USA Turkish Times - The U.S. does not need F-16s to keep Turkey under surveillance

The U.S. does not need F-16s to keep Turkey under surveillance

Mehmet Ali Birand - If you become a super power, all of your actions are considered to convey a meaning. Each one of your jests is perceived as a message. Sometimes you do it intentionally, sometimes it happens accidentally, but each time, the other side gets a message.
Infringement of our southeastern air space by American airplanes for one to four minutes has caused much speculation. The environment in Turkey is so charged with murder attempts of the PKK and the approaching elections that when this infringement made its way into the general staff's Web site, the whole thing got out of control. The media fueled the issue, which got blown out of proportion.

The Americans say they entered the airspace by mistake. They apologize, saying it will not happen again.

Maybe, just maybe they really crossed the airspace due to an absent-minded, honest mistake.

It will not be a problem if it is never repeated.

Or maybe they really wanted to convey a message. On the eve of its withdrawal from northern Iraq, Washington might have wanted to warn Turkey: “We are observing you. Do not try to go in once we are gone.”

However, some of the comments on the subject give the wrong impression, as if the United States needs to have F-16 airplanes to observe Turkey's military activity in southeastern Turkey. There is no need for this. With its satellites, the United States has the capability to even read the license plate on a car in the busiest street in Diyarbakýr, or listen to conversations.

What is more important is the effect of these events on the public. At the end of the day, we very clearly got the message that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) “should not enter northern Iraq without first agreeing with Washington and Barzani.”

Attending Kanal D's primetime news program on Tuesday night, United States Ambassador Ross Wilson tried to calm the public by saying that although there will be concrete developments in northern Iraq, he did not know when or how they would take place.

The government, too, tries not to exaggerate this interference. It tries to avoid an accident until July 22.

A changed Aðar

When Mehmet Aðar first became the head of True Path Party (DYP), the general question was, “Can a former police chief turn into a party leader?” His past hurt his new political identity. His history as a police chief, as a police commissioner, and then his being linked to Susurluk caused his name to be tainted.

Aðar did not mind these.

He worked hard. While others rested in Ankara, he traveled all through Anatolia. He agreed with the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) and settled the issue in due time.

Today, there is a changed Aðar that we see in front of us.

He proposes much different opinions than other leaders on both the center and the right wing of the political spectrum. He voices these opinions on TV programs and in newspapers.

Even though he comes from a law enforcement background and maintains good relations with the military, he does not adopt blind militaristic rhetoric. He can oppose a military coup without fear. He can say that, once he becomes government, he will oppose military's pre-eminence in shaping the policies.

He takes courageous steps in terms of the Kurdish issue also. He can speak the truth. He does not become subservient to slogans. “The struggle with terror has been left only for the military and the police. But what is more important is to abolish the mechanisms that produce terrorism, to make sure terrorists in the mountains are defused,” he says during an interview with Muharrem Sarýkaya for the Sabah daily newspaper on May 29.

He supports that headscarves be allowed in universities but banned in public offices.

Aðar has a mild style of opposition that appeal to those that do not like tension. As he has not burnt all bridges with Erdoðan, he seems like an agreeable coalition partner if the AKP cannot attain the majority in the parliament.

The DP, formed by Mehmet Aðar and Erkan Mumcu, is a candidate to fill out a substantial vacancy in the center right. How it will be filling it out and how this will be reflected in the parliament can only be determined after the elections. According to the surveys, the DP is among the political parties to pass the threshold to enter the parliament. However, one needs to take heed while reading these surveys, as there is still a 20 percent undecided and these people will be the ones to affect the result. How this portion will be acting will not be clear until the very last week before the elections.

The first challenge that awaits the Aðar-Mumcu duo is forming a list of candidates. If these lists are filled with friends, relatives, and those that they cannot afford to displease, omitting those that will be winning over the votes, the DP will be losing in first trial. Candidate lists will be the first important test for this duo.

The DP, with Aðar at the helm, prepares to play an important role in Turkey's future. Aðar receives enough guarantees from his past fighting against terror and his commitment to the secular system. What remains is that he represents his party well to the public.

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