After arresting eleven Turkish officers, U.S. soldiers were found out to raid the headquarters of the Iraqi Turkoman Front ITC, the TER-2 radio station of Turkomans, a kindergarten and a cultural center, again belonging to Turkomans. That the American commanders aimed along with Turkish officers, the Turkoman Front ITC which has a close stance towards Ankara and its attempt to silence and Turkish-broadcasting radio station are all being interpreted as an American salvo to restrict the existence of Turkey in Northern Iraq and to cut her close cooperation with ITC.
The number of people rounded by U.S. troops in Friday's raid was found out to be 30, which included; Special Action Teams including 3 officers and 8 non-commissioned officers, a Turkoman cook and her son, a Kurd office boy and 3 Kurd peshmerges who were guarding the headquarters. In the two consecutive raids, thirteen members of ITC were found out to be taken under custody.
All personnel in the buildings of Turkomans were kept under detention for four hours, and then released. The American police searched the buildings and eventually allowed Turkomans to return to their offices. The Turkoman radio resumed broadcast. Four Turkoman security staff are still under detention.
Ankara learned that the U.S. 101st Air Brigade which raided Turks was welcomed before its raid by the forces of Jalal Talabani, at the entrance of Suleymaniye. The Peshmerges of Patruotic Union of Kurdistan had reportedly encircled the building to the special action team, during the raid. Meanwhile, however, three peshmerges in the building who were the guards of the special teams, were also detained.
Another point which disturbed Turkey was that, after being taken to Kirkuk, the Turkish officers were placed into a prison where the Saddam loyalists were kept.
American officials at all levels replied the Turkish initiatives yesterday by saying that "We have no information", throwing the ball to the court of the U.S. Regional Commandership in Northern Iraq. Ambassador Robert Pearson contacted the U.S. Occupation Auothority in Baghdad led by Paul Bremer. Then he announced that; The incident took place outside the information of the authorities in Baghdad.
At their phone talk, Foreign Minister Gul told US Secretary of State Colin Powell that he found the incident unacceptable and ugly and demanded for the release of the special action team members immediately. Powell assured Gul that he will do whatever he can.
In a strong initiative, Foreign Ministry's Deputy Undersecretary Baki Ilkin told Robert Deutch, the number-two of the American Embassy that; the Turkish officers must be released immediately; The American Administration must make an explanation to the Turkish Government; Turkey must be informed about the action to be taken about the American officials responsible of the incident and U.S. must apologize for this incident. Deutch who was summoned twice to the Foreign Minstry on the issue said that they were waiting for the response of Washington.
Colonel Mayville, who is suspected to lead Friday's raid on Turkish officers. He had arrested Turkish special action teams in Erbil in April and had accused these teams of militarizing the Turkoman Front in Northern Iraq.
The Turkish teams in Northern Iraq are on duty, under the information of both U.S. and Iraqi Kurd groups since 1995.
They are charged with following PKK elements in the region, carrying out relations with Kurd groups and Turkomans.
