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Iraq PM rejects Turkish invitation for a
swift visit
6.7.2007
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July
6, 2007
BAGHDAD, -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al
Maliki last week rejected Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan's invitation for a swift meeting in
Ankara, saying he can only come after the elections
and the formation of a new government in Turkey.
Erdogan's invitation to his Iraqi counterpart
followed repeated calls by the military for a
cross-border operation into Kurdistan (northern
Iraq) where believed 3,800 outlawed Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) rebels are based. The Prime
Minister dismissed the military's calls saying there
are still things that can be solved through
dialogue.
Accorfing to Turkish Daily News Turkish diplomats
said Maliki turned down a visit to Ankara late June
just because of the elections in Turkey. Iraqi
officials said Prime Minister Maliki will be pleased
to visit Turkey after the elections. Diplomats said
they don't expect Maliki to visit Turkey before the
new government is formed.
Meanwhile foreign diplomats, speaking to the TDN,
argued that Maliki wanted to avoid being publicly
criticized by Prime Minister Erdogan who would use
this visit as a tool for internal political gains. |
Iraqi Prime minister Jawad Nuri al-Maliki |
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan |
However, Turkish
diplomats dismissed this idea saying, "We have no
aim to beat anybody. They were long seeking a
dialogue with Turkey on this matter [fight against
terrorism]."
More than 37,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas have been killed since 1984 when the PKK
took up arms for self-rule in the country's mainly
Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
turkishdailynews com.tr
** The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan" Southeast
Turkey.
Kurds are not recognized as an official minority in
Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
Others estimate over 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
Turkey is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds, some
of whom openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK for a
Kurdish homeland in the country's mainly Kurdish
southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media.
The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish
alphabet has led to judicial persecution in 2000 and
2003
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan
but unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag
is banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it
is a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan ( Kurdistan-Turkey)
wikipedia
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