Issue No. 1112
Terror in Turkey: who is to blame?
The past two weeks were traumatic in Turkey, where forest fires threatened border areas, secessionists struck in some areas, and long-dormant terrorist organisations threatened to resume their bloody activities.
It all started with the forest fires on the borders with Syria. The fires, close to refugee camps, triggered accusations of arson and suspicions that agents of Bashar Al-Assad were involved. As Turkish authorities scrambled to fight the fires, more Syrian refugees were crossing the border, adding to the burden on humanitarian aid and threatening a replay of the 1991 situation, when 0.5 million Iraqis crossed the border en masse.
To make things worse, secessionists associated with the PKK, the Kurdish Workers' Party, may have used the turmoil on the borders to infiltrate deep into Turkey. On the second day of the feast, a police station in Gaziantep was blown up. The explosion took the lives of nine people, including four children. The death toll may rise, as other casualties are still in a critical condition.
The PKK denied any connection with the blast, but in the mind of most Turks, it is the only group capable of such brutality. In reprisal, a mob burned down the offices of the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, closely linked to the PKK.
In another tragedy, a traffic accident led to the death of 10, including nine military servicemen, on the Sirnak-Uludere road.
Samil Tayyar, the Justice and Development Party parliamentarian for Gaziantep, blamed Syrian intelligence for the blast, saying that the refugee camps in Hatay and Orfa have been infiltrated with agents of the Syrian regime.
The government is taking a lot of heat over what many Turks consider to be a laxity in security. Before the Gaziantep blast, warnings were issued of an impending attack by a booby-trapped vehicle, but no precautions were taken.
Bulent Arinc, the deputy prime minister, tried his best to calm down critics. But throughout the media, politicians including those associated with the government -- slammed the authorities for not taking enough action to protect the public against possible terrorist attacks.
The situation grew particularly tense when the defunct ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia), mysteriously rising from the ashes, warned that it would resume its operations unless the government distances itself from the civil war in Syria. The terrorist organisation, which disbanded in 1986, said that the Turkish government should cease its support for the Free Syrian Army, which allegedly carried out attacks against Armenians. In a statement sent to the press, ASALA said that if the Turkish army were to conduct any military action in Syria, the group would resume its attacks on Turkish facilities and diplomats.
Feeling beleaguered, the Turkish government is now blaming the Americans for failing to give it the support it needed. It is particularly upset that armed elements apparently arriving from northern Iraq were able to launch an attack inside its territories. President Abdullah Gul, who had cut short a visit to Kirgizstan because of a middle ear infection, urged Washington to do more on the anti-terror front.
In an attempt to remedy the situation, Turkey and the US have agreed to take extra measures to confront the PKK, Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups. The main aim, Turkish officials say, is to prevent extremist groups from using the political vacuum in north Syria to their advantage.
American diplomats in Baghdad say that they intend to hold talks with Massoud Barzani on ways to stop Kurdish secessionists from launching operations from Iraq.
Kurdish secessionists, some say, are not only coming from Iraq, but also from Iran. The Iranians used to cooperate with the Turks on anti-terror matters, but their cooperation ended about 18 months ago, when the Turks decided to install an anti-missile shield in Malataya despite Iranian protests.
To stem further trouble on its border areas, Turkey wants the UN to agree to a safe zone in northern Syria. If a five kilometre-deep strip of land is declared a safe haven along the Syrian borders, then the Turks will have less work, expense, and risk dealing with the issue of Syrian refugees, goes the argument.
The proposal is going to be discussed soon at the UN, but may run into Chinese and Russian opposition.
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