President Bush Waives Section 907
"Freedom Support Act" of 1992 banned US aid to Baku
The Turkish Times - President George W. Bush has signed on Friday Jan 25 a waiver for the Section 907 of Freedom Support Act (of 1992) which prohibited all U.S. direct aid to Azerbaijan. The waiver will be effective for one year and will allow $50 million in humanitarian assistance, democracy building opportunity assistance, OPIC and EXIM loans to Azerbaijan. U.S. laws give the President the right to waive such articles for a year at a time for "reasons of national security."

Security asset for USA
Talking to The Turkish Times on Saturday, Jan 26, Azerbaijan Ambassador to Washington Dr. Hafiz Pashayev said that in the post-September-11 environment such waiver is indeed a service to U.S. national security interests. Why? "After September 11, 2001, Azerbaijan cooperated fully with the U.S. authorities to combat international terrorism," Amb. Pashayev said. "We are now a crucial security asset for America." "All the U.S. Administrations and all the reasonable members of the U.S. Congress were unhappy with Section 907 because it was an unjust law. Now we are happy to see that there are no restrictions left on the U.S. direct assistance to Azerbaijan. This waiver has now become a part of the Appropriations Bill signed on January 10," which also happens to include a generous chunk for Armenia as well.

"The waiver is important because this is the first time Azerbaijan has come out from under Congressional blame," Pashayev said. "What's important for Azerbaijan now," Pashayev told The Turkish Times "is to bolster our security relationship with Washington, and develop our military-to-military cooperation and assistance programs." A Pentagon team will visit Azerbaijan in February to do precisely that.

"907 recruited Islamic radicals"
Dr. Hafiz Pashayev also noted that "Section 907 has been the best recruiting tool in Azerbaijan for Iranian radicals. They would visit the poor refugee camps in Azerbaijan [refugees created by Armenian invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh and other Azeri territories] and they would simply ask 'see what America does to you? She blocks help to Muslims and gives everything to Christian Armenians!' That's why as long as Section 907 restrictions existed, it was very easy for the Iranian radicals to recruit Azeri volunteers for their radical agenda."

PM Bulent Ecevit: "Turkey’s Star is Shining"
The Turkish Times - Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has returned from his recent Jan 14-19 official visit to Washington with a heightened sense of Muslim-but-secular Turkey's role in the region as a "model country." During their meetings with Ecevit, the Bush Administration senior officials did not waste any opportunity to voice their belief that the "Turkish model" is what the world needs today to prevent the sort of "clash of civilizations" that Harvard's Samuel Huntington has predicted some time ago.

Another major outcome of Ecevit's visit was the determination to develop the commercial leg of the US-Turkish "strategic partnership" that in the past mostly relied on military and strategic cooperation. The 129 businessmen who accompanied Ecevit on this trip were a living testimony to the Turkish desire to strengthen the trade relations between the two NATO allies, even if most the businessmen had little or no opportunity to meet with their American counterparts for any networking.

In the last press event held in New York City, January 19th , when Ecevit addressed a select group of Turkish-Americans in the Turkish House, including the leadership of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) and Federation of Turkish-American Associations (FTAA), he summarized the main points of his visit as follows:

SEPT 11 and Turkey
"The events of September 11 has brought to agenda a very rare characteristic of Turkey: if, in the aftermath of September 11, Turkey did not get engaged in an intensive manner, perhaps there would be a war between religions around the world. But, in that sense, Turkey's star shone bright. Observers realized that in Turkey, where a great majority of the people are Muslims, Islam could be proven to be commensurate with democracy, secularism and contemporary values. Turkey has proven that. Now many prominent members and even leaders of the Islamic countries are saluting this [paradigm] as the "Turkish Model." They started to yearn for the "Turkish Model." In this manner, Turkey was seen to occupy a special position in the world. One of the first such statesmen -- and also probably the most prominent of them all -- who realized Turkey's special position has been esteemed President Bush. That's the reason why this visit carries a special significance for us."

Qualified Industrial Zones
"We have taken some concrete steps during this visit. For example, during the meeting the esteemed President [Bush] had with us, he personally has encouraged more Americans to visit Turkey. We have mentioned our desire to establish Qualified Industrial Zones, a model that is successfully implemented by Israel and Jordan in their relationship with America. We said that a similar development would be beneficial and that we have deserved it. They told us that they would pay special attention to our request. This of course pleased us very much. In sum, what was missing from our already very advanced strategic cooperation, that is, economic and trade issues, are now also brought to our agenda. This is naturally a very pleasing development."

End of Red Tape
"We have a passed a law from the Turkish Parliament just a few days ago that will solve this problem completely. We have passed this law regarding industrial zones. This law stipulates the following: Those that want to invest in Turkey, be they Turkish or foreigners, will not have to ring forty different doors but only a single door. They will not have to wait two or three years. They'll get a definite result within three months. Thus we have eliminated all bureaucratic obstacles."

Rebuilding Afghanistan
"Back in 1920s while Turkey was still engaged in a war of liberation, Ataturk has dispatched his best trained staff officers to Afghanistan to help the improvement of the Afghan army. After the establishment of the Republic, Turkey, despite her own meager resources, has helped Afghanistan in every way including the construction of hospitals, government offices and schools. There was even a music conservatory established in Afghanistan in the 1930s with Turkey's initiative. This sounds like a figment of imagination in today's conditions but Turkey will be able to revive such initiatives before too long."

Prudent Silence on Cyprus
"The Cyprus issue was almost never brought to the agenda. Esteemed [President] Bush has expressed his wishes regarding the issue, regarding the agreement of two communities. However no demand, interpretation or suggestion was made that could be construed as an imposition on Turkey or the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in any way. Of course the dialog process that has started in Nicosia has something to do with that. Clerides and esteemed Denktas started to meet, not thousands of miles away, but on their own land, and not through intermediaries, but face-to-face. Therefore certain parties must now quietly follow the developments regarding this dialog process. If there are interventions from the outside, it may cast a shadow on Cyprus. That's why the American Administration showed finesse and never touched upon this issue."

(For the full-text of Ecevit's address:members.tripod.com/~turkishtorque)

Ciller's Party Recommends "Turkmen-Kurdish"Federation
"Mosul question must be reopened"
David Nissman, RFE/RL IRAQ REPORT, Jan. 2002 - A report by the 'True Path' -- Dogru Yol Party (DYP) makes the point that Turkey's insistence on keeping Saddam Husseyn in power is not in its interests and proposes that a Turkmen-Kurdish Federation be formed in northern Iraq, according to the Istanbul newspaper "Aksam" on 19 January. At the request of Tansu Ciller, DYP general chairwoman, a report titled "A Fresh View of the Northern Iraq Problem and New Perspectives Within the Framework of the Ankara Process" argues that Turkey must seize the initiative in the area and that it must not insist on keeping Saddam Husseyn in power.

The report notes that northern Iraq is the only region in the world where Kurds have gained world recognition for their existence, and points out that "having fought against separatist terrorism based on chauvinist Kurdish nationalism for years, Turkey can hardly be expected to remain indifferent to the Kurdish political movements and groups in northern Iraq."

The report adds that "a Kurdish federated state on its own would be against Turkey's interests, but a Turkmen-Kurdish Federation within an Iraq whose territorial integrity is guaranteed by Turkey would be in our interests. Consequently, the scope of any arrangement in northern Iraq must include the Turkmen and the Kurds." The report also makes the point that U.S. policies must dovetail with Turkey's.

The report also outlines the requirements of a Turkish strategy in the region: first, a policy of constant destabilization must be pursued, and equal distances must be maintained from the two Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq; second, northern Iraq must be seen as a social and cultural sphere of interest and appropriate investments must be made; third, discussion of the Mosul question must be reopened and discussed because "the status of the Province of Mosul was not finalized by the Treaty of Lausanne and the resolution of the issue was postponed to a later date. Then, 'at a later date,' the province was handed to the Iraqi state via a political fait accompli. Now it is clear that the 'Mosul Province file' must be reopened."

The DYP report is not the only recent mention of the Iraqi Turkmen. The "Mideast Mirror" of 22 January cites an article in the London-based Arabic-language newspaper "Al-Sharq Al-Awsat" by Adnan Hussayn noting that Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit also expressed his concern about the Iraqi Turkmen on the eve of his departure for Washington.

Hussayn writes that the Turks have disregarded their existence for many years because of Turkey's various joint interests with the Saddam Husseyn government, and also because the Turks themselves could be accused of practicing a discriminatory ethnic policy similar to that of the Ba'th Party against its own Kurds, Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans.

Hussayn claims the Turks want to get control of what he calls the "Turkmen cordon," which begins at Sinjar and Mosul and ends in Kirkuk.

Azeris Remember "Black January in Baku"
The Turkish Times - Twelve years ago people of Azerbaijan lived through a tragedy, which became a defining mo-ment in the nation's struggle for independence.

In the first hours of January 20, 1990, Soviet troops stormed Baku Azerbaijan's capital. The indiscriminate use of force and heavy military equipment against civilians was the Soviet authorities' response to popular demands for independence and an end of Communist regime.

Speaking at the Congressional briefing dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the event on Capitol Hill, Azerbaijan's Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev underscored the failure of Kremlin's policies.

"Black January started the process strengthening my people's determination to achieve independence and eventually leading to the restoration of Azerbaijan's sovereignty," said the Ambassador.

Korean War Commemorated in Wash D.C. on Jan 25
Gen. MacArthur called the Turkish Brigade "the bravest of the brave."
Bill Alli (atva@erols.com) Special to The Turkish Times - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has grown from a 1949 alliance against totalitarian Communist expansionism, to leadership of a 21st century coalition against world terrorism. A crucial step took place in 1952 with the accession of the Republic of Turkiye. Thus, NATO became an alliance of the descendants of Christians and Muslims who had fought each other in the Crusades of the Middle Ages, and in countless other clashes, both before and after the Crusades.

The new relationship has endured, matured, and prospered. It made possible the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Its existence is a vibrant contradiction to the ideology of the so-called AMuslim@ extremists, who are now assaulting modern civilization.

But why commemorate January 25th? The answer centers on events of a "forgotten war."

On Sunday, June 25, 1950, North Korean Communist armies invaded South Korea. A few US units -- poorly trained and underarmed -- were quickly sent to assist South Korea. While U.S. and South Korean forces were desperately fighting to hold back the enemy, the United Nations appealed to members to send military forces.

Turkish Government officials offered to send a division, as a starter. U.S. military advisors objected to the sending of sizeable numbers of Turkish troops, in view of the country's heavy defense responsibilities on the borders with Bulgaria in Europe and the USSR in the Caucasus, plus the Black Sea. US Chief of Staff Gen. Omar Bradley expressed the view that the conflict in Asia was, essentially, a sideshow dwarfed by the threat in Europe from the Warsaw Pact armies. The Turkish government settled on a brigade-size contribution.

After the incredibly successful Inchn landing on September 15, 1950 and seizure of Seoul, UN forces freed all of South Korea and most of North Korea. They were joined in North Korea by the Turkish Brigade.

In November massive armies of Communist China engulfed the country. UN forces were surrounded and devastated. Survivors were forced back into South Korea and finally stopped the Chinese in February 1951.

Among the myriad acts of heroism by UN military forces, those of the Turkish Brigade, from January 25 to 27, were such that President Harry Truman signed a Distinguished Unit Citation (now the Presidential Unit Citation) on July 11, 1951. It reads:

"The Turkish Brigade, a member of the United Nations Forces in Korea is cited for exceptionally outstanding performance of duty in combat in the area of Kumyangjang-ni, Korea, from 25 to 27 January 1951.

The Turkish Brigade and attached units were deployed along a 7-mile front between I and IX Corps, against numerically superior hostile forces defending their vital supply route and their main line of resistance south of the Han River.

Enemy-held hills 185 and 156 and Kumyangjang-ni were defended tenaciously and stubbornly against savage and relentless attacks by the Turkish Brigade, but finally fell in dogged and bitter hand-to- hand combat. The success of the savage bayonet assault is reflected in the 1,734 casualties inflicted on the hostile forces during the period.

The fanatical defense by well-entrenched communist troops was finally smashed by the gallant, intrepid United Nations personnel engaged in the encounter. This sustained drive carried all strong points for a depth of 10 miles and crushed the defenders of the sector.

The fidelity, indomitable fighting spirit, and outstanding heroism displayed by the Turkish Brigade and attached units in this bitter assault are in keeping with the finest and noblest traditions of the heroic fighting men, and reflect the highest credit on the United Nations Forces, the United States military service, and the Turkish homeland."

General MacArthur called the Brigade "the bravest of the brave." The Republic of Turkiye had earned a place in NATO and was soon officially accepted (along with the Kingdom of Greece, whose troops had also displayed heroism in Korea).

Because of the Korean War, the Communist bloc was prevented from gaining a strategic advantage in Northeast Asia. The Free World's resolve was stiffened and more countries came to see the lethal threat to free peoples manifested in the policies of the Soviet Union.

Since the Korean War, Turkish forces have participated in NATO defense operations, various other operations (Kurdish refugee protection, the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia), and extensive military cooperation with Israel. Turkish special forces are part of Coalition forces in Afghanistan.

The future is unclear for NATO and the international coalition against terror. But no matter what it may bring, Turkiye's involvement began with the bloody Korean War. The great playout of history since then has redounded to the benefit of millions of people around the world, and the story of Turkish bravery around January 25, 1951 qualifies for an honorable place in that history.