Turkey takes another small step forward

I was just watching “On The Record” with Greta Van Susteren on Fox News. Tonight she was doing an in studio interview with Turkey’s ambassador to the US O. Faruk Logoglu. Greta served up all the appropriate softball questions that you throw up to a dignitary of a nation whose help we need, but she did get in one question of some interest to me. She asked what Turkey’s role was in the coalition and how it was affected by the Kurdish issue.

Mr. Logoglu made all the proper answers about being a partner in the coalition and Turkey wanting to do its part, yada, yada, yada. But then he said – and this was an important statement to me- that the integrity of Iraq’s borders was of great importance not only to Turkey but to the stability of the region. He also said that Turkey would not be entering northern Iraq with any intentions of taking action on the Kurdish issue.

Now I realize that he is a politician without any real policy making power. You have to assume, however, that he is speaking from a position of knowledge (not to do so would put his country in great peril of damaging an important relationship – and he knows it) and that the Turks have basically delinked a resolution of Iraq and a resolution of the Kurdish issue. If he is accurate, this is a big step in the right direction.

Now if he could only get the Turkish parliament to hurry up………..