Mehmet Al Birand:Why does northern Iraqi leader Barzani make us so angry?
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 02, 2007 15:49
I know very well what establishing an independent Kurdish state means for Turkey. I am also aware of the results of the possible transformation of Kirkuk into a Kurdish capital and the northern Iraqi oil commitment to the Kurdish administration.
However, I cannot understand why we thunder each time the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq, with its total population of only a couple million, opens its mouth, even with the risks involved in the long term and all the issues.
Massoud Barzani is the leader of a region. The international conjuncture has turned for its advantage; it is leaning its back against the United States. He knows that he has caught an opportunity he has dreamed of for years in a struggle his father started. As a politician, he is building up the expectations of the public he is leading.
But each of his speeches convulses the 70-million people in Turkey.
When he says, “Try to get used to the idea of an independent Kurdish state,” everyone, from our prime minister to our foreign minister and from our politicians to our columnists, get inflamed.
When he says, “We cannot allow the Turkish army to enter northern Iraq,” our military gets agitated.
We ponder how he can say such a thing.
We blame him with ingratitude, saying, “We will not fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The old era is now over.” We remind each other of those days that he circulated with our red diplomatic passport, whereas he never actually went to a foreign country with Turkey's diplomatic passport.
Why are we so angry? Why do we overreact? Moreover, these words are not even new. These are opinions that have been repeated many times before.
Let's look at the other side of the medallion. What would we expect Barzani to say?
For example, do we expect him to say, “We venerate the Turkish army. It should come and invade northern Iraq, starting with Kirkuk?”
Let's be realistic. No northern Iraqi leader would say this. He cannot say, “Let the Turkish army come and invade the country. It is venerated.”
Is it not hard to ask a leader like Barzani, “How can you talk about an independent Kurdistan?” A leader, even if it is not realistic and even if he knows it is only but a dream, would like to give hope to his supporters. It would not be realistic to expect another manner of speech from a leader who has caught such a conjuncture.
The same leader, Barzani, could have fought against a PKK-Talabani coalition on the Turkish military's side only a short while ago. He can even be held up high in Ankara.
However, today the situation is different.
Today's conditions have offered an incredible opportunity to the Barzani-Talabani duo. Barzani is taking care of this advantage.
Turkey is right to react. It is right in reacting against the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq and to take necessary measures to prevent it. However, we react so harshly that we almost face a situation of losing in the game of chess that has been going on.
Do you know why I write about these things? There is no need for Turkey to make such a noise. The reason is simple. Turkey is very great, very powerful. It is a power that needs to act more dignified and calm instead of engaging in a battle of words with the Kurds of northern Iraq.
Let me repeat that we may not be sharing Barzani's opinions. We may even be infuriated. However, we should not humiliate ourselves. Instead of over reacting unnecessarily, we need to communicate our opinions calmly.
Barzani should also understand Turkey:
Just as the Turkish public needs to understand Barzani, Barzani also needs to understand the Turkish public. He is one of the people who best know the sensitivities of this public. He knows that the country to help during his hardest times is not Iran but Turkey; that even though the United States is around today, it will not always be around. He is aware that, if he plans to be independent in the future, he can only attain this with Turkey on his side.
Under these circumstances, we have a hard time understanding the reason behind hitting Turkey where it hurts. We cannot see the benefits of badly timed statements even if they are only a repetition of earlier ones. It may be to his advantage in domestic politics but it also makes his most substantial neighbor nervous.
He is maybe giving the impression that he would not like to fight the PKK in the name of “Kurdish fraternity.” However the whole world sees that Barzani is using the PKK and the PKK is using Barzani. Moreover, Turkey's concerns about the PKK and Kirkuk have started to be shared by other neighboring countries. So, Ankara is not alone in its sensitivities.
Considering all this data, we cannot understand why Barzani constantly harasses Turkey.
Regarded, the events are only pieces of a bigger game…
Regarded, we are going through one of the most important milestones of a historic phase.
However, isn't it necessary for countries that need each other to be considerate and think about the long-term?
Massoud Barzani is the leader of a region. The international conjuncture has turned for its advantage; it is leaning its back against the United States. He knows that he has caught an opportunity he has dreamed of for years in a struggle his father started. As a politician, he is building up the expectations of the public he is leading.
But each of his speeches convulses the 70-million people in Turkey.
When he says, “Try to get used to the idea of an independent Kurdish state,” everyone, from our prime minister to our foreign minister and from our politicians to our columnists, get inflamed.
When he says, “We cannot allow the Turkish army to enter northern Iraq,” our military gets agitated.
We ponder how he can say such a thing.
We blame him with ingratitude, saying, “We will not fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The old era is now over.” We remind each other of those days that he circulated with our red diplomatic passport, whereas he never actually went to a foreign country with Turkey's diplomatic passport.
Why are we so angry? Why do we overreact? Moreover, these words are not even new. These are opinions that have been repeated many times before.
Let's look at the other side of the medallion. What would we expect Barzani to say?
For example, do we expect him to say, “We venerate the Turkish army. It should come and invade northern Iraq, starting with Kirkuk?”
Let's be realistic. No northern Iraqi leader would say this. He cannot say, “Let the Turkish army come and invade the country. It is venerated.”
Is it not hard to ask a leader like Barzani, “How can you talk about an independent Kurdistan?” A leader, even if it is not realistic and even if he knows it is only but a dream, would like to give hope to his supporters. It would not be realistic to expect another manner of speech from a leader who has caught such a conjuncture.
The same leader, Barzani, could have fought against a PKK-Talabani coalition on the Turkish military's side only a short while ago. He can even be held up high in Ankara.
However, today the situation is different.
Today's conditions have offered an incredible opportunity to the Barzani-Talabani duo. Barzani is taking care of this advantage.
Turkey is right to react. It is right in reacting against the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq and to take necessary measures to prevent it. However, we react so harshly that we almost face a situation of losing in the game of chess that has been going on.
Do you know why I write about these things? There is no need for Turkey to make such a noise. The reason is simple. Turkey is very great, very powerful. It is a power that needs to act more dignified and calm instead of engaging in a battle of words with the Kurds of northern Iraq.
Let me repeat that we may not be sharing Barzani's opinions. We may even be infuriated. However, we should not humiliate ourselves. Instead of over reacting unnecessarily, we need to communicate our opinions calmly.
Barzani should also understand Turkey:
Just as the Turkish public needs to understand Barzani, Barzani also needs to understand the Turkish public. He is one of the people who best know the sensitivities of this public. He knows that the country to help during his hardest times is not Iran but Turkey; that even though the United States is around today, it will not always be around. He is aware that, if he plans to be independent in the future, he can only attain this with Turkey on his side.
Under these circumstances, we have a hard time understanding the reason behind hitting Turkey where it hurts. We cannot see the benefits of badly timed statements even if they are only a repetition of earlier ones. It may be to his advantage in domestic politics but it also makes his most substantial neighbor nervous.
He is maybe giving the impression that he would not like to fight the PKK in the name of “Kurdish fraternity.” However the whole world sees that Barzani is using the PKK and the PKK is using Barzani. Moreover, Turkey's concerns about the PKK and Kirkuk have started to be shared by other neighboring countries. So, Ankara is not alone in its sensitivities.
Considering all this data, we cannot understand why Barzani constantly harasses Turkey.
Regarded, the events are only pieces of a bigger game…
Regarded, we are going through one of the most important milestones of a historic phase.
However, isn't it necessary for countries that need each other to be considerate and think about the long-term?