Florida Excuse for Kirkuk Fraud

Douglas Feith, the U.S. Under Secretary compared the Iraq election with that of the U.S. when speaking at a press conference in Turkey regarding the claims of fraudulent voting in Kirkuk. He told the Turkish press "What can we do? It even happened in the elections in Florida!"He told Sedat Ergin of Hurriyet "I can not say anything about the claims made about Kirkuk, only that these problems happen also in countries with rooted democratic traditions. We were deeply embarrassed by the elections in Florida." He added "We really want the Kirkuk problem to be solved without causing any damage to the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq. Iraqis should solve this matter. We also support that the weath of Iraq belongs to the Iraqi people." NO SOLUTION FOR PKK Feith said that he would continue to openly discuss the PKK issue with Turkish officials. Feith said "This is a very delicate matter that needs a lot of diplomacy. There is no easy solution, but it is important to the U.S. to find a peaceful agreement. Do not think that we are doing nothing with regards to the issue of the PKK." In his column, Oktay Eksi said “Relations between Turkey and Iraq turned into a dialogue of the deaf. The third in command at the U.S. Defense Department Douglas Feith was just another U.S. knocking emptily on the doors of Ankara. The answers he gave to Hurriyet show that both sides do not have the potential to understand each other." He continued “According to Mr. Feith, The influence and consequences of American policy in Iraq have benefited and continue to benefit Turkey. What kind of a policy 'Benefits Turkey'? Isn't this a subject of constant complaint by the Turkish prime minister? The Turkish prime minister also described these policies as 'Sharing atrocities'." Oktay Eksi went on “What kind of a policy is that, when the U.S. fails to keep its own promises but keeps on pressing Turkey to keep theirs? Do you want an example? The U.S. was to lend 8.5 billion dollars to Turkey which it admitted helped itself in the Iraqi operation, even though symbolically. But before that permission was issued, the White House said 'Only with the condition that Turkey undertakes not to send troops to Northern Iraq.' This is to say that, it attempted to grab from our hands, our right to defense." “What kind of policy benefiting us is that? The U.S. forgot about protecting Turkomans in Northern Iraq and protecting Kirkuk from the mercy of Kurds, it remained a spectator when Kurds moved 80 thousand people into Kirkuk for the election? Had we forgotten that Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz had talked about withdrawing from Incirlik? If those policies were true, would they come to Turkey with new demands about Incirlik?" Oktay also said “The plot is there. The U.S. had not forgotten that the Turkish Parliament had rejected the March 1st 2003 permit which was to allow U.S. troops to make use of its soil in the Iraqi operation. Because it perceived this as an insult to Turkey rather than an expression of a legitimate right. Therefore the U.S. policies are no more carried out with the benefit of Turkey in mind or even on a friendly basis.” �