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TURKISH NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETS OVER STRATEGIC ISSUES
Arab Monitor
Aug 21 2008
Italy
Istanbul, 21 August - The Turkish National Security Council (MGK)
met today at the headquarters of the Turkish Staff Officers' school
in Istanbul for a thorough discussion about the repercussions of
the NATO-Russian crisis over Georgia on the balance of power in the
Caucasus region and its consequences for Turkey's national security
interests. Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to brief
the MGC on his visits to Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and foreign
minister Ali Babacan will report about the NATO emergency meeting
that took place in Brussels two days ago.
Prime minister Erdogan is expected to report about the outcome of
his efforts to draw the Russian, the Georgian and the Azerbaijan
governments into a joint Caucus stability pact. The stakes for Turkey
are high, as Ankara, as a NATO member, intends to maintain support
for the territorial integrity of Georgia, without however ruling out
the possibility of a secession of South Ossetia and Abhkazia. Given
the strategic importance of energy policy for Turkey, Ankara has no
intention to harm its relations with Russia.
Another issue of prime importance for the MGK meeting will be the
relationship with Armenia: following the crisis in Georgia, Turkey
intensified ongoing talks between Turkish and Armenian officials aimed
at improving bilateral relations and healing historic rifts. Regarding
the improvement of Turkish-Armenian relations, one of the decisions
to be taken in today's MGK meeting will be the eventual visit of
President Abdullah Gul to Erevan in occasion of the Turkish-Armenian
football match on 6 September.
Last but certainly not least, the issue of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk
will be on the MGK's agenda today: Turkey has been pressing the United
States to prevent the Kurdish militia Peshmerga and the Iraqi Kurdish
regional government from taking over Kirkuk through a combination
of Kurdish militias' actions on the ground and a staged referendum,
backed by the Kurdish Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. On this issue,
the United States have failed to meet Turkey's expectations and have
not been capable of imposing a Provincial Electoral Law on the Iraqi
government, that would have kept the Kurdish Peshmerga militia out
of Kirkuk and granted constitutional rights to the Sunni Arab and
the Turkmen communities of the area, as requested by Turkey.
Arab Monitor
Aug 21 2008
Italy
Istanbul, 21 August - The Turkish National Security Council (MGK)
met today at the headquarters of the Turkish Staff Officers' school
in Istanbul for a thorough discussion about the repercussions of
the NATO-Russian crisis over Georgia on the balance of power in the
Caucasus region and its consequences for Turkey's national security
interests. Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to brief
the MGC on his visits to Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and foreign
minister Ali Babacan will report about the NATO emergency meeting
that took place in Brussels two days ago.
Prime minister Erdogan is expected to report about the outcome of
his efforts to draw the Russian, the Georgian and the Azerbaijan
governments into a joint Caucus stability pact. The stakes for Turkey
are high, as Ankara, as a NATO member, intends to maintain support
for the territorial integrity of Georgia, without however ruling out
the possibility of a secession of South Ossetia and Abhkazia. Given
the strategic importance of energy policy for Turkey, Ankara has no
intention to harm its relations with Russia.
Another issue of prime importance for the MGK meeting will be the
relationship with Armenia: following the crisis in Georgia, Turkey
intensified ongoing talks between Turkish and Armenian officials aimed
at improving bilateral relations and healing historic rifts. Regarding
the improvement of Turkish-Armenian relations, one of the decisions
to be taken in today's MGK meeting will be the eventual visit of
President Abdullah Gul to Erevan in occasion of the Turkish-Armenian
football match on 6 September.
Last but certainly not least, the issue of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk
will be on the MGK's agenda today: Turkey has been pressing the United
States to prevent the Kurdish militia Peshmerga and the Iraqi Kurdish
regional government from taking over Kirkuk through a combination
of Kurdish militias' actions on the ground and a staged referendum,
backed by the Kurdish Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. On this issue,
the United States have failed to meet Turkey's expectations and have
not been capable of imposing a Provincial Electoral Law on the Iraqi
government, that would have kept the Kurdish Peshmerga militia out
of Kirkuk and granted constitutional rights to the Sunni Arab and
the Turkmen communities of the area, as requested by Turkey.