Turkey Shelves Plans for Second Border Gate
Turkish Zaman May 12, 2007
Turkey has dropped plans to open a second
border gate with neighboring Iraq because the idea has lost its appeal
strategically and is no longer considered to be economically advantageous, an
official said.
Ankara had long planned to open an additional border gate bypassing the Kurdish
region in northern Iraq to limit revenues Kurds earn through the busy Habur
gate. But the plans were based on now-outdated calculations that the Ovacık gate
further west would bypass the Kurdish-controlled region. "This was the
calculation made 10-15 years ago. Today, the Kurdish region is no longer a
narrow strip; the Kurdish region spreads across everywhere," said the official
who spoke on condition of anonymity.With a daily average of some 4,000 vehicles
passing from Turkey to Iraq and vice versa, Habur is a significant source of
income for the Kurdish administration running northern Iraq. It is a source of
income that experts say could boost Kurdish prospects to expand their political
influence. A new border gate located further west of Habur would have also
helped Turkey establish direct ties with Turkmens, who share close ethnic ties
with Turks, and Arabs, according to expert assessments.
But today’s facts tell a different story. “The
Ovacık gate no longer has strategic value and our economic organizations are of
the view that it would not bring any significant advantages either,” said the
official. “The Habur gate is enough for now to respond to needs.”
