Turkey's invasion of Iraq raises the question: Can modern Turkey outlast the Ottoman Empire?
Turkish invasion to Iraq brings up a question which is: Can modern Turkey lives longer than the Ottoman Empire?
The Iraqi government has continuously expressed its concern about the Turkish military bases and the wide existence of the Turkish troops in the Kurdistan region. But the fact is the Kurdistan Democratic Party, KDP, which is the main political party that governs the region has already given up the sovereignty of the region to the Turkish government to operate freely in the region. The Turkish operations in Kurdistan not only broke the sovereignty of Iraq in general, they have impacted the Kurdish civilians and created major security problems.
Turkey has publicly claimed that sending troops to Iraqi Kurdistan is to fight the Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK. Evidently, Turkish has always had its powerful fist on the PKK in Kurdistan, but such a fist is definitely has not been able to radically affect the organization’s existence and ends its operations. The sagacious way to end the conflict, Turkey should consider to recognize the organization and understand its purpose. It is important for Turkey to realize that this conflict only damages the lives of civilians from both Turks and Kurds, and adds more economical burdens on Turkey’s government.
Also to mention that the KDP's authority is limited to some areas in the region, and its powerful hammer is only effective on cracking down the freedom of speech and incarcerating journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan. The KDP, and indeed, the other political Kurdish Parties in Iraqi Kurdistan are completely unable to defend the region against the hostility of the neighboring countries. And this should be a main concern not only for Kurds but also for the Iraqis in general. However, as of now, it is the matter of a mutual interest between the KDP and Turkey, which both benefit from the situation of the Turkish operations in the Kurdistan region. Unfortunately, the safety of the civilians in the Kurdistan region has also been disregarded.
The fragile situation in the Kurdistan region can also be observed through the action of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Obviously, it seems like a rotten apple. While positive political rhetoric can be heard from the main leaders, people constantly struggle for their basic needs. The Kurd’s uprising has been devalued under the political system in Iraqi Kurdistan. In fact, people have been completely disappointed at those who were symbols of Kurds’ revolution in the past.
By its invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkey definitely disregarded the International community rule. On the other hand, the international community, including the United States, has been silent on this issue. Indeed, the United States has turned its face away in many harmful situations that resulted from Turkey. It is a painful era for Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan to live under the two of the Kurdistan Regional Government controlled by the KDP and the hammer of the Turkish troops.
Can modern Turkey live longer than the Ottoman Empire?
The politicians in the modern Turkish regime are circling around a fascist ideology. Such an ideology has closed all the routes for negotiations with PKK and blinded the Turkish rulers’ views to see that the decades of oppression and fierceness did not result in a positive outcome. Kurds have always suffered under the oppressive regimes of Turkey. Obviously in the past, the Ottoman Empire did not have mercy on Kurds, and indeed the other ethnicities in the region had suffered as well. Now, the modern Turkish regime is following the same path of the Ottoman Empire under a different name which is secularism. However, Turkish politicians should realize that oppression has a life span. And the question is: Can the modern Turkish regime live longer than the Ottoman Empire?
