US-Turkey crisis - 7/7/03 (2 stories from Turkish press)

[IndianaGreen]

This story which is largely being ignored by the US press, is really BIG NEWS in Turkey, and tempers there have not abated. I believe this is day 3 of the festering crisis.

Ozkok: Biggest Crisis Of Confidence Between Armed Forces Of Two Countries

Anadolu Agency: 7/7/2003

ANKARA - Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok said on Monday that detention of Turkish soldiers in Iraq by U.S. soldiers ''created the biggest crisis of confidence'' between Turkish and U.S. armed forces and turned into a crisis.

General Ozkok, who received U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson, whose mandate in Turkey has expired, noted, ''I wished that it had not occurred that way.''

Ozkok recalled that a 100-member U.S. force surrounded special team bureau in Suleymaniyah, the north of Iraq, on July 4 with participation of local people of Kirkuk and that the force attempted to enter the bureau by force.

Personnel in the bureau were detained ''in an incomprehensive way'' after the U.S. force entered the bureau, Ozkok said.

Ozkok noted that Turkish military personnel were firstly taken to Kirkuk and then to Baghdad.

http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=11606

Aegean Army Commander Tolon: Detention Of Turkish Soldiers In Iraq Has No Other Similarity

Anadolu Agency: 7/7/2003

WASHINGTON - Aegean Army Commander General Hursit Tolon said on Sunday that detention of Turkish soldiers by U.S. soldiers in north of Iraq had no other similarity in the world.

After the Office of General Staff had announced that that it had decided not to attend the hand over ceremony in U.S. Central Forces Command in Tampa, Tolon told A.A that Central Forces Deputy Commander General Michael Delong told the chairman of Turkish liaison team in Tampa that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney by phone and gave the message that he hoped that detained Turkish soldiers would be released in a few hours.

Tolon defined the detention of 11 Turkish soldiers by U.S. soldiers in the north of Iraq as ''an incident which had no other similarity.''

Gen. Tolon, who is currently in Washington, said, ''military personnel of a NATO member country detained military personnel of another NATO member by a move which resembles a raid, without showing any reason and without making any statement, and most importantly, without giving any information to us. This has no similarity in the world and can never be underestimated. The only consolable side of this ugly incident is that members of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) who were detained behaved with a discipline that fit them and did not cause any armed clash by opening fire on soldiers of an army known to be the army of a friend and ally during the mentioned move.''

http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=11605

[bemildred]

1. You don't suppose the Turks feel a bit anxious

about our new friends the Kurds?

[Darranar]

2. I agree...

They are anxious. Let's help the Kurds and ignore the Turks... for now.

[bemildred]

3. We agree.

Fuck the Turks. It's not like they have a history of
being sensitive about other peoples feelings.

However, there is a good chance the Turks won't take it
lying down. Things could get much more interesting than
they are now.

Edit: it appears the Turk/Kurd issue is heating up again, there
have been some stories about active Kurd guerillas in Turkey and
now this bit about a Turkish plot against Kurds inside Iraq. The
war shadow on this issue is going away, and we will soon see if
those who said this would get ugly if we invaded Iraq were correct.