Turkish diplomat's view on why for Islamabad cross-border terror is not quite terror
Pakistan's Kashmir policy could be informed by an unconventional view of cross-border terrorism, at least one Turkish diplomat contended, according to a cable classified by Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara Robert Deutsch.
The cable was accessed by The Hindu through WikiLeaks.
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs South Asia Head Ergin Soner “said that he sees no change in the Pakistani attitude toward cross-border terrorism,” following Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's January 2004 diplomatic visit to Turkey (13493: confidential, dated January 26, 2004).
General Musharraf's engagements in Turkey included meetings with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul, as well as an address to Parliament, but Turkish government representatives declined “to ‘squeeze' Musharraf on cross-border terrorism,” the cable says.
Mr. Soner “opined that Pakistan does not consider it terrorism.”
‘Indirect references'
Still, “the subject of cross-border terrorism in Kashmir came up only through ‘indirect references'” during the visit, even though “Turkey and Pakistan signed an anti-terror cooperation agreement covering exchanges of information and experts,” the cable says.
“It's not Turkey's job to take it (cross-border terrorism) up with them,” it quotes Mr. Soner as saying.
However, “despite Musharraf's warm visit,” during which the Pakistan President “got full honors,” Mr. Soner said the Government of Turkey had decided to continue “a more ‘balanced' approach to the Kashmir issue” than it had “adopted after the Cold War, during which it strongly backed Pakistan.”
“Turkey needs that balance…in order to improve relations with India,” Mr. Soner said, according to the Embassy cable.
He went on to say that “India has responded by becoming ‘more supportive' of Turkey on the Cyprus issue but did not amplify his comments.”
(This article is a part of the series "The India Cables" based on the US diplomatic cables accessed by The Hindu via WikiLeaks.)
Keywords: The India Cables, cablegate, WikiLeaks, cable13493, Kashmir issue, Indo-Pak ties, Turkey
The issue of cross-border terrorism is irrelevant to Kashmir because there is no border between Kashmir and Pakistan, the border is between Kashmir and India.
Any country has the fundamental right to protect its people and land from cross border attacks and state sponsored terrorism. This fundamental right can be accomplished only by attacking the bases from where these cross border attacks and terrorism comes from. Look at (1) Turkish attacks of the Kurds in Iraqi territory,(2) the US drone attacks from Afghanistan against the Taliban, al-Qaeda, Haqquanis and other terrorists in Pakistan,(3) Israeli attacks of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and (4) Kenyan attacks of terrorists in Somalia. As long as India does not resort to similar tactics against cross border terrorist attacks of LET and Muslim fundamentalist terrorists, India have to bear more cross border terrorist attacks and loss of life. By supporting Turkey for the illegal occupation of northern Cypress, India is failing in the world stage. India cannot expect support from Turkey regarding the Kashmir issue. Afterall, Turkey is a Moslem country supporting all the Moslem countries.
An idea and prop of militarism since the days of the Roman Empire needs to be examined here. Is cross border terrorism essential for Pakistan to occupy and export its scum to keep the peace within? Equally, does this serve India by adding an arrow to the quiver of centrepetal forces in a situation where the centrifugal forces are being fanned by mal governance, corruption and inequitous laws?
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