Turkey will Determine Middle East Stability

The U.S. is winking at Iran by mentioning that the post-Saddam Baghdad administration will be made up of mostly Shiites, said Mahalli. On the other hand, Iran strives to attain good relations of the Shah era with the U.S, he added.

Mahalli emphasized that Turkey's attitude would be a determining factor in whether or not there will be new conflicts or wars in the Middle East in the near future. Turkey has control of the "northern front," he added.

Mahalli answered our questions:

The U.S. works up instability

Turkey said it would send troops into northern Iraq to intimidate Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) or Kurdistan Patriots Union (KYB), the two Kurdish factions that control the autonomous region in northern Iraq. KDP responded to Turkey by saying, "conflict could break out." What is the reason of this tension, and where is this all going?

In my opinion, one should traditionally look at the U.S. as the behind-the-scenes reason behind this tension. The U.S. administration, which prepares and sends many scenarios about determining Iraq's future, is cunningly trying to disrupt balances in northern Iraq. The U.S. is also trying to get the Iraqi opposition to get into a conflict within itself.

This is not enough though. It is trying to raise tensions between Kurds and Turkey. If in the near future, this proves not to be enough either, the U.S. will, this time, try to create tension between Turkey and Iran. It will, in the end, become a side with Iran in the northern Iraq equation, or Iraq's general equation.

There are about 50 to 60,000 militia in Iraq at the moment. This militia is connected to the Iraqi opposition, or Shiites. This militia will definitely go to Iraq. When all these are taken into consideration, it becomes clear that there will be a very complicated situation in Iraq. And this demonstrates that the U.S. does not want stability in Iraq or in the region. Within this framework, the U.S., by attacking Iraq does not promise democracy, but on the contrary:

1. tries to work up a civil war in Iraq

2. and within this framework, aims to get Turkey, Arabs, Iran, and Kurds shatter each other.

What is the U.S. really trying to do by creating this chaos?

The U.S. wants to gain control of not only Iraq, but also the world. They openly say this anyway. And domination depends on two factors. First are the economic interests (oil). And second are the interests of the weapons monopolies together with the oil monopolies that rule the U.S. right now. With conflicts in the region, the U.S. will ensure operation at full capacity at the weapons monopolies' factories.

There is no reason why there will not be a conflict

Do you think that a conflict could break out between Turkey and Iraqi Kurds as KDP speaker Hosyar Zebari said?

Within the balances of the Middle East, such a danger always exists. And this is not only about Turkey and the Kurds. Don't forget that Iran and Iraq fought for eight years. We are also overlooking the fact that the Kurds and Iraq fought for fifty years. And only till a couple of years ago, Turkey fought PKK for 15 years. So, there is no reason why there will not be such wars or conflicts again.

We were saying before these tensions broke out, that there would be such conflicts, and that the U.S. did not want stability in the region. Such a U.S. would not want stability in Iraq and the Middle East.

Syria could become the next target

We have started hearing in the media that "Syria is U.S.' next target." How accurate could these comments or news reports be? And especially, why Syria after Iraq?

Right now, Syria is the only country, among the 22 Arab countries, that can say "no" to the U.S., that does not allow use of its air space or territory, that object to U.S.' every plan in the United Nations, and that warns other Arab countries against the U.S. So it would be very natural for it to be the next U.S. target. Even Iran, which was one of the most anti-American countries in the past, is now flirting with the U.S. If only Syria could be the sole target. Syria is not the only country to become a target after Iraq. I hope I am wrong, but every country, which says "no" to the U.S.' orders will become a target; including Turkey.

Iran-U.S. honeymoon

How could Iran react to the developments? There have been reports that it is sending troops to the Iraqi border. How will Iran's attitude be shaped in the coming days?

The U.S. mentioned at the London summit on December 17, that the Iraqi administration would be composed of mostly the Shiites. By saying this, the U.S. is winking at Iran. And Iran does not want to miss such an opportunity. A Shiite-dominated administration in Iraq would be beneficial for Iran. It is natural that Iran is looking to get a share from Iraq's future. Considering these, and to prevent itself from becoming the next target, Iran is trying to go back to the Shah era's 50-years of honeymoon with the U.S.

After the Istanbul summit, the Arab countries did not really raise their voices to try to prevent a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq. And the second Middle Eastern countries' summit was never held. What lies beneath the silence of the Arab countries?

It would be more accurate to say "Arab administrations," instead of saying "Arab countries." The Arab people are a hundred percent anti-American. The U.S. was troubled by Turkey's power arising from its friendly relations. They did everything to block Turkey's peace efforts in the Middle East. The U.S. pressured administrations in Arab countries, which are close to it, and especially Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and warned them to "stay away" from Turkey. And those Arab countries listened to the U.S. But all these Arab administrations also fear that their people may revolt. There is no doubt that there will be a rebellion of the people of the Middle East.

Everything is up to Turkey

What do you think the future holds for the Middle East?

Turkey will determine everything. The risk of war will diminish if there is no northern front; the U.S. cannot risk a war. And the absence of a northern front will diminish the chances of a U.S. victory. Turkey's "yes" or "no" will be a determining factor. Turkey's responsibility is very high when the region's history is considered. If Turkey becomes a side and supports the U.S., the region and Turkey will be facing incredible dangers in the future. I hope I am wrong. But everyone will see that there will be a lot of bloodshed and tears in the region for at least the next 15 to 20 years. (HA/BB/NK/EA/NM)