Seymour M Hersh, famous US security analyst, has written an article on national security that analyzes different aspects of how republicans, failing in November mid-term elections, can develop divergent strategies against Iran. Hersh is a respected researcher and his popularity has gone beyond the boundaries of the US, as a security analyst. It is a sufficient reason for the relevant people to take a particular topic in the field of security into consideration so long as Hersh himself deals with the issue. As a matter of fact Hersh is a writer who succeeded in concerning himself in tangible results and concrete cases in the field of security where misleading and insufficient information are popularized and passion of confidentiality as a stronghold of actuality. Hence, Hersh has pointed out significant assertion about Turkey when analyzing probable scenarios between Iran and the US in his article dated November 20^th in “New Yorker” magazine.

According to information given by Hersh based on a government consultant close to US Defence Ministry, the US and Israel provide logistic support and implicit training to PEJAK (PKK in Iran) which conducts activities in Iran connected with the PKK which is based on northern Iraq. The roots of this claim revealed from Hersh’s close source of information in Pentagon relies on US’ using of various legal and illegal actors in the framework of destabilization programme of Iran. Hersh openly shares his views that US and Israel’s applying various methods prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons and their being in co operation with the PEJAK by enabling the terrorist organization to carry out illegal activities. Besides, it is expressed that the list including US targets in Iran was given to the PEJAK terrorist organization which is provided by Israel with “training and equipment”.

Such kind of claims about the strategies of the US and especially Israel strategies with regard to the illegal Kurdish organizations is not new. But, the claims at this time have different points. Firstly, the fact that Hersh, who succeeded in revealing several implicit operations, secret files and has credibility in secret and implicit operations, deals with the claims is of significance. Secondly, the roots of the claims are based on a security consultant of the US government. In other words, the one who makes the assertion has actually a significant position as a consultant of the government, the government which is not the complainant but the target of the complaints. Because of this, it is impossible to regard the issue as a simple conspiracy theory or baseless accusation. Third point can be understood when the claims of Hersh are analyzed in parallel to the statements of PKK’s armed wing leader Murat Karayılan that is placed in Newsweek on 7 October 2006. In his interview, Karayılan said: “The US has always seen us from the perspective of our enemies. But, we want to be perceived as friend. Our 7000 armed warriors can be an ally to the US against Islamic fundamentalism”. The armed wing leader of a terrorist organization, that is to say the militant whom “the states of law” keep their distance, is making an open invitation to the US, which means unconditional cooperation. It is possible to list various arguments to question US policies in Turkey’s periphery and considerable majority of these arguments can be based on concrete evidence, as well. The importance of the Hersh’s two paragraphs in his article derives from the facts stated above.

The encouraging attitude of the US towards the terrorist organizations like the PKK is no limited with the support given to the PEJAK. US’ not intervening with the activities of the PKK in the northern Iraq or not taking deterrent precautions by putting the strain upon Kurdish people in the region, is perceived as an indirect support by the US. Because of this, the sum of such kind of events caused Murat Karayılan to make surprising (!) statements. On the one hand these statements diminish the confidence between Turkey and the US and on the other hand it encourages PKK terror organization.

USA, PKK Terror and Karayılan

It is known that terrorist organizations can express themselves by shedding blood. The armed wing leader of the PKK, Murat Karayılan, is a militant who tries to give the cruel messages of a terrorist organization and does not hesitate to identify himself with violence. He is one of the main figures who has tried to finish the inaction period of the PKK which began following the capture of Ocalan in 1999.  According to him, the strongest and most talented strategic side of a terrorist organization is the armed activities. If there is something to say, violence must be fore fronted, so the organization make massage to be heard. In this respect, it is very easy to understand and analyze Karayılan’s statement released in the media. The method of terror and terrorist activities sustained in accordance is the result of Karayılan’s tactic that combines his strategy and makes his demands with terror. By this tactic in recent years, Karayılan has appeared in public sphere as a person speaking on behalf of the PKK.

Karayılan took it for granted when US troops invaded Iraq which is contrary to the terrorist organization’s discourse against “imperialism and the US”. This neutrality turned into searching of support of the US in 2005. Karayılan, one of the most extremist leaders of the PKK, said “the US would not attack to Kurds”. “He reasoned his argument by saying that Kurds are the allies of the US”. Being an ally of Iraqi Kurds does not mean that US defends directly terrorist organizations on behalf of Kurds. But, there is something wrong or misleading signal if these organizations do not feel themselves on a knife edge after the Iraqi war. When it is time to discuss the Middle East and Iraq problem, we are talking about a region in which it becomes very difficult to reach the truth. It does not fall behind when US reacts to the news implying a possible support from the country to the militants of the PKK. Furthermore, the US defends the international legitimacy of Turkey’s cross border operations to PKK in 1990s and at the same time it gave the necessary arm support to Turkey. What’s more, US gave active support to Ocalan’s capture in 1999. Despite all these facts, general belief of important majority in Turkey sustains that the US made contacts with the PKK behind the closed doors. This distrust has different dimensions. But, this belief is not so platonic when Karayılan’s statements are analyzed side by side with these developments. Strategies demanding the Kurds act in the region and using the illegal organizations of the US, give completely misleading messages to the region. The assertions claiming that PEJAK, which is the extension of the PKK, and one of the cruelest organizations in the Middle East, is employed in Iran by the US is actually very grave. Such kind of a situation holds out a promise for the PKK which is so wild and unscrupulous to be the partner or collaborator of the US.

It becomes compulsory, not as a sign for goodwill, for the US to turn its efforts to more concrete steps against the PKK after the recent developments. So, confidence crisis which has given harm to US-Turkey relations and interests of both countries in last four years has to be improved immediately. The starting point of the improvement is that the US shows its attitude against terrorist organization by taking concrete steps.

The US and its Partners in the Middle East

Iraqi Kurds, who are both legal and illegal in action, are so eager to show themselves as a close ally of the US. But the question of whether this eagerness is based on common values is ignored. Especially in the Middle East, is the system of values in the establishment of the new world based on deterrent use of power and killing policies or is it based on civilization discourses with the proviso of ‘sustenance’. It is possible to increase the number of questions but, it is striking that Talabani and Barzani who have the most important role in the reconstruction of Iraq have misused this last opportunity and always have been on the side of the winner although it US that suffers from the bad inheritance of the region. Despite the reputation of the Kurdish politicians in Iraq and the Kurdish media, the fact that the news are announced as if from the words of the neo-conservatives of the US, further deepens the suspicion about the policies of US in the region.

US’ Middle East policies came to the point that the indirect allowance or subcontracting of the illegal Kurdish organizations justifies the ones who were doubtful of US policies. First of all, there is a problem of persuasiveness. But, despite the statements of the supporters of PKK and Karayılan, the US avoids making statements which can be understood in favor of the PKK and cause Turkey take part against. Moreover, the US makes an attempt to preserve the bonds of friendship from confidence crisis. Upon Turkey’s putting the agenda about utmost unrest due to the developments in Iraq favored by the PKK, the US appointed a special envoy for counter-terrorism in 28 August 2006 in order to establish a mechanism to accelerate the communication between the two countries.

Upon increasing the US declarations against PKK and the commitments of the special envoy for counter terrorism, Karayılan has shown in the scene and made a strategic declaration once again. In this statement Karayılan: “We are ready to fight with our 7000 militants on behalf of the US both in Iraq and other places”. This expression which seems to be contrary to the basic discourses of PKK is an important example in showing how PKK and Karayılan can act so pragmatic with regard to the developments in Iraq. It is mainly worthwhile to discuss whether these callings have response or not.

It is solely concerning and undesirable that the leader of the terrorist organization, who troubles allies of US and Turkey foremost. The response of the US against these expressions and information complied from different resources, cannot be on condemnation level. US is not to carry on with further indolence in terms of cultivating a manner of conduct with the PKK, which endangered serious harm in Turkey’s relations with US. PKK and similar organizations still survive in the most bloodshed region in the world with killing projects. The US should increase its cooperation with the actors who work out to keep people alive, other than with the actors who characterize themselves with blood and killing.  One of the keys to cease bloodshed in the Middle East and especially in Iraq is to formulate a common attitude against the organizations which restrains Turkey’s contributions to the region and prevents the projects from sustaining life in the region.      

Consequently, both the statements of Seymour Hersh and PKK representatives show that there is a long way to go in the name of the measures building confidence between Turkey and the US. Turkey needs more beyond the meetings between Ralston and Baser. PKK killings must be brought to end which is committed by taking the refuge behind the Iraqi Kurds and the US. Actually, the US which is in blood-bad with the wrong partners in the Middle East, needs it more than Turkey. Many murders has been committed by taking the refuge behind the US and the only way to settle the problem is to pose a definite attitude and show it immediately.

Baker-Hamilton Report which reevaluates the Iraq strategy of the US gives the impression of leading the true path. The report revealing the fact that credits giving to Barzani and Talabani who were plunderers of Baghdad, and about whom the discussions were made in accord with their connection and relation with the PKK were wasted generously, gives the impression that it is like of US not to repeat the old mistakes again. In accordance with Mr. Laciner, Director of Ankara-based Turkish think-tank USAK/ISRO, analysis of the report, “it is not surprising that the most important reaction to the report has come from the Kurds. Because Kurds are not the center of the solution, on the contrary, there is a hint that they are the part of the problem.”     

Putting Turkey-US relations on a true basis does not depend on complicated projects and maintaining the confidence level of both sides depends on the US effort to show its attitude against the terrorist organizations in a concrete and de facto way. It is inevitable to consider that the US is unaware of the saying that “No excuse can take the place of success” and the doubts of Turks about the US will never fade out unless the voice of terror coming from mountains silenced.    

Translated by Emre Ozkan and Gokce Arslan