KDP: Regional war could break out

The Kurdistan Democrat Party (KDP) does not think that Turkey's new strategy for South Kurdistan [Iraqi
Kurdistan] has a chance. KDP officials warned that if Turkey begins a broad military campaign against the
PKK in the region, it could open the path to a regional war.

Ozgur Politica    (Ozgur Politica is a pro PKK punblication in Turkish)
(Translated Text)
Feb 5, 2001

There is no chance of success of Turkey's new policy for the South based on having the existence of the
Turkmen officially recognized and evicting the PKK from the region.

KDP sources who did not want their names revealed noted that Ankara was trying to convince the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and KDP to fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and said
that, at least for now, they did not want to fight against the PKK. The same sources said that
participation of Turkish military forces in an operation against the PKK would draw the reaction of Iran and
Iraq and increase the risks of a regional war breaking out.

KDP representatives in Turkey and Europe said that the US was behind the rapprochement between
Turkey and the PUK. They noted that the basis for this was Washington's uneasiness with the closeness
between the PUK and Iran. They also evaluate the last PUK congress as an initiative to clear out the
opposition and bring people to the government who are close to Turkey and the US.

US influence

The same sources said that the PUK had arranged assaults against the PKK in order to move closer to
Turkey, but that they had suffered heavy losses in these attacks. They noted that the policy of
"Closeness with Turkey, clashes with the PKK" had led to serious differences of opinion within the PUK.

The KDP sources drew attention to the fact that getting rid of former prime minister Kosret Resul and a
great number of top-level commanders, while bringing Berhem Saleh, known for his closeness to the US, to
replace Resul, was a part of this policy, continuing as follows: "Resul had not been approving of the PUK's
policies in this last period. They got rid of Resul, who has significant military power, and brought in his
place Saleh, who is a clever and successful diplomat but has no power with the masses. Talabani thinks he
can control Saleh more easily because his influence over the military and the people is weak."

The sources also noted that PUK Turkey representative Shazad Said had been taken into the
government as the Minister of Agriculture.

A new border gate is impossible

The KDP sources pointed out that Turkey's idea of opening a new border gate west of Habur and on the
border with Syria and under Turkmen control was impossible. While the KDP views the opening of a new
gate at the most 10 kilometers west of Habur and tied to the Habur gate as positive, it violently
opposes the opening of a gate as an alternative to Habur.

The PUK, for its part, wants a corridor to open to Habur instead of a new gate because the territory
under its control has no common border with Turkey and the new gate Turkey is thinking of on the Syrian
border is further away.

It has been noted that Iraq and international powers would oppose such a project because the Turkmen
would not be able to secure control in a region near the Syrian border, the UN would not give permission
for Baghdad to have control over the gate and corridor project, and because attempts by Turkey to
secure control over the project would be viewed as occupation.

It was also noted that it would be difficult for the Turkmen to be officially recognized by the Baghdad
administration, the KDP, and PUK. The sources pointed out that the Constitution accepted in 1958
only recognized the existence of Arabs and the Kurds in Iraq, and did not recognize the Turkmen as an
ethnic community.
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The Kurdistan Observer
www.kurdistanobserver.com