Turkish foreign policy's impact on the North of Iraq

Turkey has an effective and strong country profile which has been gained in the international arena, strategic planning, regional?global developments and new formations with the help of advantages due to geographic location on the intersection of continents and civilizations and modern, secular, democratic structure between other countries in the region. However, the forces who do not want Turkey become an active power are constantly trying to create problem areas inside and outside the country.In this sense, it has a great importance that terrorist-group PKK responsible of death of more than 30000 citizens since 1980?s which is closely related with Turkey?s national interests uses the Northern Iraq region as a base while increasing its effectiveness.Especially, uncertainity, instability and lack of administrative dominancy in the Northern Iraq as a result of tha Gulf War in 1991 and Iraq War in 2003 have become continously growing threats for or country. Therefore, developments that ocur in the Northern Iraq and their impacts to Turkey must be exposed.Countries having benefits and interests on the Middle East have entered into an effort to bring a new formation which is suitable for their interests to maintain their existance in the region. These contries will may support the establishment of a Kurdish state and look for a chance to make Turkey accept this formation to affect the current order in the Middle East and to get an opportinity to interfore to the Middle East region.Turkey must be strong and decisive to be a regional power to become a main element in shaping the Middle East with a proactive approach and to eliminate the formations which could harm its national benefits. Fort his purpose, it is necessary to demonstrate the required pre-cautions for guiding future developments with exposing the policy followed by Turkey.This research has been made in order to bring out the policies and possible intentions of the countries having regional benefits and interests related with regional developments, to take into consideration their future policy that they will may apply, to expose the Northern Iraq policy applied by Turkey up to now and to propose guides about political principles that Turkey will follow to prefect or national interests, rights and benefits in possible developments.The research consists of three parts. In the first part, the Northern Iraq?s geographic, ethnic, social, economic, political structure and geo-strategic importance due to this political structure has been described. The history of the region has also been examined under these headings.In the second part, mainly, the Gulf War, its causes and consequences have been examined, the policy of Turkey during the Gulf War and the effects of this war on Turkey has been explained.In the third part, the subject has been narrowed to our main subject and the period before and after the Iraq War in 2003 has been discussed. In this section, regional policies of the forces which have an active role in the Middle East, the reasons of Iraq War in 2003, approach of Turkey to these developments, the resulting actual structure after the war, detections related with policies about the Middle East that must be applied in short and long term have been given.This research describing the re-forming era of the Middle East will be able to contribute to proactive decisions by declairing opinions about suitable activities in case of establishment of a Kurdish state in the region and different management styles-formations, predicting the impacts of potential developments on Turkey and suggesting policies for relevant governmental authorities.Key Words: Northern Iraq, Turkey, Turkmens, Gulf War, 2003 Iraq War, Operation Provide Comfort, the PKK, the U.S., the Kurds, Mosul, Kirkuk, Talafar, Dual Containment, Note