The U.S. Supports Security Line at Iraq Border

It has been discovered that the U.S. supports drawing a security line in order to avoid PKK (Kurdish Nationalist Party) members’ entrance into Turkey, and the only obstacle for establishing this line is the approval of the new government which will be established in Iraq. This security-line issue has been on Turkey’s agenda for almost 20 years.

On Sept. 28 United States Army Commanding General Lloyd Austin met with Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces General Işık Koşaner and Minister of Interior Affairs Beşir Atalay in Ankara, to discuss giving more support to Turkey in the fight against the existence of the PKK in Iraq.

According to Radikal’s sources, in his statement Atalay emphasized the importance of a government in Baghdad in the struggles with the PKK, and that taking of a number of new precautions against the PKK can only be provided by an approval from the Baghdad government.

[Turkish] President Abdullah Gül had been in New York on Sept. 23 for the U.N. meetings. During the time he was in the U.S., he met with U.S. President Barack Obama. According to Gül’s press release, they mostly talked about Iraq and the PKK and Obama thanked Turkey for its efforts and support in establishing a new government in Iraq. In response to Radikal’s questions, American sources stated that the U.S. government supports Turkey’s taking precautions as “a right to defend itself,”* and that it can even have a military base within the borders of Iraq. However, this idea can only be implemented if the new Baghdad government is approved. An American source close to the developments stated:

“Our collaboration with Turkey against the PKK has three dimensions: 1. We provide the Turkish military with information about the PKK’ s activities and movements, 2. We support Turkey’s messages to [Masud] Barzani so that they are taken more seriously, 3. We provide “preventive” help by means of security in developing a dialogue between Turkey and the Iraqi government.”*

An American source said that during General Austin’s visit in Ankara, the details of military precautions and intelligence in the southern part of the Turkey-Iraq border weren’t being revealed; however, loyalty to these three principles was highlighted.

It is thought that Atalay’s meeting with Barzani, president of Iraq’s Kurdistan regional administration, in the city of Selahaddin last week and his trip to Hakkari (a Kurdish-populated province in southeastern Turkey), together with a committee of deputies and security people, are all related to this issue.

The secretary of the National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan met with people from intelligence and other officials, first in Iraq and then in the U.S. within the last two weeks.

In reference to the new regulations regarding the struggle with the PKK on the Iraq border, on Sept. 25 in Istanbul, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan gave media executives this important information:

“What we have to do in the first degree is to provide security. Our security structure is evolving. We have special work in Şırnak and Hakkâri (two Turkish provinces bordering Iraq). These are steps to avoid terrorist organizations’ pressure on society.” When journalists asked whether or not it is “emergency rule,” Erdogan answered, “No,” and added, “The new regulation is about positioning security powers. It is a project to supply effective security in the region.” The details of the project are not yet clear. It is expected that these details will become clear after communicating with the new Iraqi government, which hasn’t been established yet, in spite of the fact that it has been eight months since the election.

As one may recall, in the last cabinet meeting on Sept. 27, the note for the permission on the extension of the duration of cross-border military operations (the deadline of which is Oct. 12) had been submitted for the ministers’ signatures.

*Editor’s Note: These quotes, accurately translated, could not be verified.