US-Turkish Strategic Ties Confront "Biggest Ever Crisis of Confidence"

US-Turkish strategic relations are confronting their "biggest ever crisis of confidence" since the founding of the modern Turkish state, military leaders in Ankara believe. A major factor stoking the diplomatic confrontation is Ankara's and Washington's diverging interests in northern Iraq.

The crisis was precipitated by the US move to detain 11 Turkish military intelligence officers in northern Iraq. A detachment of roughly 100 US troops took the Turkish officers into custody on July 4 in Suleimania, a city dominated by Iraqi Kurds. US military officials held the Turkish officers for over two days. Turkish media carried reports that Americans forces treated the detainees roughly and held them on suspicion of planning to assassinate an Iraqi Kurdish leader.

The incident outraged Turkish military and political leaders. Compounding their anger was the alleged slow US response in securing the officers' release. The incident occurred during the Independence Day holiday in the United States.

Turkish military leaders have strongly denied that the detained officers were plotting an assassination. The Chief of Staff Hilmi Ozkok expressed disappointment in a July 7 statement broadcast by NTV television. "From the outset, efforts were exerted by the [Turkish] government and the military, particularly between me and my US counterparts, to settle this incident speedily," Ozkok said. "I have to say, unfortunately, that this incident began and has grown into the biggest ever crisis of confidence between the Turkish and US armed forces."

"We would have expected to be informed of an intelligence report [on a potential assassination plot], if there were any, and follow through on it together," Ozkok added. "For reasons incomprehensible to us, however, the incident did not evolve in this way."

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, speaking July 9, attributed the "distressing" incident to mistakes made by US military officials in northern Iraq, the Anatolia news agency reported. He was dismissive of the assassination plot allegation, saying "such a probability is not valid for us since we do not have any benefits. Our real benefit is the establishment of stability in Iraq as soon as possible."

Gen. Ozkok, however, did not share Gul's view concerning the impetus for the incident. "I am having great difficulty to see it as a local incident, given the level of officials we contacted and the length of time period till it was brought to an end." He also stressed that "our national honor and honor of Turkish armed forces are as important as Turkish-American relations and relations between Turkish and US armed forces."

A joint US-Turkish commission established to examine the incident met in Ankara on July 9. The meeting focused on the cause of the detention. Participants also discussed ways to avoid such incidents in the future. "Both sides are trying to understand what happened in Suleimania," said US Ambassador Robert Pearson.

The commission resumed work in Ankara on July 10. Gul has characterized the evidence presented so far as "not convincing." He added that the US delegation would travel to northern Iraq later in the day for discussions with local American officers who were involved in the decision-making process that led to the detention.

Some Turkish political analysts say the root cause for the bilateral tension is clashing ideas concerning northern Iraq's future. Turkey does not want to lose its leverage in the region, and northern Iraq has increasingly been seen by officials in Ankara as Turkey's "backyard." Turkish officials are mindful of the experience of the Kurdish separatist struggle in Turkey mounted by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) [for additional information see the Eurasia Insight archives]. A loss of Turkish influence in northern Iraq, in the Turkish view, would greatly increase the chances of a revival of an armed Kurdish separatist effort. Many in Turkey believe the US military's administration in northern Iraq has been insensitive to Turkey's strategic concerns.

The July 4 incident has raised the domestic pressure on Turkey's government, which is dominated by the Justice and Development Party (AKP). The government's handling of the incident has come under heavy criticism from media outlets and opposition politicians.

Newspaper editorials have called for the Turkish government to retaliate. Ertugrul Ozkok, the influential editor of the mass circulation daily Hurriyet characterized the incident as a "big fiasco" for the United States.

Thus far, the official Turkish response has been limited to a suspension of top-level military contacts. Turkish officials also briefly closed down a border crossing on the Turkish-Iraqi frontier, preventing the delivery of aid to northern Iraq. However, the border was quickly reopened, as Turkish officials deemed the move counterproductive, given Turkey's desire to influence reconstruction efforts.

Turkish media speculation is now focusing on whether Ankara may take steps to reduce US military privileges in the region. The Radikal daily said Turkey could consider "putting an end to the use of [its] air space by the USA, [and] expelling American military attaches in Turkey."

It appears that the Turkish government is resisting media and opposition pressure to adopt a tougher stand. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told AKP party loyalists on July 8: "What suits us is not to act with anger. It suits us to act and decide in maturity. You have to diagnose the problem first and then treat it. When there is a problem between the two partners, you do not destroy the partnership immediately. You sit down with your partner and try to resolve it."