Sudden Apparent Change in Turkey's Stance Toward A Possible Federal System in Iraq

Kurdistan Observer

Oct 20, 2002

Following the political and media campaign by Turkey, in particular by the Turkish PM Bulent Ecevit against the Kurdish demand for a federated Southern Kurdistan, Turkey's attitude is apparently gradually softening to a milder stance toward a federal solution to the Iraqi problem, reported the Arabic daily newspaper, Hayat, yesterday.

Following Ecevit's repeated warnings indicating that the situation in Iraqi Kurdistan was exacerbating and that Turkey could be drawn into a war, a spokesperson of Turkey's Foreign Office, Yusuf Buluc, called upon the Turkish authorities and Turkish political parties to control themselves asserting that the situation in Southern Kurdistan is under control.

In the mean time, the daily Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, reported that a statement by a high military level stated that "there is no need to interfere in Northern Iraq militarily and create problems with the Iraqi Kurds who are our relatives," indicating the necessity to keep friendly relations with the Kurds.

At the same time, many prominent Turkish media staffs have openly expressed skepticism, in their daily papers regarding Turkish regime's fear of the changes in Iraq, stressing to keep good relations with Kurds in Iraq to create economical opportunities with Iraq through a
Kurdish link in a post-Saddam Iraq.

Also, a number of Turkish media columnists who have started supporting a federated Kurdish state or even an independent state criticized Turkish government officials for its hostile relations with USA in this delicate times. Ozkok Ertugrul, the editor of the largest
newspaper circulation in Turkey said that he has not received a viable answer from Turkish officials concerning Turkish fears of a federal solution in Southern Kurdistan.

It is not immediately clear if the shift in the attitude of the Turks toward Southern Kurdistan is substantive or what factors have led to the apparent shift.