|
Iraqi president rules out Kurdish
independence as 'unrealistic'
25.6.2005
|
|
|
|
ANKARA, June 25 (AFP)
- 13h07 - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani dismissed
as "unrealistic" aspirations by Iraqi Kurds for
independence in their northern enclave and urged
Turkey to set aside its doubts and give backing to
Kurds in the war-torn country.
"I never thought or championed that Kurdistan should
break off from Iraq ... because these dreams are
unrealistic and impracticable," Talabani, the leader
of a Kurdish faction who has long been at odds with
Turkey, said in an interview with the Turkish Aksam
daily. |
President Jalal Talabani |
"Let us say a Kurdish
state were set up. How could a state opposed by
Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq live? These countries
could suffocate the Kurdish state even if they did
not attack it," he added.
Turkey has long shared fears with Iran and Syria
that Iraqi Kurds are plotting to break away from
Baghdad, setting a destabilizing model for Kurdish
communities in these three countries and triggering
fresh regional turmoil.
Ankara welcomed Talabani's election as president in
April, hoping that high-level Kurdish participation
in Iraq's administration will dilute their
separatist ambitions.
Extending an olive branch to Ankara, Talabani hailed
Turkey as an important regional player that should
stand by the Kurds of northern Iraq.
"A democratic Turkey is of strategic importance for
the Kurds," he said. "The Shiites in Iraq have
support from Iran and the Sunnis from Arab
countries. We have and should continue to have
support from Turkey."
The Iraqi president also assured Ankara that Baghdad
was against the presence of Turkish Kurd rebels
hiding in the mountains of northern Iraq, but
underlined that his country currently lacked the
means to eradicate them.
"We have neither an army nor any security forces.
Furthermore, we are going through difficult days in
the fight against terrorism," he said.
Turkey has long asked Baghdad and US forces in Iraq
to clamp down on militants from the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who it says have
increasingly begun to penetrate the border to engage
in anti-government activities on Turkish soil.
AFP
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 