A tweet from Obama’s envoy that explains everything
U.S. President Barack Obama’s special representative, Brett McGurk, recently tweeted: “Welcome to the opening of the border between the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and northern Syria for badly needed humanitarian trade and commerce.”
Pay attention to the regional definitions, “the Iraqi Kurdistan Region” and “northern Syria.” If you put a map in front of you, you can say that trade is starting between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq and the potential Kurdish state in northern Syria.
McGurk is a very critical name. His assignment as a special representative was to organize the regional powers against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), mainly the Peshmerga and the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD).
You may ask where the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is in this equation. The answer lies in the PYD and the People’s Defense Units (YPG).
As part of his mission, McGurk is in close contact with the Kurdish forces in the region. As a matter of fact, he openly said in an interview with columnist Verda Özer: “We want to make sure we know where everybody is so our air campaign can be effective and precise.”
Özer asked this question to learn whether there were PYD representatives at the headquarters base in Erbil. His answer meant an indirect “yes.”
Why is this representation important? It is important because if the U.S. has started acting jointly with the Peshmerga in Erbil and the PYD in Syria, then this situation becomes a very delicate one for Turkey. In other words, it means a union of forces in northern Iraq and northern Syria.
As a matter of fact, with the statement issued the other day, the truth becomes clear. The U.S., to counter ISIL, has not only unified the Kurdish forces on the northern Iraq and northern Syria line, it has also made a joint commercial line. More precisely, the U.S. is trying to do what is in its best interests.
Well, what about our interests? You may call it a Kurdish state, another may say canton. A line is forming; two lines are joining in the south of our country. This is the situation. Moreover, now trade has been launched between the KRG and the Syria canton.
Now some may ask, “Why on earth are you against the Kurds forming a state?” No, the thing I am against is the opening of a new “puppet show” operating in the region.
Late Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit would always say about Iraq: “This ‘poised hammer...’ This buffer zone… This no-fly zone… These are all a part of the project to disintegrate Iraq. It will form the ground for terror.”
Well, it did.
In those days, Turkey was firm and against Masoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani. The governor at the time, late Hayri Kozakçıoğlu, made Talabani wait at his door many times. It was in those days when the U.S. created a no-fly zone in northern Iraq. Later, that region turned into a de facto Kurdish state.
Now, the “northern Syria” McGurk has mentioned is the base of such a preparation.
We had red lines over Barzani and the Peshmerga in those days. Now we have red lines over northern Syria and the PYD, as if the same game is being carried from the north of Iraq to the north of Syria.
Well, now, McGurk tweets there will be trade and humanitarian aid between northern Iraq and nothern Syria; the order is open: “Welcome.”
Who is welcome? Welcome to whom? Do we get it? In history, certain games are woven like a spider’s web. You would look at it but you would not see it. You can only notice it when you are caught.