"These forces, which used to implement the decisions of the deep state in the past, may now be involved in certain actions without the knowledge of formal officials," said writer Umit Firat. "I believe the U.S. intelligence officials determined these actions."
Tayfun Mater from the Turkish Engineers' and Architects' Chambers' Union (TMMOB) said instead of asking 'why Turkish Special Forces were detained,' we should ask, 'why were they in northern Iraq?' "The occupying force, United States, will not allow Turkish troops to freely act in the region," said Mater.
Military historian Tanju Akad said, "With this incident, the United States has told Turkey to 'get out of here' in a very ugly way."
Firat, Mater and Akad believe that Turkey has to review its presence in the region as well as its relations with the United States, and then form an independent foreign policy.
Mater: The Special Forces have to leave Iraq
* Iraq is occupied and the occupier does not intend to share its authority.
* It is understood that the detained Turkish soldiers were there for a secret operation. They were staying in a building that belonged to the Turkmens, they wore civilian clothes and had 106,000 U.S. dollars with them. They also possessed high technology weapons. Without questioning these facts, they want to only discuss why Turkish solders were detained.
* Such Special Forces have to leave Iraq. There should not be and armed Turkish forces in Iraq.
* The newspapers, journalists and columnists in Turkey are not discussing the basics of this issue. They are not questioning the Turkish presence there. They are not asking who deployed those forces in Iraq.
* Maybe, such incidents will normalize the Turkey-U. S. relations. Relations between the two countries should be based on mutual respect. There should not be a dominant side.
* From now on, Turkish forces in northern Iraq will not be as comfortable as
they used to be. The occupier will not let them to be as comfortable.
Firat: Turkish forces wanted to carry on with old habits
* There is no legal explanation to the presence of Turkish forces in
northern Iraq.
* These forces acted like a police between the Kurds in northern Iraq during their 12-year partial autonomy. They directed Turkey's interventions and the relations between Turkey and the forces there. Turkey could not have a formal presence there because it did not formally recognize to forces there.
* The Turkish Special Forces intend to carry on with these old habits after the occupation.
* These forces may be involved in certain activities without the knowledge of formal officials.
* I believe the U.S. intelligence officials determined these activities. No Turkish official asked why those forces were there, what they were doing or why they were detained. They only said, "free our solders."
* Those Turkish forces are not in northern Iraq against the Kurdish rebels. They are there for another reason. The real reason for their presence had to be determined, and the United States did that.
* Turkey has to know that it does not have the right to act as it wishes in places outside its sovereignty. It cannot conduct operations in northern Iraq outside the knowledge of the Defense Ministry or the parliament as it used to do in the past.
* The United States does not want to share authority with Turkey. It is disturbed by the Turkish presence in the region.
Akad: Turkey is now a country of second category
* Through this incident, the United States told Turkey to "get out of the region," in a very ugly way.
* The reason for this is that in the new world, Turkey is positioned as a second category country. If we categorize the countries as first, second and third world countries, then, the West regards Turkey as a second world country.
* Turkey now has two choices. It will either accept its position and develop an independent foreign policy, or it will wait at the door of the United States and the European Union and go through similar treatment in the future.(BB/NK/EA/NM)
