities and because of the oil wealth in that city.

3. - Bianet - "PM Continues Sueing Journalists":

PM Erdogan files another case against Tuncay Ozkan, claiming Ozkan insulted him during a programme broadcasted January 7. Two other cases brought to court by PM's lawyers against Ozkan are still pending. On another account journalist Babahan is acquitted.

ANKARA / 17 January 2007 / by Erol Onderoglu

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues filing legal complaints against journalists.

Lastly, PM's lawyers applied to court against journalist Tuncay Ozkan on grounds he assaulted PM's personal rights in a TV programme broadcasted in Kanalturk television.

Lawyers Fatih Sahin and Muammer Cemaloglu claimed that Ozkan insulted PM Erdogan during the programme broadcasted on January 7 and demanded damages amounting to 10 thousand YTL (around 5 thousand euros).

There are two other pending cases filed by PM's lawyers against Ozkan on the same grounds related to programmes broadcasted on different dates.

On another account, journalist Ergun Babahan, columnist in the daily Sabah, is acquitted on the case filed by Baskent University Dean Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal.

Haberal pressed charges claiming that Babahan insulted him in his column published on June 18 last year.

4. - Xinhua - "Cyprus issue must be resolved on reunification basis: Cypriot president":

17 January 2007

Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos emphasized on Tuesday that any solution to the long- standing Cyprus issue should be aimed at the reunification of the country.

Speaking to foreign press representatives in Cyprus, the president said he was committed to a bizonal and bicommunal federal solution that will reunite the island.

"We want the reunification of the country, the people, the society, the economy and the institutions," Papadopoulos added.

He believed that only such a solution could be functional and serve the interests of both the Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north of Cyprus following a coup by a group of Greek officers.

In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot authorities declared breakaway and established "the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is only recognized by Turkey.

On the attempts by Turkish Cypriot authority and Turkey to break the "international isolation" on the north, Papadopoulos said, "the issue is not economic but political."

He reaffirmed that Cyprus government wants to help the Turkish Cypriots living in the north improve their economic situation but is firmly against any move aimed at elevating the north' status.

5. - Bianet - "Magazine Banned on Religious Rudiment":

Reporters Sans Frontiers criticized the ban on the last issue of Historia Thematique magazine, devoted to fundementalist political movements, in Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia. An alleged photograph of Prophet Mohammed is grounds for the prohibition.

ISTANBUL / 17 January 2007

Last issue of the French Historia Thematique magazine, which was devoted to political fanaticism, is banned in Turkey as well as Egypt and Tunisia.

Reporters Sans Frontiers criticized the ban saying while such actions are precedented in the former countries, this is the first time in Turkey where a publication is prohibited from distribution based on religious sensitivities.

Tunisian authorities blamed an alleged photograph of Prophet Mohammed published in the magazine as grounds for the ban. Visualization of Mohammed is strictly forbidden in Islamic tradition, they said in an announcement on January 10.

The bi-monthly magazine claimed to quote the graphics from a hand-written Quran dating back to 1583, which is situated in the Museum of Turkic and Islamic Arts in Istanbul.

The issue in question undertook fanatical Christian and Jewish political movements as well, said Pierre Baron of RSF and the reaction constituted evidence to the growing sentiments of cultural intolerance around the globe.

6. - DPA - "US Forces Raid Kurdish Refugee Camp In Northern Iraq":

17 January 2007

US troops in Iraq on Wednesday raided a refugee camp housing Turkish Kurds in northern Iraq, Turkish news agencies reported.

Abdurrahman Belaf Berzenci, the elected leader of the 10,000 refugees at the Mahmur refugee camp, told the Dogan news agency that US forces moved into the camp Wednesday morning and went from dwelling to dwelling checking identity cards.

Berzenci said that there were no violent incidents during the day.

The Mahmur refugee camp was established in 1992 by Turkish Kurds fleeing from fighting inside Turkey between the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) and the Turkish security forces.

Turkey has repeatedly called on the camp to be closed down, claiming that it harboured PKK fighters, was a base for the spreading of separatist propaganda and provided a recruiting pool for the PKK.

In recent months Turkey has repeatedly asked the United States to move against PKK camps in northern Iraq but the US authorities have refused to act, saying their forces in Iraq are already stretched.

More than 32,000 people have been killed since the PKK began its fight in the early 1980s for independence or autonomy for the mainly Kurdish-populated south-east of Turkey.