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Barzani & Talabani: Renews refusal to use
Iraq's Kurdistan region for military
24.7.2006 |
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ERBIL,
Kurdistan-Iraq, July 23, -- The president of Iraqi
Kurdistan Region Masoud Barazani renewed on Sunday
objection to use the region for military operations
against neighboring countries.
Barazani's statement came during a meeting with the
Kurdish parties, where he commented on Turkish
threats of targeting Kurdish militants from the
Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), saying he "refuse the
use of our land to launch attacks," adding they will
defend their land from any attack by any country.
Barazani also said Kurdish militias, the "Peshmerga,"
needed to be united, and should make a unified
force, "especially in these times where we want from
our government to be a government that abides by the
the law and constitution".
"We have decided to formalize Peshmerga forces and
make them an organized force, trained and well
equipped with the latest weaponry," he added.
In the past several days, Iraqi President Jalal
Talabani also asserted his refusal to use Kurdish
lands as launch-pad for military against against
Iran or Turkey.
Meanwhile President Jalal Talabani said on July 22,
Iraqi territory should not be used to launch attacks
against Turkey but insisted that Iraq's sovereignty
should be respected.
The president's comments came a day after Turkish
troops killed two Kurdish rebels in a clash near the
border with Iraq and amid increasing threats by
Turkey to launch attacks against guerrillas of the
Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in Kurdistan
(northern Iraq).
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Iraqi
President : Jalal Talabani, a Kurd
Photo: Military
Massoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan
Region in Iraq |
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"It is necessary to solve the pending matters
between Iraq and Turkey and securing the border
between the two countries," Talabani said according
to a statement released by his office. "Iraq's
territories should not be used and exploited against
Turkey."
The PKK has been battling for autonomy in Turkey's
southeast for the past two decades in a fight that
has killed more than 37,000 people. The PKK is
listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the
United States and the European Union.
There has been escalating tension between Turkey and
rebels. The deaths of 15 soldiers in three separate
attacks last week prompted Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan to say the Turkish military was
considering a cross-border operation to clear PKK
bases in northern Iraq.
The U.S., which has some 130,000 troops in Iraq, is
strongly opposed to such an operation.
"Iraq's sovereignty and independence should be
respected," Talabani said when he received Turkey's
acting ambassador.
Source: KUNA : AP
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