On Tuesday, the Turkish parliament approved a plan negotiated with the United States to send troops to Iraq, even though almost 65 percent of Turks oppose the measure. In exchange for sending 5,000 to 10,000 troops, Turkey will receive an $8.5 billion loan. The United States has also agreed to help Turkey eradicate the Kurdish separatist group PKK, a group that both countries designate as a terrorist entity.
The good news is that the United States will be getting some desperately needed support in the form of troops from Turkey. U.S. forces have been suffering almost daily losses and are quickly losing morale as a result of overextension. The traditional doctrine of having two divisions back at base for every one out in combat has been reversed, forcing many soldiers to face extended and even doubled tours of duty. Resentment is growing among soldiers, their families and Americans in general as they become increasingly discontented with the occupation. By bringing in more foreign troops, the United States is relieving some of that political and logistical pressure it now faces.
The bad news is that the influx of Turkish troops may actually cause more problems than they solve. The Coalition Provisional Authority of Iraq has already declared that it does not want the Turkish troops as part of the occupying force, and Kurds in northern Iraq are extremely wary of a Turkish presence in the country. Their concerns are warranted. One of Turkey's stated justifications for sending troops is to ensure a greater Turkish influence on what happens in the country. Turkey is very interested in keeping a check on Iraqi Kurds who may support or even lead Kurdish Turks to further insurrection. They also have an eye on the oil that sits below northern Iraq. Although many Iraqis chafe under U.S. occupation, they are even more opposed to occupation by troops from neighboring countries.
The U.S. agreement to help annihilate the PKK as part of the deal with Turkey may be detrimental to peace in the region as well. The PKK has been the lead resistance group against Turkey's attempts to dominate the Kurdish minority population, which constitutes one-fifth of Turkey's population. In seeking greater autonomy and freedom, the Kurds have faced terrible oppression from the Turkish government, which regularly violates their cultural and political rights. The most recent conflagration has been running for 15 years, leaving 30 thousand people dead and over one million Kurds displaced from their homes.
While the main Kurdish parties in Iraq are not officially aligned with the PKK, they are certainly sympathetic to the plight of their fellow Kurds in eastern Turkey. Seeing the United States team up with Turkey in destroying their brethren may leave Iraqi Kurds with a bad taste for U.S. plans in Iraq. One of the few success stories in the war so far has been the cooperation of the Kurds in the north, and Turkey's hands-off approach. These new developments may destroy the tentative peace that currently exists between the two groups and create even more volatility in Iraq.
It is unfortunate that the Bush administration has alienated so much of the world that such politically unstable choices for reinforcements were the only choices left. If genuine diplomacy had been used all along, perhaps more financial and troop support may have been provided by our friends and allies.
This episode is just the latest in what would be a comedy of U.S. errors in the region and in the world, except that there is nothing funny about it. People are dying, our national security is at even greater risk now than before, we are despised more than ever, and we are struggling under the burden of huge deficits brought on in part by enormous military spending and the war in Iraq. The Bush administration is making consistently unhealthy foreign policy decisions for our country and its security. Thankfully, 2004 provides an opportunity to change our leadership. Hopefully it is not too late.
Nathan Kalmoe is a junior majoring in political science.
