In going directly to the UN the Kurds seem to be getting the United States and Israel off the hook as Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran are very much against Kurd independence. This is an immense powder keg.
This also could be the United States answer to the problem of a Shiite dominated Iraq.
Some background:
Israel is actively involved in supporting the Iraqi Kurds, who are fast sowing the seeds of their independence, although often under the convenient guise of a new Iraqi federalism. #msg-3524029
Albeit this is not purely a response to Israel’s fear of militant Shi'ism emanating from Iran, and the US's inability to contain this threat. The economic dimension of Israel's push for a Kurdish state or, at the least, a largely autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq which could realize the long sought-after dream of an oil pipeline from Mosul to Haifa, echoing the statement last March in the Israeli paper. #msg-3423259
At present, Iraqi oil is being shipped via Turkey to a small Mediterranean port near the Syrian border.
Ankara, which considers the transit fee it collects an important source of revenue, has warned Israel it would regard the talked-about Kirkuk-Mosul-Haifa pipeline as "a serious blow to Turkish-Israeli relations." #msg-3423518
There is huge Turkish minorities inside -- Kurdish minors inside Turkey, inside Syria, inside Iraq, inside Iran and all those countries would feel very shaky. For example, two million KURDS live in Syria. #msg-3465824
In a televised interview with the Al-Arabiya TV . on Tuesday October 5, 2004 Iraqi President, Ghazi al Yawar, denounced the pro-referendum movement in Kurdistan by describing it as “a national betrayal’. He also added “ Iraq is a free country where the freedom of expression is estimated, but this does not mean that some people would try to speak about disintegrating Iraq. This is not something we could accept and we will counter this with all our power. http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:GUt5XPNFl-cJ:home.cogeco.ca/~kurdistan4/20-10-04-statement-k-r-mo....
Cannot further verify the following.
-Am
Kurdistan Referendum Movement Heads To The UN.
omarleeds Today, 07:34 AM Post #1
New York (KurdishMedia.com) 21 December 2004: A non-partisan Kurdish delegation from North America, Europe and Kurdistan plans to meet with the United Nations officials in New York City on Wednesday, 22 December 2004, to deliver the more than two million signatures collected by Kurds, endorsing a call for a referendum on the future of South Kurdistan.
The number of signatures collected by the Kurdistan Referendum Movement seemingly reflects the will of the majority of Kurds of voting age. The Kurdistan Referendum Movement cites its success in gathering these signatures as reflective of a real desire of the Kurdish people in South Kurdistan for freedom and independence.
In light of this mandate received from the Kurdish masses, the movement is making the following demands of the United Nations:
1- For the United Nations to receive a non-partisan Kurdish delegation to discuss the electoral process in Kurdistan, and to submit to the United Nations a copy of the petition collected by the Kurdistan Referendum Movement.
2- For the United Nations to dispatch a delegation to Kurdistan to survey the true will of the Kurdish people in the Kurdistan Region in determining their future, and fairly preserving free and democratic rights in both the pre and post election periods in January.
3- For the United Nations to provide assistance to the Kurdish delegation to address issues of concern to the Kurds, and how to attain democratic rights for the Kurds in a peaceful, non-violent and democratic way.
---------------------------- Are these Kurds coming to the UN seeking approval to form an independent nation?
Good read: Dangerous curves on Turkey's energy policy: Jammed between Russia and Iran
This revision will not only shape Turkey's national energy policy, but will also modify Turkey's foreign policy and the government's focus.
This is a significant statement.
It seems the U.S. is willing to sacrifice Turkey’s allegiance by giving the Kurds independence in Iraq.
It would spark another great conflict up there if Kurdistan goes independent. The Turks would not tolerate. That is not acceptable. There is huge Turkish minorities inside -- Kurdish minors inside Turkey, inside Syria, inside Iraq, inside Iran and all those countries would feel very shaky. SEYMOUR HERSH #msg-3465824
-Am
Dangerous curves on Turkey's energy policy: Jammed between Russia and Iran M. Faruk DEMIR
Turkey's energy policy is very related to its foreign policy. The density of Turkey's demand from the outside requires a supply of energy from surrounding states. Therefore, Turkey's relations with the countries from which it imports its energy is a critical issue in terms of foreign policy. In addition, Turkey's geopolitical location is one of a crossing state for the countries with energy resources to export. Thus, the issues of energy security, energy diplomacy and a national energy strategy in Turkey's foreign policy are a concern not just for Ankara, but also for many related countries.
So what is Turkey's energy policy today? Turkey's energy policy was reshaped after the Cold War era. Its national energy policy is based on three elements. The first one is energy diversity. In other words, to ensure that Turkey is not absolutely dependent on any one country for more than 35-40 percent of its energy. The second is to ensure a sustainable, high-quality and cheap energy supply. Finally the third is to function as a bridge of energy by maintaining the country's geopolitical opportunities. For the last five years, Turkey has spent much important effort in order to implement this policy. The Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan pipeline, or East-West, North-South pipeline projects crisscrossing Turkey, are the results of this policy.
Today, Turkey's national energy policy needs a rapid and effective revision. There are three reasons for the need of such a reconfiguration. Firstly, Turkey's energy needs and diversity rates are changing. Secondly, regional geopolitical instability results in new political and security risks. And thirdly, in the international markets energy prices and the balance of supply and demand changes radically at short notice. For these three reasons, this revision will not only shape Turkey's national energy policy, but will also modify Turkey's foreign policy and the government's focus. But despite the need for such a revision, there has been no progress to this end. Both the government and the Energy Ministry seem unwilling or unable to act proactively on this issue. A question arrises: Why doesn't the government work proactively to revise the nation's energy policy?
The answer can be quite complex. Maybe the answer to the question above is hidden in the preferences of the government's current foreign policy. Nevertheless, I think it is beneficial to analyze the dilemmas which reside in the minds of the rulers who govern Turkey's national energy policy. What are these dilemmas?
Before all else, Turkey's energy policy is stunted due to the situations in Russia and Iran. Iran's hope to sell gas to Europe by transporting it through Turkey is currently impossible because of the sanctions against Iran. It seems that Iran's insistence to develop its nuclear facilities will leave the exports of this gas to Europe in doubt. The government and the Energy Ministry are warming to Russia by using Iran's negative situation as an excuse for the past two years. And this sympathy continues to grow and deepen.
The claim of the government and Energy Ministry is that they have to get closer to Russia by using the tensions between the U.S. and Iran as an excuse. Some, however, claim this is merely a trick by the government and the Energy Ministry towards the U.S. I also agree with this evaluation. The Turkish government is at a serious distance from the U.S. This distance is due to the U.S.' policies in the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The Turkish government wants the U.S. to stop its activities in these regions by working together with Russia, and also wants to show that it can make a choice independent and even against Washington's interests by using the Russian trump card. And the best trump card in Turkey's hands is its relations in energy and the military. But the issue of closer military relations with Russia cannot even be discussed between the government and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Therefore, the only trump card left in the government's hands is its energy policy.
So, will the government and the Energy Ministry really be able to implement such an assertive energy policy and energy strategy when its geopolitical character is at stake? I think we'll learn the answer to this question very soon. But already some concrete signs can be seen. Turkey's loss maintains increasingly on the Blue Stream. Turkey still has not taken a step back on buying expensive gas from Russia. The answer to why Turkey couldn't get a lower price in Russian gas is hidden in the memories of the prime minister and the energy minister who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at his summer home in Sochi. Actually, there's an important dimension to the government and Energy Ministry's stalling on Russia and Iran. Since they've come to power, both the Justice and Development (AK) party government and the Energy Ministry have maintained the weaknesses of previous governments, and they don't seem able to implement a realistic, serious and persuasive policy for attracting gas from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Turkey. Turkey's inability to use gas-rich Turkmenistan and oil-rich Kazakhstan between Russia and Iran shows the failure of Turkey's national energy policy. In addition, there is another dimension to this issue in terms of the dangerous new curve involved that the future of Iraq's petrol industry surely brings. I will analyze this multi-dimensional issue by detailing and profiling the administration and politics of Turkey's national energy policy in another article.
The New Anatolian
13 august 2005
2005-08-13 13:21:17
Updated 24/7 - 365 days Journal of Turkish Weekly is an ISRO (USAK) publication ISRO is an Ankara based NGO
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
