LAST WEEK, Turkey announced that it could soon launch military incursions into Northern Iraq to attack Kurdish fighters operating in the region and across the Turkish border. Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives is attempting to pass a bill that would recognize the atrocities committed by the Turks against the Armenian population during the First World War as "genocide." These two developments are causing friction at a time when successful American involvement in Iraq heavily depends on Turkish cooperation. The recent tensions among the two countries highlight the strain between principles and strategy in wartime. In this particular scenario, both sides would do well not to increase animosity with brash moves: Congress should momentarily refrain from passing the bill, and Turkey should not invade Iraq en masse.
The Armenian genocidehas been a rancorous issue in Turkish politics and has constantly interfered in Turkey's relations with other nations. The forceful deportation of Armenians from Eastern Turkey during World War I has been recognized as genocide by more than 20 countries, including France and Russia.
The Democratic-controlled Congress now wants to bring America's stance on the issue in line with some of these other countries.What happened to the Armenians should officially be recognized as genocide, especially in the face of intransigent Turkish resistance to the idea. But while this is a good idea in principle, the timing is just about as atrocious as one can imagine. Turkey is generally a vital strategic ally for the United States, but even more so now with Iraq. According to the AP, "About 70 percent of U.S. air cargo headed for Iraq goes through Turkey as does about one-third of the fuel used by the U.S. military there. Turkish truckers also carry water and other supplies to U.S. bases." With Turkey threatening to withdraw its cooperation, there might be a logistical nightmare if the U.S. military lost access to these critical transportation routes. This is a great, if rare, example of when national security should trump well-meaning ideals.
In addition to these diplomatic frustrations, the situation on the ground at Iraq's northern border has caused great agitation in Turkey. Mounting public frustration in Turkey over the deaths of Turkish soldiers at the hands of Kurdish rebels desiring a separate nation has led to parliamentary efforts to sanction a foray into Northern Iraq, where the Turkish government argues the rebels have been given a free launching pad for their assaults. If the Turks invade, the Kurds are promising a hard fight. According to the AP, "Murat Karayilan, head of the armed wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party
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