Revue <strong>de</strong> Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro <strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Baszn Öz<strong>et</strong>i In exchange, Turkey allowed its truck drivers to smuggle in lots of Iraqi diesel on which Mr Barzani's group would levy taxes. Revenue from this illicit trad~ (to which America turned a blind eye) helped finance'the construction of hundreds , of new schools,-roads and hospitals-inKDP-held territol}j_as ~eIL
Revue <strong>de</strong> Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro <strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Baszn Öz<strong>et</strong>i of law and the rights of all Iraqi citizens. May your example spread finally have the liberty and prosperitythey so richly <strong>de</strong>serve. so that one day all Iraqi people, united and free can Colin Powell United States Secr<strong>et</strong>ary of State 4 October 02. .Turkish Daily News October 10, 2002 by M<strong>et</strong>e Belovacikli * * * * Northern Iraq From Ankara's Viewpoint Ankara has s<strong>et</strong> up a special agenda for itself in the aftermath of Kurdish groups' parliamentary activities in northern Iraq. For days, top officials of the state have been reviewing the <strong>de</strong>velopments and discussing game plans. Ankara's general stance is already clear. This stance can be summarized as follows: "Territorial integrity of Iraq should be preserved; Kurdish groups should not be allowed to s<strong>et</strong> up an in<strong>de</strong>pen<strong>de</strong>nt state in northern Iraq; every <strong>et</strong>hnic group, including most notably the Turkomans, should be granted representation right in a <strong>de</strong>mocratic Iraq." Hid<strong>de</strong>n in <strong>de</strong>tails of this' general stance are intense and ~areful efforts. That the Turkish military presence in the region is now openly mentioned by Turkish officials; that there are efforts to <strong>de</strong>al with a possible refugee flow within Iraqi bor<strong>de</strong>rs and finally that preparations to that effect have already started suggest that the Turkish presence in the region will be a lasting one for a while. And insi<strong>de</strong> the Prime Minister's Office, where all these <strong>de</strong>velopments have been taking place, authorities are recently working on a special topic. This topic.consists of a new constitution draft that foresees a fe<strong>de</strong>ral administration for Iraq ... Well, in<strong>de</strong>ed this draft has not y<strong>et</strong> taken a final shape. Kurdish groups <strong>de</strong>ci<strong>de</strong>d that the time was not opportune for issuing a parliamentary approval to finalize this draft. But they did produce a draft in the fir\al analysis. Prime Minister's Office has asked for information and documents on this matter from the Foreign Ministry. Offi~ials of the Prime Ministry and Foreign Ministry have now finished their analysis and interpr<strong>et</strong>ation of the draft constitution. It is possible to summarize Ankara's initial analyses: "First of all, this is a draft and not a final text. Y<strong>et</strong>, even in this preliminary form, this document is unacceptable." Why? Because in Ankara's view, this draft virtually <strong>de</strong>stroys Iraq. It grants almost no authority to the central authority. It simply ignores Baghdad. It grants those authorities to northern Iraq, which it <strong>de</strong>notes as a fe<strong>de</strong>rate state, that go far beyond the status of a fe<strong>de</strong>rate state. The status it <strong>de</strong>scribes for northern Iraq is close to that of an in<strong>de</strong>pen<strong>de</strong>nt $tate. Un<strong>de</strong>r this draft, there is to be a fe<strong>de</strong>ral presi<strong>de</strong>nt to whom the authority to <strong>de</strong>al with security matters is transferred. And the security matters that this presi<strong>de</strong>nt will be authorized to'<strong>de</strong>al with will cover not only domestic but also foreign ones. That implies, in a sense, a standing army. Assyrians and Turkomans are granted certainminority rights. In addition, Turkish officials stipulate that fe<strong>de</strong>ration is a matter of domestic léiw and that it could be established through necessary changes to a country's constitution. In this sense, they argue, that such changes couldbe carried out in Baghdad, not in Arbil. The draft constitution of Kurdish lea<strong>de</strong>rs Mesud Barzani and lalal Talabani, on the other hand, aims at a confe<strong>de</strong>ration b<strong>et</strong>ween two states, rather than a fe<strong>de</strong>ration in true sense. Such an interpr<strong>et</strong>ation assumes that the Kurdish groups' draft ignores Baghdad and <strong>de</strong>stroys the entity called Iraq. . What if the draft is given parliamentary approval without any change? The answer is quite clear: "Turkey cannot accept it. This draft is not a text acceptable to Turkey. Because it makes reference to Sevres Treaty, which is nothing but a mere part of history. In this sense, it reveals certain intentions that Turkey cannot accept. Turkey will not allow a fait accompli in the region. Turkish authorities have ma<strong>de</strong> these points clear several times, telling the Kurdish groups not to overstep the mark. Ankara has been carefully following <strong>de</strong>velopments." What if they actually overstep the mark? Or what if Turkey sees <strong>de</strong>velopments as tantamount to overstepping of the màrk? That means a state of war! What is more, one needs to take this state of war as a <strong>de</strong>velopment in<strong>de</strong>pen<strong>de</strong>nt from a possible U.S. operation on Iraq. Irrespective of wh<strong>et</strong>her the United States g<strong>et</strong>s what it wants in Iraq ... Irrespective of wh<strong>et</strong>her Saddam Hussein remains in office... Developments in northern Iraq will be consi<strong>de</strong>red on a totally separate basis and a stance will be taken accordingly. * * * * 35
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