Things in Turkey have been growing quite a bit over the last few weeks. Raids into Iraq by the Turkish Military are stepped up seemingly every day. I've had a few questions from my friend in Turkey, as well as a few posts on the site about why would congress pass a resolution to define the killings of Armenians as genocide. Well to be honest I had not heard about it until a few weeks ago, and this happened almost 100 years ago. I still don't know what happened back then between the Turks and Armenians but I do know the Congress. So the question is why did they press to have this bill passed? Especially when the region Turkish/Northern Iraq/Middle East is in so much turmoil right now?
Well this might be a stretch and some what of speculation but to me it kind of makes some sense. Congress has been trying and failing to stop funding for the War in Iraq, to try and bring home our Soldiers, but in typical government style they fail. The Turkish people are extremely supportive of their government and country so passing this resolution would be a slap in their face. So why would congress do this? Also on the table is the Issue of Iran which I feel ties into this. As you may or may not know the US has at least one base if not more inside Turkey that it used for the initial Attack on Iraq, and I am guessing that they are hoping to use these bases to attack Iran when the time comes. If you are congress and you oppose everything the President is doing (Iraq) and is planning on doing (Iran). Then passing this bill is a no brainer. You see by ticking off the Turks by passing this bill, the US Congress is guaranteeing that the Turkish government will say "NO" when we ask them if we can use their air space, to launch attacks from Iran. So it throws a wrench into the works for the Attack Plans for Iran.
On the other side of the President is opposed to Turkey invading northern Iraq for quite a few reasons. The biggest one I think is Iran, and that Iran is also having trouble with the PKK in their country. Why you ask? Well Israel has been supporting and training along with the US the PKK specifically the Iranian version of the PKK the PEJAK.
(http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=49874)
"In the past months, Israel and the United States have been working together in support of PKK and its Iranian offshoot PEJAK, I was told by a government consultant with close ties to the Pentagon," said Pulitzer Prize-winning, Seymour Hersh.
So if the US especially the President could get caught in a controversy about who is supporting the PKK. It will risk the stability of the Kurdish region which is the most stable region in Iraq, it will risk the oil that is also in that region.
Some other interesting News of note today is that Iraq is asking Iran for help with the PKK. So this could bring Iran into Iraq, which the US would not like, and could lead to US vs. Iranian Military confrontations. Of course these would escalate to the full bombing of Iran, and Global Depression/Recession, and World War III.
But what do I know I just read the news all day? Meh.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aPqRuObyFI.g&refer=home
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/world/middleeast/01iraq.html?_r=1&oref=slogin