TURKEY (Marmara)–In an August 21 article in "Brayeti," the daily organ of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)–KDP leader Massoud Barzani strongly criticized Turkish authorities in an article titled "The Time of Threats Has Well Passed Away," accusing Turkey of using the imminent US invasion of Iraq as an excuse to invade the northern Iraqi Kurdish city of Mosul.
"If they [the Turks] are still keen on what they say–let them try their luck in today’s Kurdistan. Then they will realize how the people of this nation will sacrifice themselves to protect their Kurdistan. They will also witness that this nation will turn Kurdistan into a graveyard for those who attack it," said Barzani.
Replying to Barzani’s statement–the Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement defining its two-fold policy toward Iraq: to protect Iraq’s territorial integrity and to demand that the fate of Iraq be decided by its people. The statement continues: "Those political organizations–the two Kurdish organizations that operate in Northern Iraq–should therefore act accordingly. These two organizations must recall past events."
The Vice-speaker of the Turkish Parliament Murat Skmenoglu responded even more harshly–saying that Barzani –in not knowing his limits–will receive his answer from the Turkish parliament.
According to Turkish political sentiment–the two Kurdish political parties operating in Northern Iraq (though seemingly ideologically opposed to each other) nevertheless secretly cooperate to establish an independent Kurdish nation–thus threatening Turkish security.