ISIL Swap To Cause Turkey Headache

Like a bankrupt trader, the Turkish government is sinking its future in order to save the day. The settlement process it had launched with the intention of holding elections in a non-violent atmosphere only served to make the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) grow stronger. It led to the establishment of a PKK state in Syria.
Today's Kobani crisis is the direct consequence of the settlement process. This process breathed new life to the PKK. Thus, it was able to go to Kobani and assert its control over the city. It established a de facto administration. When the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) came and attacked the PKK, all officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, started to pin their hopes on ISIL defeating the PKK. However, when the US started to help the PKK, they (Turkey) allowed the peshmerga to travel across the country to go help the PKK. What is this if not sinking the company just to save the day?
Turkey's incomprehensible ties with ISIL constitute a failed policy for saving the day. The strategic folly they indulged in with the intention of overthrowing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently culminated in the hostage crisis in Iraq.
With the joint ineptitude of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the Foreign Ministry, our consulate officials were taken hostage by ISIL. The Turkish government had to release 180 ISIL prisoners in order to save the hostages. Erdoğan confirmed the swap.
Here is my argument: With the swap, they saved the hostages, but they borrowed trouble for Turkey. This matter will give Turkey much headache.
The first crisis erupted with Denmark. When the suspect who was wanted for attempting to kill Danish writer Lars Hedegaard was released by Turkey, this angered the Danes considerably. Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said: "This is an incredibly incomprehensible and unacceptable move."
The opposition argued: "If Turkey used the suspect in the swap with the ISIL, this is more important than an individual deportation as it means that Turkey has betrayed the international community in the fight against ISIL."
Denmark is not just any country. It is one of the closest allies of the United States. During the Cold War, Denmark enjoyed in the north what Turkey had enjoyed in the south, i.e. a special status in the US's eyes, and this special relationship continues at a certain level.
As you will remember, Denmark had shut down the PKK's mouthpiece Roj TV. Its close ties with the US had certainly played a role in that decision.
This ISIL crisis with Denmark will soon be followed by others. Western journalists have already begun publishing the name of their citizens Turkey gave to ISIL. The UK paper The Times already disclosed 10 such figures, including citizens of France, the UK, Belgium, the Balkan countries and others.
Several foreign journalists have contacted me in their quest to confirm the list of names they have from different sources. One of these names was recently reported by Australian newspapers. Another was covered by the Belgian press.
Johan Castillo Boens, aged 35, is one name that has been reported by the Belgian press. Belgian newspapers wrote that Boens is the son of a chemistry professor at Leuven University. Boens flew to Turkey from Germany in July and was detained by the Turkish police as he attempted to join ISIL. He was used in the swap with ISIL.
The Western media outlets are particularly interested in the ISIL fighters from Kosovo and Albania. Two of these fighters are from the Macedonian city of Gostivar. They immigrated to Switzerland. However, they have interesting ties with certain charity organizations in the Balkans. Moreover, one jihadist from Gostivar, who was believed to be used in the swap, knew Çendrim Ramadani, who killed the police in Niğde earlier this year, from Switzerland. In May, two months after Ramadani killed the police, his friend the jihadist had his photo taken at the Kadıköy ferry in İstanbul. In other words, the photos of the ISIL fighter, who is another EU citizen who was handed over by Turkey to ISIL, are still on his Facebook page.
How will this matter give Turkey any headache? Firstly, Turkey used Western countries' citizens for the swap. This gives those countries and the families of those people the right to bring an action against Turkey. As far as I have learned from Belgian sources, such an action may come from Belgium. There may be families of ISIL fighters in other countries or authorities eager to bring such actions. In this case, Turkey will have to pay high sums in compensation.
This is what I call sinking the future just to save the day.

EMRE USLU (Cihan/Today's Zaman)