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Turks seek more trade with Iraqi Kurdistan
despite tensions
27.6.2010 |
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June
27, 2010
ANKARA, — A
large Turkish business delegation will head to the
autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq's north Iraq
Tuesday to boost trade links, despite a political
chill over Turkish Kurd PKK rebels taking refuge in
the area, a newspaper report said.
Turkish state minister for foreign trade Zafer
Caglayan, who will lead the 200 businessmen, voiced
hope that increased economic exchanges between
Turkey and its Iraqi Kurdish neighbours would help
end the tensions.
"Trade is the key of politics... Improving business
ties will eradicate the problems between us.
Terrorism will decrease as the economy improves both
in the region (northern Iraq) and in Turkey,"
Caglayan told the Milliyet daily.
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Turkish state minister for foreign trade Zafer
Caglayan |
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.
The PKK uses mountainous bases in neighbouring Iraqi
Kurdistan as a launching pad for attacks inside
Turkey, prompting frequent Turkish air raids on the
group's hideouts there and often poisoning ties
between Ankara and the Iraqi Kurds who run an
autonomous Kurdistan region.
Caglayan, due to meet with Iraqi Kurdistan president
Massoud Barzani Tuesday, said he would convey
Ankara's expectations for stronger support against
the PKK.
Turkey had often accused the Iraqi Kurds of
tolerating and even aiding the PKK, but has recently
shifted to a policy of seeking cooperation.
During a landmark visit to Ankara on June 3, Barzani
pledged "all efforts" to stop PKK violence but
hinted Iraqi Kurds were reluctant to fight their
kin,www.ekurd.netstressing
the need for a political solution to the conflict.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, himself a
Kurd, slammed "unilateral" Turksih action earlier
this month after Turkish troops reportedly crossed
into northern Iraq to pursue PKK militants after a
bloody attack on a border guard.
Despite the tensions, Turkish entrepreuners have
been keen on doing business in northern Iraq, taking
advantage of relative peace in the region and its
proximity to Turkey.
"Eighty percent of the food and clothes sold in
northern Iraq are Turkish products. Turkish
contractors are part of many projects in the
region," Caglayan told Milliyet.
"But there is still a lot to be done --
infrastructure, hospitals, schools. Turks are the
most ambitious candidates for all these," he said.
Since 1984 the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the
mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey
[Turkey-Kurdistan] which has claimed around 45,000
lives of Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas.
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.
A large Turkey's Kurdish community estimate to 25
million openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK
rebels.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
AFP | Agencies
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