The Dilemma Of Turkish Diplomatic Choices During The Two Gulf Wars

The modern Turkish state was a young country established in 1923 after the First World War.After the founding of the state,Kemal carried out an independent policy of peace diplomacy,and actively established diplomatic relations with the United States,Soviet Union,Britain,France and neighboring countries.After the Second World War,Turkey chose the pro-Western "one-sided" policy in the context of the Cold War which is the US-Soviet confrontation.However,the multinational characteristic of the Kurdish nation made Turkey have to consider the relationship with its Middle East neighbors.After the First World War,Britain and France's " Sevres conspiracy" destroyed the expectation of the Kurdish autonomy,and the administration of Kurds was classified into four countries.Because of that,the movements held by Kurdish nationalists were born and flourished,among which Turkish Kurdish problem is the most severe.Before the Gulf War,Turkey could have maintained cooperation with Iran,Iraq and Syria about confronting the Kurdish issue to preserve the "zero problem" foreign policy with the Middle East countries.The Gulf War occurred in 1991 was the beginning of Turkish diplomatic red line breakthrough,and was the beginning of the aggravation of Middle East Kurdish problem.During the war,Turkey changed its traditional foreign policy which is the low-key and uninvolved in the Middle East affairs,clearly supporting the Western and cooperating with the US-led anti-Iraqi multinational force to combat with the Saddam regime.But all these made Kurdish problem more severe.Facing a large number of Kurdish refugees,Turkey had to accept the Operation Provide Comfort implemented by the United States and Britain,which led to the realization of the Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq and stimulated the development of the Kurdish separatist movement within Turkey.The status of the Kurdish issue in the Turkish diplomatic strategy was increasing,and Kurdish question became the biggest threat in national security.The Iraq War occurred in 2003 had a greater impact on Turkey.Based on the lessons of the Gulf War,Turkey refused to cooperate with the United States to overthrow Saddam regime.But the result was counterproductive which was another wrong decision.The Kurdish region in northern Iraq became a "quasi-state",and the Kurds began to participate in regional affairs.Turkish diplomatic red line was further broken.Its foreign policy was related to the Kurdish issue,and had to rely on foreign forces(including the United States,Kurdish organization of northern Iraq KDP and PUK,Iran,etc.)to balance the domestic Kurdish problem.It is clear that the Iraq war has directly exposed the contradiction between the Turkish Kurdish issue and its pro-Western foreign policy.Turkey has been struggling to deal with the Kurdish problem.For the sake of national strategic security,Turkey chose pro-Western foreign policy to join in the Gulf War,and also due to the Kurdish issue of national security considerations.Turkey refused to cooperate with the United States in the Iraq war in 2003.But the two wars caused the common consequence:Turkish Kurdish problem is getting worse and worse,and its diplomatic red line is difficult to sustain.Turkish foreign policy in the Iraq war was an adjustment considering the aftermath of the Gulf War,but it was too late.From the Gulf War in 1991 to the Iraq war in 2003,The Kurdish problem has gradually risen as a decisive factor in Turkey's foreign policy,Turkey was digging a grave for itself and getting into dilemma length by length.