​​​​​​​Reviving Neo-Ottomanism, Turkey exploits weakness and disunity in Iraq

Since 17 April Turkish armed forces carry out attacks on areas in Southern Kurdistan after a visit paid by President of the Kurdistan Regional Government Masrour Barzani to Turkey and meeting both president Recep Tayip Erdogan and head of the Intelligence Services Hakan Fidan. Turkey exploits internal disputes in Iraq

On the issue head of the German Kurdish Forum Yunus Behram told ANHA that:

''the Turkish dream to revive Neo-Ottomanism nears its century in 2023 as the Erdogan government declares making use of disputes and regional and global wars''.

According to Behram it was Turkey that destroyed Mosul and Anbar with the help it rendered to ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Southern Kurdistan.

On the influence Turkey has on electing the president of Iraq and making use of the situation, Behram said: ''it is obvious that Turkey has a mass influence on the issues regarding proposing and electing a Kurdish president for the Republic of Iraq , in a bid to create sedition between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party''. 

In the middle of disagreement between KRG and Iraq to form a national strong and serious government, Turkey remains the sole beneficiary to annex more lands of Southern Kurdistan to the Turkish Republic''.

Behram said :'' there is an article in the Lausanne Agreement hereby the Ottoman Empire disintegrated, stipulates that it is the right of the new Turkish Republic to annex those areas that were of the Ottoman legacy to Turkey anew, when these areas remain without an authority or a government and where disorder prevails.

By looking at the situation in Iraq and Southern Kurdistan and the Turkish interference there, we find that Turkey seeks to apply this article of the Lausanne and retain many areas such as Kurdistan, Mosul and Kirkuk among others to the Ne-Ottomanism''. 

Yunus Behram believes that Turkish military bases in Southern Kurdistan is a hard proof that Turkey seeks to occupy it.

In Southern Kurdistan there are more than 40 military points and bases of the Turkish occupation state some of which are very close to Hewler in Southern Kurdistan and to Soran. In addition to that, there is a big military base in Ba'shiqa that is 80 km to the Turkish border and 40 km to the north east of Mosul city. 

Kurdistan Democratic Party by insisting on a president from PDK to neutralize and reduce the role of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the scene.

As there is now understanding reached PDK has 31 seats and PUK 17 seats in the Iraqi parliament.

 According to the strategic agreement between PDK and PUK the post of the  Iraqi president is for PUK while the presidency of the Kurdistan Regional Government is for PDK. But it is PDK that seeks to dominate all posts in the Region and in Iraq.

''this crisis is not anew, it was a delayed issue, the deceased Mam Jalal Talabani former president of Iraq was a very patient and wisdom in the Kurdistan issue, on the contrary to the present leaders in Kurdistan now'', Behram said. 

''in areas under PUK there was a freedom of moves and activities for all Kurdistanis, for this reason Turkey with its pressure put on the PDK seeks to reduce the role played by PUK in Southern Kurdistan and Iraq by creating problems between them to subvert the Kurdish unity in Kurdistan Regional Government'', Behram noted.

The current situation in the KRG may lead to two separate regions, Barzanistan and Soranistan as the Kurdish problems on the post of the Iraq presidency may reach the point of no return and the sole beneficiary is of course Turkey. 

Many Iraq circles denounced the attacks carried out by the Turkish occupation state on the region considering them a breach of the sovereignty of the Iraqi republic . this denunciation is a shy one as the Iraq official stance is shrouded in vagueness and no measure has been taken regarding the military interference in Southern Kurdistan.

Iraqi parliament condemned the Turkish occupation attacks in Southern Kurdistan saying is is a ''blatant violation of the security and stability of Iraq''.

Behram commented on the point saying:'' the Iraqi government is divided to two, the first is Shi'ite and loyal to Iran, and the second Sunnah and divided within itself and still attached to the Afleqite ideology, some are Arabists, and both of them behave under Turkish instructions''. 

''this is the main weakness in the Iraqi government and makes it unable to protect the Iraqi sovereignty so the Iraqi homeland is sold in the USDs in Ankara and Istanbul'', Behram added. 

''the attacks carried out by Turkey on Southern Kurdistan under the clock of fighting the Kurdistan Workers' Party is an implied desire and okayed by rulers of Iraq as a whole'', Yunus Behram concluded.

L..A

ANHA