Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. A.Gasimova / Juan Cole, United States Michigan University professor on East Issues, considers that Washington should ask Ankara to be more patient in their actions against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (KWP).
Turkey repeatedly stated on the possible military intervention to North Iraq to destroy KWP militants based in the territory. The Turkish Parliament permitted the army to launch military action in mid-October.
Turkey stated that the country was ready to reject military action against militants if the issue was to be resolved by the Iraqi Government. However, Baghdad stated that the country was unable to settle the problem itself. " Washington should ask Ankara to be more patient, as well as to ask the leader of the Kurd Autonomous region in Iraq, Masud Barzani, to suspend KWP militants," Cole said in the interview to Trend news agency on 23 November.
According to Cole, the United States has a very weak military contingent in the north of Iraq, and in particular does not have military in the Kurd region. WKP supports the Kurdistan security forces. Until the United Stats have friends in Iraq they do not need help from the Kurds. From the other point of view United States is closely connected with Turkey as a NATO member and do not wish to irritate Ankara," Cole said.
"An ironic point in this situation is that super powers descended to asking," he said.