Crossfire War – Ankara – Riyadh – Tehran Watch – West Asia Theatre: Ankara – Tehran – Damascus – Amman – Riyadh – Baghdad/Kirkuk – Washington – London; Turkey Warns If Proof is Discovered of US Arms Support of Pkk It Would “shatter” Relations Between Ankara/washington – Process of Elimination
Night Watch: QANDIL MOUNTAIN – Debka reports Washington is frantically trying to pacify Ankara over what may be actual proof the PKK has begun to receive, earlier this year, weapons from Washington and if so it would “shatter” relations between Ankara-Washington.
Turkey Deputy Prime Minister – Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has indicated, during an interview over Turkish television, Ankara has received no confirmation but there are allegations and what he called convincing confessions that are being investigated. Ankara has of course asked Washington for clarification.
Washington’s Ambassador Ross Wilson denied the accusations with this statement, “The U. S. was the first country after Turkey to designate the PKK a terrorist orgainzation. We continue to classify it as such, and on the basis of that, we do not and will not negotiate with the PKK or its leaders, supply weapons to the organization or its personnel or assist them in any way.” [DEBKA]
The U. S. did classify the PKK as a terrorist organization, but that was 20 years ago when close relations with Turkey was a major regional priority for Washington, but that is not the situation now. Ankara has not had close relations with the U.S. or the West since the Cold War ended in 1990 due to two wars that erupted almost the day after the Cold War ended, wars in Southeast Europe ( Balkans) and West Asia (Middle East), which have been used by the West to make power projections in Turkey’s region and none of the military campaigns were led by Ankara.
Turkey’s apparently eager attempt to enter the European Economic Community and its official membership in NATO has been designed to masque its expanding strategic (military) relations with Tehran-Riyadh-Damascus-Beijing-Islamabad. The war in Southeast Europe has even increased Ankara’s relations with Athens, since they both know everyone in the region hates Vienna once again.
The strategic shift in Ankara’s regional-international relations has been one of the most consistent chronicles on crossfirewar.com, since Crossfire War was established Nov. 2004.
Military sources of Debka have mentioned some of the weapons sent by Washington to the Iranian Kurdish separatists group PEJAK (Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan) have found their way to the PKK sent by “an unkown hand.” Foreign policies and their strategic planners can be flexible and momentary in their day to day decision making, even more so when they realize events are overtaking them. Regular readers of crossfirewar.com know I have had suspicions Washington and other Allied governments would agree the PKK should be strengthened, as discreetly as possible, in order to prevent Ankara-Tehran from acquiring easy control over northern Iraq and its resources. It is quite possible Washington instructed the Iranian PEJAK to unite with the Iraq-Turkey PKK as a way of perhaps establishing a united Kurdish front against Turkey-Iran. Virtually every Allied government, including Moscow would easily agree. No Allied government in any theatre want to see Tehran – Ankara or any other Islamic government working with them to have any easy successes anywhere.
Ankara is obviously going through the motions of proving what they already know, Washington’s suspicious-underhanded policies in the region continues to undermine Washington’s position throughout the entire region. And Turkey is preparing to justify, very publicly, its invasion of northern Iraq, which will be approved, either openly or privately by most Islamic governments in the region with the only possible exception of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in Beirut and President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. Both heads of state have become increasingly isolated from their own populations as they desperately cling to the hope that somehow, despite the disastrous policies of the West, that somehow the West will still be able to influence events, someway-somehow, a classic example of misplaced loyalty. I doubt if they can say the West may eventually control events again. But before this year is over they will be wondering if the West is still in a position to even invest in the region.
It was on July 2 crossfirewar.com reported the announcement from the Italian news service AKI, four PKK guerrillas had defected to Turkey and admitted they had seen two American armored vehicles deliver weapons to them at the PKK base in Qandil mountain in northern Iraq. The war is about to become more undeniable.
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