NORTHERN FRONT REQUIRES ATTENTION

While the American operation against Iraq continues, the recent developments have revealed that Turkey still maintains its position as the most important factor and "ally" in the establishment of democracy and accordingly the development of peace in the region.

In Milliyet newspaper dated March 24, 2003, the columnist Fikret Bila emphasized that Turkey was endeavoring to bring peaceful solutions to the regional problems in the framework of UN resolutions and international law and Turkey was for the protection of the unity of the Iraqi territory and the establishment of a democratic administration assuring all the rights of all the Iraqi people on the base of freedom and equality. He drew the attention the fact that the existence of the Turkish military is a factor of security and stability in the region and warned the coalition forces about the fact that "Northern Front requires attention":

"It can be said that the United States and the United Kingdom have encountered resistance stronger than they had anticipated. After advancing without having any direct encounter with the Iraqi army in the first days of the war, the US and British forces started to face resistance as they pushed deeper into the Iraqi territory.

It seems that Saddam Hussein has established his defense lines around the cities located in the central parts of Iraq. The American and British soldiers are facing more resistance as they come nearer those areas. Therefore the US army's advance has slowed down noticeably. There are even reports saying that their movement has come to an halt in some areas. Meanwhile, the US and British forces are suffering more and more casualties. The television stations broadcast footages of US soldiers taken prisoner during the fighting.

It remains to be seen to what extent this resistance will have a bearing on the outcome of the war. It is, however, clear that the operation launched by the United States from the south will not achieve its goal without suffering substantial loss of lives and an easily and swiftly as initially anticipated. Another event, which has come as a surprise to the United States, was that the Iraqi people had not cheered the US and British troops even in the southern part of the country where anti-Saddam feelings run high.

According to military experts, a very serious vacuum has occurred in the north because the offensive launched by the United States and the United Kingdom from the south is not proceeding smoothly. Bringing the area under control has also become difficult. Intensified shelling of the Kurdish groups in the north by the Iraqi troops loyal to Saddam Hussein in the past two days is regarded as a serious security problem. Absence of US troops in the region, who are needed to ensure security in the area, poses a great risk to anticipated airlifting of coalition forces through Jordan.

This bleak picture, which has caused anxiety in Washington, probably motivated the United States to seek new alternatives as there are serious signs that they are hoping to find the ultimate solution in Turkey. The negotiations focusing on the possibility of deployment of Turkish troops in northern Iraq, which were resumed yesterday, should be considered in that context. Zalmay Khalilzad, US President George W. Bush's adviser, will join today's round of the talks.

Those developments could eventually produce results that would defuse tension between Turkey and the United States. The TBMM [Turkish Grant National Assembly] has authorized the Government to send Turkish troops abroad. The General Staff later announced that it had drawn up all plans and completed preparations under that mandate, adding that it was waiting for orders to take action. It seems that the surprising developments could take place in connection with the northern front. Therefore, special attention must be given to northern Iraq in the next couple of days."

The journalist-writer Toktamis Ates stated in his column published in Cumhuriyet Newspaper on March 22, 2003: "The USA cannot get success in Iraq without the opening of the northern front. It is clear that the Peshmerges would not suffice to that." Ates, underlined the geopolitical and geostrategical importance of Turkey in the framework of the "Northern Front".

Morton Abramowitz, former ambassador of the USA in Ankara assessed the position of Turkey after the break of war in Iraq and said that Turkey would remain as an important country from the strategical point of view during the war in Iraq. Abramowitz, whose assessment appeared in the American press also stated: "Turkey is located in a strategically important region. Turkey is still an important country regardless of the intensity of its cooperation with the USA. Her political and geographical position is highly important for both the Middle East and Central Asia". He drew the attention of the American authorities to the fact that "Turkey is a considerable ally"