Turkey set to muddy waters in Iraq

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=292640
snip...

In its approach to northern Iraq, the Turkish fear is that if an oil-rich independent Kurdistan emerges from an Iraqi meltdown, its own Kurds (up to 20% of the population of 72 million) may also make similar demands or at least press for more autonomy, or even a separate homeland entity within Turkey.

Sedat Laciner, head of the independent Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization, says that a Turkish move into northern Iraq would be seen outside of Turkey as "invasion" and "occupation" and could lead to increased trans-boundary Kurdish nationalism affecting also Iran and Syria, both with sizeable Kurdish minorities (four million in Iran, two million in Syria). Iraq counts five million Kurds in its north.

Laciner told IPS that the financial cost to Turkey of an attack into northern Iraq could be US$10 billion in flight of foreign capital, quite apart from the cost of the military operation. The move could also doom Turkey's controversial bid for full EU membership.

A segment of Turkish society, led by influential liberal commentators, claims that flushing out 3,500 rebels in northern Iraq and neutralizing some 1,500 within Turkey may not solve the long-standing Kurdish problem.
more...

[Kagemusha]

1. Oh come on, that EU bid is dead anyway.

No one likes the Turks except the US, and well, now the US doesn't like the Turks either. And we have balls to get religion on invading and occupying other countries. Especially in a case where Turkey was getting real terrorism over a real border.

Yes, it may inflame the situation, it may not solve the situation, but I instinctively doubt those who believe that simply sucking up attacks and killings without responding will calm things down, too.

[Hidden Stillness]

2. Turkey was Once a Great Country

"The government acted after 15 soldiers were killed within two days last week, bringing the year's total to 200 such casualties, and public clamor for a strong military response to separatist insurgents," Kurdish insurgents who have been crossing the border from Iraq into Turkey and killing Turkish soldiers--you didn't mention that the Kurds have been killing Turks in their own country, not the other way around (a quote from the article). There was just another CBC news story on it again tonight too, the threat that the Kurds have become to Turkey, as they try to expand their Iraq area to a larger, autonomous country.

I do not really know what will become of Turkey. For generations, since the 1923 independence, Turkey was a model of a modern Constitutional democracy, with a legislature, courts, rights and protections, women's rights, and a modern, Western culture. The past several years have found Turkey threatened by the same Islamic wave of oppression as the rest of the region, and although there have been alarming developments, there have also been huge protests in the streets by those who want their democracy, and who reject Islamic law. I don't know if they can keep fighting this off forever. I would appreciate reading anything about the situation from anyone who knows about recent developments.