If the Iraqi Kurdish leadership feels that the PKK is worth the bother, then it should not be surprised to see President Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan as hardliner.

  One can comfortably assume, then, that they are happy with the turn in political events in Turkey; and they have reason to be. Even before being elected, President Gül made it clear he was respectful of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's position and had no qualms in dealing with him. 

  360 degree turn in Ankara:

  This represents a 360 degree turn compared to only a few weeks ago when former President Sezer was boycotting Mr. Talabani because of his Kurdish identity. Sezer supported the openly expressed belief by the Turkish military that the Iraqi Kurds are backing PKK terrorism. In opening a channel of dialogue with Mr. Talabani, President Gül will also be reinforcing Turkey's strong belief in a unitary Iraq. President Talabani is after all the person sworn to uphold a constitution which foresees a unified Iraq.  In short, Ankara is much better poised now for better cooperation with the Iraqi Kurdish leadership. Mr. Erdoğan and his pragmatic Foreign Minister Mr. Ali Babacan are known to be open to this too.

  As for the ground work needed for enhanced dialogue and cooperation with the Iraq Kurds, this has already been laid. With only slight exaggeration one can say that it is private Turkish companies that are currently developing northern Iraq.

  Some of these are big companies which are influential in Turkey. One of them is even building the grand monument of the late Molla Mustafa Barzani, who is much revered by the Kurds. Turkish companies are also in the oil sector in cooperation with the regional Kurdish authorities. There is also a vast economic cooperation potential between southeastern Anatolia and northern Iraq which is open-ended and waiting to be developed.Mr. Barzani, the leader of the Kurdish region, must also be aware of all this as a leader that wants the best for his people. He must also be aware that there are new stirrings in Turkey on the Kurdish question, especially with the electoral success of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), which has a group in the Turkish Parliament now. It is difficult to understand, therefore, why the Iraqi Kurdish leadership is prepared to risk some of the best political and economic advantages the Kurds have secured in decades, simply to protect an organization designated “terrorist” internationally, and which is launching deadly attacks in Turkey.  Iran, which is suffering from a similar problem with the PKK-related group known as PEJAK that is using northern Iraq as a base, it is already launching frequent military strikes against northern Iraqi targets. The risk of a cross-border incursion by the Turkish military, on the other hand, will always remain there as long as PKK activity goes on. With the PKK on one side of the scale, and the potential risk of losing a lot that has been gained in recent years because of strains with Turkey and Iran on the other, one can not help but wonder whether the PKK is worth it for the Kurds.

Returning to the favorable atmosphere in Ankara for the Iraqi Kurds, if President Talabani and Mr. Barzani think that President Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan can disregard attacks by the PKK and open a healthy dialogue with the Kurds, then they are deeply mistaken. Both Mr. Gül and Mr. Erdoğan can only provide openings to them to the extent that the Turkish public sees them cooperating on the PKK issue in return. Unfortunately what one sees now is an Iraqi Kurdish leadership that does not even try and use its influence to prevent the PKK from launching attacks, so that at least an environment of calm can be achieved for dialogue to begin. This surely cannot be the wise way to proceed. If, however, the Iraqi Kurdish leadership feels that the PKK is worth the bother, then they it should not be surprised as President Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan also become hardliners on this issue.