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Iraq's Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani
says relations with Turkey improving
14.4.2008
By staff
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April 14, 2008
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', --
Massoud Barzani, President of the autonomous
Kurdistan region in 'northern Iraq', told in his
party meeting stated that he foresees good relations
between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey in the near
future, reported on Sunday.
Barzani said they have developed positive relations
with Turkey following a negative period, adding he
thought the relations would develop more in the
future.
Barzani's remarks came on Saturday in the resort
town of Salahaddin in Erbil, where he gathered with
members and executives from his Kurdistan Democratic
Party (KDP), "Our relations with neighboring
countries are good. We presume that our relations
with Turkey will also be good. I will visit some
European countries in a short time," Barzani was
quoted as saying by Peyamner news agency, when he
touched upon his leadership's relations with
countries in the region. |
Massoud Barzani, the President of the autonomous Regional
Government of Kurdistan 'Iraq' |
This was the latest in a serious of positive
messages from Barzani concerning relations with
Turkey over the last month. Also earlier this month,
Barzani delivered remarks expressing his
administration's commitment to Iraq's unity.
Turkey rejects direct talks with the official Iraqi
Kurdistan government on the crisis over the Turkey's
separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels.
Officially,www.ekurd.net
Turkey does not recognise the regional
government of Kurdistan led by president Massoud
Barzani.
Turkey has never, and still does not, recognize the
Kurdistan region government (KRG) and refuses to
meet with its representatives in any official
capacity. That reflects Ankara's fear that any
international respect shown to the autonomous Iraqi
Kurdistan region would only embolden Turkey's own
large Kurdish minority to seek similar home-rule
status.
Thousands of Turkish troops, backed by tanks,
attack helicopters and warplanes,
crossed into Kurdistan region in northern
Iraq on February 21 in an operation which Ankara said was aimed at Turkey's Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas and their bases.
Turkish forces withdrew
from semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in 'northern
Iraq' on February 29, only a day after US President
George W. Bush
urged Ankara to
quickly wrap up the incursion and Defense Secretary
Robert Gates personally
put pressure on
Turkish leaders during a visit to Ankara.
Since 1984 the PKK
took up arms for self-rule in the country's mainly
Kurdish southeast of Turkey. A large Turkey's
Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish
PKK rebels.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds'
identity in its constitution and of their language
as a native language along with Turkish in the
country's Kurdish areas, the party also demanded
an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and
constitution against Kurds, ranting them full
political freedoms.
The PKK is considered a 'terrorist' organization by
Ankara, U.S., the PKK continues to be on the
blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which
overturned a decision
to place the Kurdish rebel
group PKK and its political wing on
the European Union's terror list.
Information for this report was provided by
hurriyet com.tr | todayszaman com | AFP | AP |
Agencies
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