A terrorist state as Turkey’s neighbor

The West is in alarm because of the threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Issues like protecting Yazidis and other minorities are being evaluated. Meanwhile, measures to keep ISIL from directing a threat to Europe and the U.S. are being discussed.

Interesting statements have recently published in European media. British Prime Minister David Cameron told the Sunday Telegraph that if the world left ISIL to succeed, then a terrorist state neighboring the NATO member Turkey would be created in the Mediterranean.

According to Cameron, air strikes will not be enough to eradicate ISIL. Warning that the group could become even strong enough to strike British streets, he called on the West to take more decisive, efficient precautions. One of these precautions would be to arm the Kurds against ISIL more powerfully.

Cameron announced that they would start sending personal protection and bomb disposal equipment to the Kurds.

ISIL has been growing in Syria since last year, but its occupation of the Iraqi city of Mosul and its advance towards the Kurdish Regional Government’s (KRG) capital Arbil, via Sinjar and Karakush, showed that the KRG was not ready for secession from Baghdad in military terms, despite its aspirations for independence.

ISIL’s attack apparently suspended the disagreement between the Kurdish militias in Rojava, the PKK, and the Peshmarga. But what’s next for Iraq now?

The international community is giving hints that the West does not support an independent Kurdistan right now. The resignation of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki can be viewed in this respect.

Al-Maliki’s successor, Haidar al-Abadi, is expected to unite what’s left from the...