We see shocking pictures from Iraq every day. Hundreds of people, old and young, men and women, lose their lives while those who are lucky to survive are destined to live with physical injuries and psychological trauma.Iraq is going through turbulent times despite high expectations from the other side. The removal of Saddam, who was a brutal dictator, was a welcome development for the people of Iraq but unfolding events after the American military invasion brought chaos and carnage. The future of Iraq doesn’t look promising as far as the nature of current events and their costs are concerned. Iraq is located in a volatile region and has strategic significance with enormous oil reserves.
Neither the US nor the neighboring countries in the region can afford to see Iraq with no solution in the short, mid and long terms. Iraq today faces three main challenges that may have an imprint both on Iraq and the region. The first is the territorial disintegration of Iraq, which is unacceptable to all parties and actors involved. The second is a power vacuum and deepening ethnic/sectarian conflicts if US forces leave before any settlement, which is not on the horizon yet. The third is cooperation among various effective actors in Iraq to build a new future by leaving their ethnic, sectarian and historical hostilities aside. That requires reconciliation, compromise and finding common grounds for coexistence. This option, however, sounds like wishful thinking, given the complex picture in the war-scarred country. As dramatic events unfold in the region, Turkey can play a constructive role there because it has been pursuing a peaceful foreign policy with its neighbors since its establishment. Turkey’s other characteristics also qualify Turkey to be a powerful actor in the negotiations of conflicts and stabilization of political tensions. First, Turkey is a democratic country, though it has some shortcomings, and Turkey’s experience with democracy, political participation and civil society may inspire other countries in the region to establish participatory, accountable and transparent governance. Second, one foot of Turkey is in Europe and the other is in the Middle East. Countries that would like establish contacts or deepen their existing relations with Europe may participate in Turkey’s initiatives. Political stability and economic development with increasing foreign investment also strengthen Turkey’s role in the region. In this context, Iraq might enjoy Turkey’s contributions if a sustainable trust and working relations can be established between the two sides.Turkey has had constructive relations with Iraq in the past and suffered most as a result of economic sanctions on Iraq since the Gulf war. Therefore, it is in the best interest of Turkey to contribute to the solution of various problems in Iraq. However, such an action requires willingness to cooperate on the part of Iraqis as well. Turkey can extend its help to reconstruct political stabilization, the economy and infrastructure in Iraq. Kurds in Iraq emerged as an actor since the US invasion of Iraq and established their authority in the northern territory. Turkey has had always friendly relations with the Kurds in northern Iraq. There has been economic and cultural exchange for many years. Moreover, Turkey hosted and helped thousands of Kurds from Iraq when Saddam dropped chemical bombs on their villages.In addition to such humanitarian relations, Turkey invited leading Kurdish leaders to Turkey and provided them with the Turkish passports in the past so that they could promote their cause for liberty under an authoritarian regime. These are just some points that Kurds in Iraq should remember now.Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Iranians, to name a few, are natural allies in this region. The US is here because this country wants to protect its national interests. As the former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once said, the US foreign policy is based on national interests. This means the US is not in the region fo