Crisis Opinion

On Thursday the Security Council will hold a final meeting to address the issues that have been plaguing the Middle East throughout the past two weeks. The two main issues that need to be solved are the Kurdish uprising in Turkey that has spread to neighboring Kurd-housing countries and the repeated call for a Palestinian state. I believe that the Kurds should be given more rights and freedoms and a semi-autonomous region within Turkey, similar to Iraqi Kurdistan. However, I agree with President Gul that this can only be done if violence is renounced by the PKK. If President Gul gives into the violence now, the PKK will only continue to generate unrest until they are granted a fully independent Kurdistan. Turkey's refusal to reason with an armed PKK sends a message that Turkey cannot be pushed around. However, President Gul did not set up a time table for the creation of a semi-autonomous Kurdish region. Regarding the Israel-Palestine issue, there is a resolution being drafted that will guarantee a Palestinian state by 2011. This is a measure that should have been taken years ago, and it is a necessary step for peace in the Middle East. Every country has agreed to a two state solution, but it is still uncertain as to how China will vote on this issue. The established Palestinian state needs to be truly independent and have equal access to Jerusalem and all holy sites. Israel also plans to pull its settlers out of Palestinian regions and take immediate steps to stop further settlement there and to allow Palestinian refugees to return to the areas that will eventually become a separate state. Whether this crisis can be truly solved still rests in the hands of the Security Council tomorrow, but it seems the resolutions that are being drafted will be effective in addressing the issues and will bring an end to the recent unrest in the Middle East.

Roundtable

Today the Security Council held a roundtable meeting so reporters could have a chance to circulate among the representatives from each country and ask questions freely. This meeting comes as countries prepare to present their resolutions proposing solutions to the Kurdish and Palestinian crises on Thursday.

President Sarkozy, when asked why he, despite being firmly opposed to using violence such as drone bombing of northern Iraq by Turkey, would not use his veto power to stop it, replied that the number of dead in Turkey has escalated so much that action must be taken to stop it. President Sarkozy expressed his very firm opposition to the use of drone bombs and to Turkey's actions but still stated that France would not veto these actions because it believes that some kind of action must be taken to stop the attacks. President Sarkozy instead held the threat of admittance into the European Union over Turkey's head and said that if Turkey does resort to violence then France will most likely vote to not allow Turkey admittance.

President Gul refused to provide a definite time when his government would start providing autonomy to the Kurds. His defense was that there “are so many variables in the situation that need to be considered” and that steps must first be taken to “deal with the PKK problem” and to speak with the moderate Kurdish representatives in the Turkish government before “baby steps” can be taken to “see if [the Kurds] are ready for a little bit of autonomy”. President Gul remained uncommitted to what kind of freedoms he would be willing to give Kurds and what measures would determine when the Kurds are “ready” for autonomy. This lack of commitment to specifics may allow President Gul to keep postponing granting some kind of autonomy without being attacked for going back on his word. Since President Gul supports a Palestinian state, when asked whether he believed he was holding a double standard by not allowing the Kurds their own state, he replied simply “no, I don't think so,” offering no further explanation.

The United States and China have been a lot closer than usual lately regarding the Palestinian crisis. President Obama even defended President Hu's threat of a veto on the proposed two-state solution despite being strongly for a two-state solution himself. President Obama also expressed his unwillingness to try to convince President Hu to change his mind about possibly vetoing the solution, despite China being the only obstacle towards the two-state solution that the United States has pushed so hard for. This may prove to be the opening of a new page for the foreign policies of both countries, as they seem to be much stronger allies than they were in the past.

President Hu has always been a strong supporter of the creation of a Palestinian state. In 2005 President Hu stated that “China is one of the first countries supporting the Palestine national liberation movement and recognizing the Palestinian state,” and “the traditional friendship between Palestine and China has withstood the tests of time and fluctuating international situation.” However, despite his long term support for Palestine, China now stands alone as the only country in the Security Council who refuses to support a two-state solution, when even countries such as Syria and Israel itself have expressed support for taking steps towards achieving two peaceful states. President Hu, when confronted with his very abrupt policy change, retracted several of his previous very extreme statements to take a more moderate stance. Saying that “[he] may have been a bit harsh in [his] statement” where President Hu stated that he was “ready to veto the creation of a separate state of Palestine,” he clarified that he does in fact support a Palestinian state, but just not at this point in time because of the current Kurdish uprisings. Believing an independent Palestine may perpetrate further violence from the Kurds, President Hu states that he feels his economic position in the Middle East to be in danger and that is his main concern. Although other countries that currently support a two-state solution such as Syria, Iran, and Iraq have a lot more to lose from a Kurdish uprising than China does, those countries still support the two-state solution while China is still holding a threat of a veto. It appears that China does not in fact believe the ties between Palestine and China are strong enough to withstand the tests of a “fluctuating international situation,” since simple Kurdish rebellions can cause China to turn its back on its long time ally, Palestine. When asked whether he feels his abrupt reversal of lessens his legitimacy as a leader and whether he feels it would cause other countries to not be able to trust his policies, President Hu responded that he does not feel that is the case. He also stated that he doesn't feel his relations with Palestine would suffer due to his refusal to support a two-state solution. President Hu propoesd that a state should only be granted to the Palestinians once “Kurdish revolts have subsided or been cut down”, which is not in the immediate future. President Hu then ended the interview abruptly with “that's all I have to say, goodbye.”

Roundtable Questions

General Questions:

It seems that Turkey's promise of a more autonomous region for the Kurds has only encouraged them to continue their fight for a fully autonomous Kurdistan. Since it is generally agreed that the Kurds must be given more rights and freedoms, what actions would you suggest Turkey take in order to offer rights to the Kurds while putting a permanent stop to the violence?

The PKK commander dubbed Mr. Washington was recently reported stating that their “movement will spread into Syria, Iraq, and Iran.” The Kurdish dream of a fully autonomous independent state is no longer limited to Turkey, but also to Syria, Iraq, and Iran, all which house a substantial number of Kurds. These countries are already seeing unrest stemming from the violence in Turkey. What are some courses of action your country plans to take to limit the spread of violence from Turkey to its neighboring countries and to prevent the PKK from sparking revolts in Syria, Iraq, and Iran?

Just about every country in this Security Council has called for a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestine dilemma that has lasted for decades. It seems that all agree on the course of action to take, but no action has yet been taken. The peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine issue is a pertinent one to every state, in the Middle East or not. Why then, has your country not stepped up to the plate to take the initiative and turn these words into actions and help finally resolve this issue?

The Palestinians and the Kurds are different peoples but their stories really aren't that different. The Kurds have suffered the same kinds of hardships, repression, and deprivation of a homeland as the Palestinians have, and the Kurds far outnumber the number of Palestinians. Since you support the creation of a Palestinian homeland, why are you so against setting up a Kurdish homeland?

Britain: Prime Minister Brown, you have called repeatedly for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Turkey. However, you have supported Turkey's proposed plan to bomb PKK bases in northern Iraq. Why have you decided to abandon peaceful negotiations and allow Turkey to proceed with such a violent approach? Do you truly believe that there are no other options?

China: President Hu, you stated as recently as 2005 that “China is one of the first countries supporting the Palestine national liberation movement and recognizing the Palestinian state,” and “the traditional friendship between Palestine and China has withstood the tests of time and fluctuating international situation.” (China's embassy website) China has always supported a Palestinian state but now denies all attempts to create one. China has much more to gain from the formation of a Palestinian state, such as rare support for the one-China policy, while Israel has many pro-Taiwan members in its parliament, something the Chinese government definitely isn’t happy about. What do you hope to gain from now denying a Palestinian state when your country is relatively uninvolved in the area and actually has more to gain from allowing a Palestinian state? Do you think this position change makes you lose credibility as a leader? How can anyone believe anything you say from now on about your policies when you changed positions on such an important issue? You have strayed a lot from your foreign policy in the past week regarding the crisis in Turkey and Israel. What about these particular crises has prompted you to change foreign policies that have stood relatively unchanged for decades? Your justification for this switch is that China has made policy changes in the past. Could you provide me with an example of a policy that was completely reversed as this one was? In fact, you seem to have completely changed your stance on this issue in as little as four weeks, since on April 22, 2009 the Chinese Foreign Minister visited Jerusalem expressing “strong support” for an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution. He even went as far as saying that this two state solution was the “only solution possible.” What could possibly have caused you to abandon this position and take the opposite side in merely four weeks, making China the only country in the Security Council to be opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state when even countries such as Iran and Israel itself have agreed to it? Do you realize that you are possibly the only obstacle standing in the way of peace in the Middle East, at least regarding the long-lasting Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Aren’t you afraid of the negative effects this denial of a Palestinian state will have on your relations with Palestine?

Also, since you do not support a two-state solution, do you have a viable alternative that will keep peace in the Middle East?

Egypt: President Mubarak, you are the self-proclaimed peace keeper in the Middle East. However, recent violent uprisings have made peace difficult to attain. Now countries such as Turkey are resorting to violent approaches in order to get peace. Do you believe in using violence to achieve peace? What are your views on the bombings President Gul is proposing?

France: President Sarkozy, France has traditionally taken a very firm stance on its positions. Recently, however, you have come under pressure to allow a resolution to pass that would allow Turkey to use violence in order to quell the Kurdish uprisings in Turkey. Despite this being against your better judgment because of your statement that it would only perpetrate more violence and would risk killing innocent citizens, will you give in to pressure by Turkey and the US or will you stand firm and veto this resolution?

Iran: President Ahmadinejad, you have expressed your worries about the Turkish Kurd refugee population fleeing into your country. Despite your emphasis again and again that the refugee camps set up in your country are only temporary, it does not seem that peace can be immediately restored to Turkey. The peace process will take a long time, and how long will there be hospitality for the Kurdish refugees in your country? If after half a year or one year, peace is still not firmly established in Turkey, will you allow the refugees to stay longer or will your forcefully place them back in Turkey?

Iraq: Prime Minister Maliki, it was recently reported that a Turkey shell missed its intended target and hit an elementary school instead, killing 25-30 kindergarteners. Turkey's plan to send missiles into northern Iraq to target and destroy known PKK bases has recently gained your approval. This inevitably puts your own civilians at risk. Why are you willing to risk the lives of countless innocent Iraqi civilians to allow Turkey their bombing that probably won't even succeed, since Turkey has never succeeded in fully stopping the PKK before?

Israel: President Peres, it has become clear that the Security Council is and has been calling for a separate Palestinian state for a while now. Your Prime Minister and yourself have been reluctant to grant the Palestinians their own state thusfar, but have taken steps to give regions such as the Gaza Strip self rule. With pressures mounting from all countries, are you now ready to grant complete independence to a Palestinian state?

Jordan: King Hussein, Jordan has not played a major role thusfar in this crisis. Asides from offering military aid to Turkey, Jordan has yet to propose any real plan of action. Are there any actions you would like to see be taken to address the Kurdish uprising or the Palestinian call for a sovereign state? What role would Jordan take in those actions?

Russia: President Medvedev, what are your hopes for the UN resolutions that will be passed Thursday? How will you try to convince those countries that may stand in the way of peaceful solutions to these problems?

Syria: President Assad, it has been reported that your call for limited autonomy for the Kurds in Turkey has sparked several rebellions from the Kurds in your own country. Are you yourself willing to give autonomy to your own Kurds, and if not how can you ask Turkey to give autonomy to their Kurds while refusing those freedoms to your own Kurds?

Turkey: President Gul, one of the shells you launched missed its intended target and instead hit an elementary school killing 25-30 kindergarteners. What are your thoughts on the killing of these innocent civilians in an attempt for you to create peace?

United States: President Obama, you have always supported a two-state solution. However, now the only thing standing in the way of that two-state solution being achieved is China’s threat of a veto of a proposal suggesting that. President Hu has been very receptive to all of your ideas so far regarding this crisis, so will you talk to President Hu and try to convince him not to veto this resolution or will you allow him to single-handedly prevent there from being peace between the Palestinians and Israelis, the peace that you and your country have worked so hard to try to achieve.

Security Council

An important Security Council Meeting was held Friday to address the recent issues in the Middle East. Recent news reports point to the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), recognized by many countries as a terrorist group, as responsible for Monday's Kurdish uprising. The Pope has also requested the creation of a separate Palestinian state. The Security Council met on Friday to address these urgent issues. Many countries took positions that differed from their past decisions and foreign policies during Friday's meeting.

China has rarely ever sent troops to interfere with the matters of other countries, and its foreign policy states that all disagreements should be resolved peacefully and never resort to force. However, regarding the recent Kurdish uprisings in Turkey, China has taken a much more militant stance and has offered Turkey military support ever since the crisis erupted - a very unusual position for President Hu to take. During Friday's meeting, China stated that it wouldn't interfere in Turkey because “it is still too early to send in any military support”. However, later in that same meeting, President Hu offered and agreed to send China's troops into Turkey. China seems to be departing from its normal foreign policy to be much more aggressive.

Jordan has also flip-flopped in its position on the Turkey crisis. On Tuesday King Hussein expressed his sympathy for the Kurds but stated that he “[didn't] want to get involved in a religious war”. Perhaps King Hussein's unawareness that the Kurds are not religiously, but ethnically different from the Turks can be pardoned on the basis that he believes there to be no Kurds in Jordan despite its housing Kurdish communities. Deciding to take a stand on the issue, King Hussein switched from being firmly neutral to supporting Turkey and giving military aid to President Gul.

Not everyone is so condoning of Turkey's actions, however. Turkey faces pressure from Britain, Israel, and Russia to offer the Kurds limited autonomy. However, President Gul stated that he “[does] not support the creation of an autonomous Kurdistan” despite saying as recently as Tuesday that he would consider autonomy for the Kurds.

Russia formally acknowledged the PKK as a terrorist organization Friday, leaving only Iran and Syria denying its terrorist intentions. Turkey has also issued an ultimatum stating that diplomatic talks could happen only if the PKK laid down their arms, but if not, Turkey has pledged to “[send] missiles into known PKK bases in northern Iraq”. This ultimatum has caused uneasiness for Prime Minister Maliki , who stated that he did not support Turkey's bombing within Iraq's borders. However, Turkish warplanes have targeted PKK bases in northern Iraq with parliamentary authorization ever since October 2007, so Turkey's proposed plan of action should come as no surprise to Maliki. In fact, this targeting of the PKK in Iraq has been explicitly authorized by Iraq's own parliament and Maliki's unexpected disapproval comes as a blow to the Iraqi government as it is trying to establish legitimacy and does not want discrepancies within its own government.

Iraq and Iran have also decided to open their borders to Kurdish refugees despite stating that they would not allow Turkish Kurds into their country on Tuesday. President Ahmadinejad clarified that his stationing of troops at the Turkey-Iran border was only to keep out the PKK and not refugees. Prime Minister Maliki succumbed to pressures from President Gul and European countries to take in refugees and has opened his borders. Both countries stressed that the refugees were only temporarily and would return as soon as peace was established in Turkey.

The Pope's request for a separate Palestinian state came second in importance while the Security Council focused on the Kurdish uprising in Turkey. Israel called upon its allies to aid it in keeping peace. The United States, Britain, Egypt, and Russia all agreed that a two-state solution was necessary; Iran and Syria pushed for the existence of a Palestinian state. China alone stood in complete opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state. However, no solutions asides from peaceful talks between the two parties were proposed on Friday.

Press Conference

An emergency United Nations Security Council press conference was held yesterday in response to the Kurdish uprising that occurred in Turkey on Monday, May 11, 2009. The Kurds are an ethnic minority that reside primarily in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. They have faced harsh repression for decades and Monday's revolt was the most recent attempt seen by the Kurds in trying to realize their hopes for their own sovereign state. There has yet to be any information uncovered on who was behind these attacks, but further investigation should reveal more. Without a doubt Turkey received the most attention in Tuesday's press conference, as the other countries looked to find out President Gul's stance on the issue and to offer their own support to Turkey. President Gul firmly stated that his government would quell this Kurdish rebellion as quickly as possible using force. Hinting at the possibility that the terrorist group PKK was behind these attacks, President Gul made clear that the perpetrators behind these attacks would be punished and that the Turkish government refused to “talk to these groups unless they [laid] down their arms and [continued] with peaceful dialogue”. When pressed about the treatment of the Kurds and whether he would ever be willing to grant self-rule to the Kurds, President Gul replied that under his government the treatment of the Kurds had already improved and that the Kurds “must first prove that they can rule themselves” before the Turkish government can consider granting them autonomy. However, President Gul concluded that if conditions were right, then “yes, the Turkish government would consider granting autonomy to the Kurds”. Other countries were largely supportive of Turkey and whatever actions it decided to take to regain peace and order. China revealed itself to be an unlikely ally to Turkey stating, when presented with the Kurds as a hypothetical trading partner, that their “trade is with Turkey, and not with the Kurds”. The countries bordering Turkey with their own Kurdish population were most concerned and most eager to take action. President Ahmadinejad of Iran moved at once to secure its border with Turkey, hoping to prevent the Turkish Kurds from entering into Iran and spurring a similar rebellion in Iran. Iraq also implied that it would close off its borders to prevent the revolt from spreading. All countries however, provided at least some kind of committal to support Turkey in its quest for peace within its borders. The United States encouraged Turkey to find a diplomatic rather than military solution to the problem, supported wholly by Israel, the United States' unfaltering ally. Syria seemed unsure of the approach it wished to take on the issue. In his statement, President Assad stressed the importance of a diplomatic and peaceful solution to this situation but then proceeded to end with a promise to send military aid to Turkey in order to suppress the rebellion “by force if necessary”. King Hussein declined to take a position and expressed sympathy towards the Kurds despite its closeness with the United States, which may prove troubling to the United States and Turkish government. Many other countries also promised support to Turkey, and the general consensus was towards a peaceful Middle East achieved through crushing the Kurdish rebellion. However, the question remains as to whether the Kurds will give up their dreams of achieving a Kurdistan so easily and to what lengths the Kurds are willing to go to.

Press Conference Questions

United States: President Obama, the United States has traditionally supported peoples that have desired their own independence (Kosovo, Tibet, Israel, Baltics) and who wish to form their own state given that they have justified reasons to wish to do so. The Kurds have been repressed and prohibited from even the most basic acts of freedom such as speaking their own languages for decades, which seems to me to justify a desire to have their own state. Why has the United States been quiet thusfar about the formation of a supposed Kurdistan and now that the issue has come to the forefront and threatens peace and stability in the Middle East, will Kurdistan receive the backing of the United States or will the US's alliance with Turkey take priority over Turkey's humanitarian issues?

Great Britain: Prime Minister Gordon, Britain has personally fought against Kurdish independence movements in the past when it had mandates in the Middle East. With this previous experience, do you believe the best course of action is harsh suppression of the Kurds, as Britain chose in the past, or do you now believe that the Kurdish people deserve their own state?

France: President Sarkozy, you seem to acknowledge the necessity for a Kurdish state. Would you be willing to go against the Turkish government, which refuses to grant sovereignty to the Kurdish people, to secure at least an autonomous region for the Kurdish who have been repressed and persecuted?

Russia: President Medvedev, your country encompasses the largest number of ethnic groups in the world. Undoubtedly, this ethnic diversity led to the breakup of the Soviet Union, but Russia itself seems to be doing quite well in managing all of its ethnic minorities. Do you have any words of advice to Turkey and these other Middle Eastern countries on how to deal with this Kurdish uprising?

China: President Hu Jintao, it is widely known that your interest in the Middle East rests primarily with the oil it provides your country. If the Kurds were to promise a better trading relation and more exclusive rights to their oil than Turkey currently is giving you in return for your support for the formation of a Kurdistan, would you consider supporting the Kurds in their separatist movement?

Turkey: President Gul, your country has repressed and discriminated against the Kurdish people for decades now, and a compromise still has not been reached. It is well known that the Kurds are the largest nation without a state, and calls for Kurdistan have been widespread. Do you realize that if you continue to repress the Kurds and their wishes, terrorist groups such as the PKK will continue to cause chaos and threaten stability in your country and all of the Middle East? Knowing that without some kind of compromise this will all continue why have you been so unwilling to grant at least some kind of sovereignty to the Kurdish people in your country and will your government simply continue to repress the Kurds and continue what has been called the largest civil war in the Middle East?

Jordan: King Hussein, you have been a staunch ally of the United States for many years. It has supported your government economically and militarily. If the United States asks for your assistance in siding with the Turkish government, will you remain neutral or go along with the requests of the United States. If you do refuse, are you afraid of the consequences you may face from the US?

Iraq: Prime Minister Maliki, your relatively new government is not yet stable and has yet to gain the trust and full control over the Iraqi people. Currently within Iraq the Kurdistan Regional Government has limited autonomy. What are your plans for this autonomous region; would you be willing to grant full sovereignty to the Kurds if they rose up in revolt as they did in Turkey? Also, what is your advice to your neighbor Turkey on how to deal with the Kurds? Do you recommend them to follow your lead in granting autonomy to the Kurdish people?

Iran: President Ahmadinejad, are you afraid of the possibility of a domino effect that could spark the Kurds residing in your country and making up 7% of your population into revolt? If there was a Kurdish Revolution in Iran, are you considering at all allowing the Kurdish people official autonomy?

Syria: President Assad, the Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in your country and your country has had a history of persecuting them as a result. What are you doing to try to assimilate the Kurdish people into Syrian society?

Egypt: President Mubarak, Egypt is known as the peace keeper of the Middle East and has stated its support of nonviolent methods of resolution to this conflict. However, other countries with significant Kurdish populations have expressed willingness to deal harshly with the rebels using force. How do you plan on convincing other countries to negotiate instead of using force?

Israel: President Peres, the story of the Kurds is somewhat similar to the story of the Jews. Deprived of a homeland, they have been brutally repressed and discriminated against. I'm sure you and the people of your country understand very well the desire for a Kurdish homeland and the hardships that come with it. Will you take a stand on this issue as an independent and sovereign country capable of making its own decisions or will you follow in the footsteps of the United States in its noncommittal as you have done on so many issues in the past?

Iraq War

Britain: Prime Minister Gordon Brown, you have been an important and sometimes the sole ally to the United States regarding the Iraq War and have supported the US invasion from the beginning. Do you feel that the purpose of invading was fulfilled and now, six years into the war, what do you think justifies the original invasion when so much of the world opposed it?

China: President Hu Jintao, your stance on the Middle East and Iraq War seems to be to encourage other countries to do the work in stopping terrorism and tension and stabilizing Iraq while leaivng China to sit back and reap the benefits of oil from the region yet not get involved in solving the problems there itself. Since China has such large stakes in the stability of the Middle East and especially Iraq, why are you unwilling to get involved in solving the issues that threaten global safety and the oil supply to China?

Egypt: President Mubarak, at the start of the war, you stated that the war on Iraq would produce “one hundred new bin Ladens”. Now that the war has been going on for six years and the United States has announced plans to withdraw troops from Iraq, do you feel that the war has indeed caused more harm than good in Iraq and how does that affect your relations with Iraq?

France: President Sarkozy, I know you disapproved of the original invasion of Iraq but now that Saddam Hussein has been overthrown, how much military influence do you believe Western countries should have in aiding Iraq in becoming a stable republic?

Iran: President Ahmadinejad, it must worry your government, which has not been shy in expressing its extreme dislike for the United States, the amount of United States led Western influence your neighbor Iraq has experienced. Do you fear that Iraq has been 'Westernized' and how will this prolonged Western occupation affect your foreign relations with Iraq?

Iraq: Prime Minister al-Maliki, your country is still very unstable and violent and sees many civilian attacks by insurgency groups. How do you plan on reintegrating your state as a peaceful, stable, and credible nation into this globalizing world?

Israel: President Shimon Peres, Iraq has refused to recognize Israel as a state and has expressed anti-Israeli views, especially under Saddam Hussein. Now that Saddam Hussein's regime has been toppled, do you seek better relations with the new Iraqi government and if so how will you reconcile the differences that have kept the two states apart for so long?

Jordan: King Abdullah, your country has been affected greatly by the Iraq War: it has become a very attractive destination for many Iraqi refugees and your economy has suffered greatly. What are your plans for these Iraqi refugees now inside your borders and for the recovery of your economy?

Russia: Prime Minister Putin, there have recently been agreements between your government and the Iraqi government to renew contracts that were signed before the Iraq War allowing Russian companies to develop an oil field in Iraq. You opposed the Iraq War from the beginning; are these agreements an honest effort to aid Iraq in rebuilding or are they purely for Russia's own economic gain?

Syria: President Bashar al-Assad, your country has also seen over 1.5 million Iraqi refugees fleeing to your country. How is the integration of these Iraqis into your society shaping your relations with the new Iraqi government and what are your hopes for the future of Iraq-Syria relations?

Turkey: President Abdullah Gul, the Turkish government refused to allow US troops to enter Iraq in 2003 at the beginning of the Iraq War and your close relations with the US have since been more tense. How have you and how do you plan to maintain your good relations with the US while also satisfying the Turkish people who are opposed to the Iraq War and your Arab neighbors?

United States: President Obama, we have all heard your campaign promises to withdraw troops from Iraq as soon as possible. However, the increased violence in Iraq and a not yet stable Iraqi government has sown some seeds of doubt as to the viability of this plan. How do you intend to proceed with the withdrawal of troops from Iraq while still making sure that Iraq successfully makes the transition to a fully sovereign democracy?