Turkey Defiant On Possible Iraq Invasion

Amid Diplomatic Row With U.S., Leader Says They’ll Go After Rebels "Whatever Its Price"

(CBS/AP)  Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey would not be deterred by the possible diplomatic consequences if it decides to stage a cross-border offensive into Iraq against Kurdish rebels.

"If such an option is chosen, whatever its price, it will be paid," Erdogan told reporters in response to a question about the international repercussions of such a decision, which would strain ties with the United States and Iraq. "There could be pros and cons of such a decision, but what is important is our country's interests."

Erdogan also had harsh words for the United States, which opposes a Turkish incursion into Iraq because it could disrupt one of its few relatively stable areas.

"Did they seek permission from anyone when they came from a distance of 10,000 kilometers and hit Iraq?" he said. "We do not need anyone else's advice."

Analysts say Turkey could be less restrained about defying the United States because of a U.S. congressional committee's approval of a resolution labeling the mass killings of Armenians around the time of World War I as genocide.

"Democrats are harming the future of the United States and are encouraging anti-American sentiments," Erdogan said. Democratic Party leaders in the House of Representatives support the resolution.

Erdogan said Turkey was ready to sacrifice good ties with Washington if necessary.

"Let it snap from wherever it gets thin," Erdogan said using a Turkish expression that means breaking ties with someone or something.

At issue in the resolution is the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated, and those killed were victims of civil war and unrest that killed Muslims as well as the overwhelmingly Christian Armenians.

Murat Mercan, head of the Turkish parliament's foreign relations committee, accused U.S. legislators of snubbing ties with Turkey.

"In the United States, there are several narrow-minded legislators who can't think of their own interests and who cannot understand the importance of Turkey," Mercan said.

Turkey, a key supply route for U.S. troops in Iraq, recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultations and warned of serious repercussions if the U.S. Congress passes the resolution.

CBS News was outside the Turkish Ambassador's residence in Washington Thursday when he came out and spoke briefly to reporters. Nabi Sensoy, seen at left in a 2003 file photo, confirmed that he was being recalled to Turkey.

"I'm asked to come back to Turkey for consultations. This is a normal affair, especially after certain important developments take place… They will normally ask what has happened and what the prospects are, and I will share with the government my own experiences in this country," Sensoy said.

Turkish authorities have refused to comment on whether Turkey might shut down Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, a major cargo hub for U.S. and allied military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Turkey's Mediterranean port of Iskenderun is also used to ferry goods to American troops.

However, sources tell CBS News' Charlie Wolfson at the State Department, "at least for now, the Turks are not restricting use of Incirlik air base or taking other steps that might interfere with the U.S. military's operations."

The Yeni Safak newspaper, which is close to the Turkish government, said Friday that Incirlik and $15 billion worth of defense contracts, including purchase of warplanes, missile and radar systems, could be reviewed. Turkey could also prevent U.S. firms from taking part in new contracts, Yeni Safak said.

Wolfson reports the disagreement has forced the Bush administration to engage in a political blitz to try and avoid a diplomatic disaster. "Having failed to prevent the House committee vote, everyone from President Bush to Secretary Rice, Secretary Gates and a score of other senior officials are scrambling to prevent passage of the resolution by the full House."

Erdogan said the resolution in the U.S. Congress would hamper all efforts to improve ties between Turkey and Armenia, who do not have diplomatic relations because of the dispute. Turkey also closed its border with Armenia in 1993 during a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a Muslim ally of Ankara. The move hurt the economy of tiny, landlocked Armenia.

"Are relations between Turkey and Armenia possible? The way things are going, no!" Erdogan said.

Erdogan said Turkey has long been seeking the cooperation of Iraq and the United States in its fight against Kurdish guerrillas, but there has been no crackdown on the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, which has bases in Iraq. Erdogan said a recent anti-terrorism deal signed with Iraq was not valid since it had not been approved by Iraq's parliament yet.

The Turkish parliament was expected to approve a government request to authorize an Iraq campaign as early as next week, after a holiday ending the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

"We are making necessary preparations to be ready in case we decide on a cross-border operation since we don't have patience to lose more time," Erdogan said, adding that Turkey has lost 30 people in rebel attacks over the past two weeks.

A Turkish soldier was killed in a mine explosion on Thursday night on Mt. Gabar in southeastern Sirnak province, authorities said Friday.

Turkish army units, backed by helicopter gunships, were hunting rebels in the rugged border area.

Bahoz Erdal, a senior rebel commander, said the PKK fighters were moving further inside Turkey and taking new "positions" in the face of attacks from Turkey, pro-Kurdish Firat News Agency reported Friday. The agency is based in Belgium.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since 1984.

[john_damaga]

All the news I read says: " ... any offensive by Turkey into what has been a relatively peaceful area of northern Iraq ..."

I guess we call that region "peaceful" because the Kurds do not attack U.S. soldiers, but instead they attack the Turks.

Had the Kurds been attacking U.S. soldiers instead of the Turks, I don''t think we would call that region "peaceful."

What do you think?

[glaswolf]

Coalitions of Convenience are dysfunctional in the end, and we are about to watch rebellion by every petty power advanced by countervaling weapons, like those we''re about to sell Israel and SaudiA to counterbalance the weapons we previously sold to Iran. My judeo chirstian friends are reaping the consequences of their ignorance and presumption. Others thing we are worn down and unable to quickly recover. They have a short window to assert their own conquering tendencies. General Eisenhower was fired on by the French generals in, I think he said we are after germans, allow us to use your land or we will kill your army. Should we conquer Turkey to secure our military supply lines .... absolutely. However we shoud wait a bit to see who else convinced by rhetoric will jump ship on us, as most did when we were "police actioning" in Vietnam. Russia, Red China and The United States/The Americas are being attacked by the rest of the world, as I see it. Prepare for a draft and the building of our armies for now.

[ajmarine1]

"Democrats are harming the future of the United States and are encouraging anti-American sentiments" -Recep Tayyip Erdogan"

I speak under correction, but I believe it is an actual violation of U.S. law for a foreign head of state to interfere in American domestic politics like this.

Posted by Iceman_1960 at 01:26 AM : Oct 13, 2007



Gee, thanks Harry
Filed under: Post repub_rat_b*****d @ 05:10:49 am

Just in case there was any doubt that the defeatist/surrender rhetoric coming from our democrat "leaders" in the Congress was going unnoticed by our enemies, here''s an interesting quote from Bin Laden''s sidekick:

"The Crusaders themselves have testified to their defeat in Afghanistan at the hands of the lions of the Taliban," he said. "The Crusaders have testified to their own defeat in Iraq at the hands of the mujahideen, who have taken the battle of Islam to the heart of the Islam world."

It''s nice to see that our enemies are paying close attention to the public utterances of folks like Harry "The war is lost" Reid.

It''s official folks. The democratics, in their psychotic hatred of George Bush, continue to embolden, empower, and inspire the enemy.

Does this guy qualify as a foreign head of state?

[ajmarine1]

"But as for this congressman: If we wish to stop genocide, the time to stop it is when it is forming and is going on, not commenting on it later."

Posted by toldyouso21 at 12:38 AM : Oct 13, 2007,

Africa comes to mind, with Darfur(?) being the lastest in a long line of never ending deaths.

[v_1618]

TURKEY HAS TO GO AHEAD IN HIS OWN NATIONAL INTEREST.. AND SERVE HIS OWN SOVEREIGN NOT THE SOVEREIGN OF OTHER COUNTRIES ... SO IF THE INCURSION OF IRAQ IS IN HIS OWN INTEREST SO GO AHEAD .....

[brianbwb-2009]

"Did they seek permission from anyone when they came from a distance of 10,000 kilometers and hit Iraq?"

Hard to argue with that kind of logic.

This is only one of the demons from Pandora''s box that our Mass Murderer in Chief has opened.

[iceman_1960]

"so who will hang Bush for doing the same thing?"
- Posted by toldyouso21 at 12:31 AM : Oct 13, 2007

Nobody.

Hanging''s too good for him.

[akh20007]

"Let it snap from wherever it gets thin," Erdogan said using a Turkish expression that means breaking ties with someone or something.

"Did they seek permission from anyone when they came from a distance of 10,000 kilometers and hit Iraq?" he said. "We do not need anyone else''s advice."


Is this the US ally? Sounds like a ""real dealer"" who is unhappy for his share and is frightening to get his money back. I am wondering what is making this men so aggressive and arrogant?

[iceman_1960]

"Genocide is not a movie where , if it is panned 100 years later, it has any real effect."
- Posted by toldyouso21 at 12:38 AM : Oct 13, 2007

Failure to pan it might.


On the eve of his invasion of Poland, 22 years after the Armenian genocide, Hitler (according to the London Times) told his commanders, "Go, kill without mercy. After all, who remembers the Armenians?"

If the Armenians had been remembered, the attitude might have been different.

[iceman_1960]

"Democrats are harming the future of the United States and are encouraging anti-American sentiments" -Recep Tayyip Erdogan

I speak under correction, but I believe it is an actual violation of U.S. law for a foreign head of state to interfere in American domestic politics like this.

Bush should sent a team of Commandos into Turkey to extract this guy and transfer him to a secret CIA prison for harsh interrogation.

[toldyouso21]

Despite President George Bush twisting arms and making deals, justice prevailed,%u201D said Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat of California and a sponsor of the resolution. %u201CFor if we hope to stop future genocides we need to admit to those horrific acts of the past.%u201D

Posted by AJMarine1 at 07:56 PM : Oct 12, 2007

It is COLD COMFORT to admit genocide 100 years after it occurred. NO doubt someone will revisit our little debacle in Iraq in future generations and some of our descendants can object to it being called genocide and the US being held responsible.

But as for this congressman: If we wish to stop genocide, the time to stop it is when it is forming and is going on, not commenting on it later. Genocide is not a movie where , if it is panned 100 years later, it has any real effect. Stop it now. Don''t give money to it--or weapons or soldiers, don''t pretend it is right or just or protects interests--we have a lot of nerve to review any country''s inhumanity to others right now--considering what we caused and helped to unleash in Iraq. it is the pot calling the kettle --"dirty bottom"

[toldyouso21]

WANT TO HEAR FROM THE LIBERALS CONDEMNING TURKEY FOR GOING AFTER THESE REBELS WHO KEEP ATTACKING THEM?

(Crickets Chirping)
Posted by bizzzz at 01:29 PM : Oct 12, 2007

I don''t think liberals are against people defending themselves against those who attack them. I think they ARE against those who were not attacked starting wars or causing a war based on lies and going halfway around the world to kill people who had done nothing to us, but seemed to have our oil under their sand.

[toldyouso21]

Didn''''t they hang Sadaam for what Turkey wants to do?

Posted by rickstas at 06:06 PM : Oct 12, 2007

so who will hang Bush for doing the same thing?

[roxy-83]

The only reason Congress is trying to pass this bill of genocide that occcured in WW1 is because they are intetionally trying to cause conflict with Turkey. If they suceed , Turkey will cut of ties with USA and stop the supplies that our troops receive. If our troops do not receive the supplies they need to survive they will end the war. They are only hurting our troops by doing so. There is no other reason for Congress to try and pass a bill of genocide 100 years after it happened. It is only to their convinence.

[ajmarine1]

Backers of the resolution said Congressional action was overdue.

%u201CDespite President George Bush twisting arms and making deals, justice prevailed,%u201D said Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat of California and a sponsor of the resolution. %u201CFor if we hope to stop future genocides we need to admit to those horrific acts of the past.%u201D

When the issue last arose, in 2000, a similar resolution also won approval by a House committee, but President Clinton then succeeded in persuading a Republican speaker, J. Dennis Hastert, to withdraw the measure before the full House could vote. That time, too, Turkey had warned of canceling arms deals and withdrawing support for American air forces then patrolling northern Iraq under the auspices of the United Nations.

[iceman_1960]

RE: Post by beachroses at 06:58 PM : Oct 12, 2007

You know how Muslim leaders like this Erdogan like to threaten America. They can''t help it:

"Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation''s fury." - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

"Democrats are harming the future of the United States and are encouraging anti-American sentiments" -Recep Tayyip Erdogan

"We say our terror against America is blessed terror in order to put an end to suppression, in order for the United States to stop its support to Israel." - Osama bin Laden

[beachroses]

""Democrats are harming the future of the United States and are encouraging anti-American sentiments," Erdogan said. Democratic Party leaders in the House of Representatives support the resolution."

I thought that bore repeating, since some of you didn''t seem to read the article before commenting.

[bizzzz-2009]

Personally, I say the US gets together with Turkey on this one. Even though the north is the most peaceful area as far as we''re concerned, they still are conducting incursions into a NATO allied country, the ONLY Muslim country in NATO.
I don''t get the Kurds frankly. Saddam gassed them after the first Gulf War. We avenged them by overthrowing him and eventually, he was hanged. Now they want to attack Turkey?? Can these people just chill?
If Turkey wants to invade which it looks like they do, we should make them occupy the area for a period of time.

[rickstas]

Didn''t they hang Sadaam for what Turkey wants to do?

[ajmarine1]

al Qaeda couldn''''t possibly get any bolder than they were on 9/11.

Posted by Iceman_1960 at 04:46 PM : Oct 12, 2007,

I hope you are right on this one.