Submitted by Stuart, Jun 8, 2007 14:07

If Turkey is a U.S. ally and fellow member of NATO, Turkey should have supported the US in its invasion of Iraq. The US has an interest in stabilizing all of Iraq and its borders, and Kurdish regions have been stable and friendly to the US. The US has great difficulty preventing incursions from Iran and Syria into Iraq, which causes the deaths of both Iraqis and Americans.

The Kurds have cooperated with the US. But what about Turkey? Turkey has not given the kind of cooperation expected of an ally and friend. Turkey did not allow the U.S. to invade Iraq from Turkey. At best, Turkey was neutral and did not act as an ally.

Why? Because Turkey has its own interests, and history has shown that friendships are always outweighed by national interests. That does not mean the US and Turkey cannot cooperate in the future. But it also does not mean that the US and Turkey are allies.

I do not fault Turkey for seeking to prevent terrorist attacks in Turkey. But if it does so in a way that undermines US interests, then Turkey should not be surprised there is tension with the US. Especially since it Turkey already failed to act as an ally of the US in its war against Saddam.

I strongly advise our Turkish friend not to "jeopardize our more than 50 years of friendship and alliance" by undermining US objectives. This is not simply a matter of "pleasing some tribes in Norther Iraq." This is a matter of stabilizing the entire country and securing all its borders.

Please find another way to prevent terror besides invading Iraq, which is now an ally of the US. There should be a way for all three to be allies and avoid an invasion from Turkey. Such an invasion would inevitably lead to US casualties and a conflict between Turkey an the US.

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