Former NSC head: If Iraq falls apart, Turkey has rights in Kirkuk, Mosul

Turkey left Mosul and Kirkuk to a united Iraq in the 1920s, and if Iraq is divided then Turkey holds some rights to these cities, said a former National Security Council (MGK) head yesterday

Former MGK Secretary-General Gen. Tuncer Kilinc also spoke on Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit's remarks against Turkish leaders meeting northern Iraqi Kurdish officials. "Buyukanit's remarks are logical," he said. "If the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) causes us troubles, Massoud Barzani isn't the person to speak to, or he shouldn't be. That is what Buyukanit said. Until now we only spoke of unity in Iraq, and this describes our red lines."

Kilinc argued that any turmoil in neighboring countries would directly affect Turkey. He opposed describing northern Iraq as "the territory of others," saying, "It is not the territory of others. It is a neighboring area which closely concerns Turkey. If a fire breaks out there it will definitely effect us."

He added, "Indirect relations can be established with northern Iraq, but for Turkey, which places importance on the unity of Iraq, our main contact should be the central administration."

On Turkey's rights on Kirkuk and Mosul if Iraq is split up, Kilinc said, "There is the 1926 Ankara Treaty. This secures Turkey's rights. When Turkey left this land to British forces, the treaty was made for one Iraq. Although according to the Misak-i Milli (National Oath) those lands were ours, we left them to a united Iraq. We still want to see one Iraq, but if it's separated we have rights to this land under international agreements."

On a possible meeting between the premier and Kurdish leaders, Kilinc said "If your red line is unity in Iraq, you should meet the leaders even though this is a puppet state."

"Freedom of thought is necessary unless it attacks the unity of the country," he said.

"In our nation-state, one language is spoken and this was also specified in our Constitution." said Kilinc regarding language debates. "There might be some differences in the usage, but no one asked why they spoke differently. Until now all ethnic groups in Turkey used their language while talking without any problem."

He characterized the debates around using Kurdish as a language as an attempt by Kurdish ultranationalist groups to provoke Turks. "We let them speak and sing in their own language," he said. "Now they ask for their own education in Kurdish. This is the first step towards separation and we can't let this happen. Our nation has only one flag, one country and one language."

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