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Ankara: Turkey has officially accepted the
establishment of a federal structure in Iraq.
Officials including Turkey's Special Envoy to Iraq,
the General Staff, National Intelligence Branch and
representatives Foreign Affairs Ministry have
accepted the federalism article, the most important
article in the Iraqi Temporary Administrative Law
that until today had not officially been accepted.
An official statement released today says: "We
respect the decisions of the Iraqis. We will not
object if the majority of Iraqis demand federalism."
The visit by top-level department representatives to
Northern Iraq contained crucial messages in the
context of the present conditions about foreign
policy. Ankara related its views on Kerkuk (Kirkuk)
and the region in a visit to the area. The visit was
made following the Iraqi national election. Although
'goodwill' was expressed, the concerns were not
overcome. A letter from the Turkish Prime Minister,
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seen as a signal that Turkey
is ready to cooperate with Iraqi leaders.
The committee visited Jalal Talabani with concrete
messages. During the visit, officials said for the
first time that a federal structure in Iraq would be
recognized. Committee members conveyed that the
federalism should not damage the integrity of Iraq
and it should not lead to the disintegration of the
country in the future. Turkey had not yet recognized
the Iraqi Temporary Administrative Law, which
concludes that Iraq will be made up of federal
regions. The delegate asked the Kurd administrators
to 'avoid sudden movements on Kirkuk'. Talabani was
congratulated on his proposal as a candidate for the
Iraqi Presidency.
Dwelling on the democratic structure of Turkey
during the meeting, Talabani asked for continued
support for the reconstruction of Iraq. Suggesting
that the people of Kirkuk should decide on their
future, Talabani said: "I had proposed the Brussels
model. I think that the best solution for Kirkuk
people can be found with their own decisions. We
will not allow any discrimination among those living
in Kirkuk." It is expected that the talks between
the Turkish and Kurd officials will continue about
this issue. Reassuring Turkey about the territorial
integrity of Iraq, Talabani said his Iraqi identity
would appear after he became president. "Iraq's
territorial integrity will be more in favor of the
Kurds. The Kurds can play a more active role in an
integrated Iraq. There are some tendencies for
Independent Kurdistan, but I believe that I will
overcome these as our influence increases. I was a
Kurdish Iraqi, now I will be an Iraqi Kurd,"
Talabani explained.
http://www.zaman.com
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