Turkish Claws on Northern Iraq

Hurriyet ^ | 8/8/2002 | N/A

[a_Turk]

The countdown is on for the US attack on Iraq. Turkey has taken position in Northern Iraq in a blitz.

As concerns of an imminent US attack on Iraq grow day by day, Turkey has secured the Critical Bamerni airport in Northern Iraq.

Operational

Turkey has sent heavy machinery and electronic support equipment to the airport along with military and civil personnel who have made the airport available for military use in short order. Ankara, thereby, made it impossible for any other to strategically control the oil rich regions of Mosul and Kirkuk. Turkey has, additionally, established a umber of security checkpoints in northern Iraq.

Talabani explains

This surprize development was reported by PUK leader Celal Talabani, who had been in Ankara on 8/7.

Reports of 5000 Soldiers

The security apparatus inside Iraq was expanded to include a number of forward bases. According to unofficial sources, Turkey has about 5000 soldiers in the region.

Another unofficial report suggests that there are a few Americans who come and go to the Airport.

[WaterDragon]

Is Turkey working with Chalabi as well?

[My Favorite Headache]

Bush is in Crawford right now. Do you really expect him to start a war before Sept.11th? I don't. Too much at stake and he will look like he knew something bad was coming to D.C. by not being in town when the war starts. I can see him being eaten alive by the media.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Yes, perhaps. Would be so nicely "convenient" to have an impetus thrust upon us.

[Yasotay]

You nailed it on the head!!! .... We were formally briefed that it was NOT considered a felony to get stabbed there ... so the victim can't chase you down .... and they would always get away .... so do you have any experience with that MO??? :)

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Good points.

On the other hand, it could yield deception...nah, getting to deeply complicated there...I think your points take the day.

[a_Turk]

No experience, no. Just know about it. So far my ass has been lucky.

[ingeborg]

British Petroleum screwed the Ottoman Empire.

[a_Turk]

The indo-persian oil company, which found oil down around Basra in 1906....

[blam]

"Seems we're securing our interests ahead of your campaign."

I assure you that the interests are the same. Peace and stable oil supplies.

[Yasotay]

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that this would be a GREAT move on the US's part. I know alot of really smart people that are still in the military and I this can only hope that the SAMs grads at Leavenworth came up with this option.It is BRILLANT. Kuwait is a feint ... the Turkish Army on the borders of SA and Iran (NOT US soldiers...) .... cheap Turkish oil .... I bet SA starts listening to us then.

[ingeborg]

But wasn't TEL's mission--maybe unknown to him personally--to set things up so that BP could exploit the oil fields without having to deal with Ataturk?

[kinghorse]

After reading a little more history, I think I've regained my perspective. What we have here is a people who, until recently, have never known autonomy. What is now Saudi Arabia was for a very long time a land of simple nomads effectively managed by local Turkish magistrates. Turkish Ottaman rule, temporarily restrained by English American design, may be back in ascension. Would it be a bad thing to revert control of what was theirs for so long. Talking about everything from the Lebanese Mediterranean to the Eastern Arabian coastal town of Riyadh. The Saudis have been pretty poor custodians of the wealth and comfort America has granted them. Right??

But then I splash cold water on my face and neck, open this web page and realize everything said here is so far off the chart out in neocon land that unless there is some serious seed change in the American government bureaucracy, nothing changes. Liberal political correctness seeps from every pore of the political apparatus. You don't change 8 years of Clinton appointments overnight. Read em and weep boys.

http://usembassy.state.gov/riyadh/

[Yasotay]

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that this would be a GREAT move on the US's part. I know alot of really smart people that are still in the military and I can only hope that the SAMs grads at Leavenworth came up with this option.It is BRILLANT. Kuwait is a feint ... the Turkish Army on the borders of SA and Iran (NOT US soldiers...) .... cheap Turkish oil .... I bet SA starts listening to us then.

...sorry sometimes my fingers are faster then my brain...

[ARCADIA]

Thanks for finding this and translating. I was looking for English-language Turk news sources today, but didn't find anything worthwhile. I just knew the next move would come from Turkey.

A couple of things ....

Turkey's move does not appear to be that of a pawn or a rook. I think they did this independently - to secure their interests. IMO, Washington has not reassured them about the Kurds and is probably playing a double game. Also, they probably asked for the oil-rich areas and did not like the reply they got. Good for Turkey.

Right now the US needs Turkey more than Turkey needs the US. So, the Turks should ask for and get - forgiveness of the $5 billion military debt, the Mosul, etc, and absolute guarantees about the Kurds. A lot of foreign aid and goodies should be thrown in for good measure.

Turkey is the only Muslim country whose history and culture I like. I've been reading a "Peace to End All Peace" and absolutely love the Turks in it. Especially, all the Europeans that assumed the Turks were dim-witted only to be completely bamboozled by them.

BTW, the British, who faced both the Turks and the Germans, thought the Turks were tougher. "Absolutely splendid with his back to the wall."

Don't be offended by the Freeper who refered to Turkey as a pawn. In chess, the first offensive move usually involves a pawn taking control of the center of the board.

[a_Turk]

All I know is they found oil in Arabia in 1906, 8 years later Turkey was in a losing war, and 13 years later had lost all the sand land. Only then did Ataturk come into the picture, and it never was his intention to go back to the gulf.

Too smooth to be coincidental, but keeps lingering in my mind as a suspicion that we were suckered into joining the Germans. We had some real doozies, let me tell you. Thank God for Ataturk, or else we'd be a runt paying Greek taxes right now.

[a_Turk]

Don't be offended by the Freeper who refered to Turkey as a pawn. In chess, the first offensive move usually involves a pawn taking control of the center of the board.

No way, I was not offended. The pawn game was played a decade ago though. Plus this is an airport surrounded by other bases. Rook - yet perhaps neither white nor black. Time will tell.

[My Favorite Headache]

Match Point...lol...expect after elections...all this is media hype right now.

[Yasotay]

I remember MANY great Officers when I was in the Army and most of the Senior Field Grade and General Officers still in the Army were and are very professional AND 8 years of Clinton would NOT change that. Turkey would be a GREAT course of action and the bureaucrats would have zero say or knowledge about that course of action. I hope you are wrong.

[blam]

I do not believe it would be in the interest of the US to begin creating new countries, states or regions. IMO, when this is all over, there will be no border changes, Iraq will be governed by Iraquis except the northern and southern minorities will have more influence and involvement in that government. (The war on terror is not about 'carving' up countries)

[ingeborg]

I think they were suckered in because most of the Turkish war machine of pre-1914 was Mausers, Krupp cannons, and other German-made stuff. Once you buy into the parts plan, it's hard to break free.