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Iraqi Kurdistan president Massoud Barzani
to visit Turkey
17.4.2012 |
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Massoud Barzani, the President of autonomous
Kurdistan Region of Iraq .Photo: AFP
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April 17, 2012
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — The president of
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq's north
Massoud Barzani is set to visit Turkey on 19 April
to meet Iraq’s fugitive vice president Tareq al-Hashemi
who has been in Turkey since 10 April, ANF Firat
news agency website reported.
Barzani
last visited
Turkey in November 2011, when the two sides made
plans to further their cooperation against the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has
camps in autonomous Kurdistan region, Turkish
Hurriyet daily news reported.
Following the meeting of two major Iraqi politicians
in Istanbul, Massoud Barzani is also expected to
meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in Istanbul.
The northern Iraqi’s visit comes after fugitive
Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who is
accused of running a death squad,www.ekurd.net
arrived in Istanbul last week. The
trip provides another indication of the political
unity among Ankara, the Iraqi Kurdistan government
and the Sunni leader against Iraqi Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki. Al-Hashemi is currently sheltering
in the autonomous Kurdish region, which he left for
a regional trip including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and
Turkey.
Barzani was warmly
welcomed by the
U.S. administration last week, which was also
perceived as a warning to al-Maliki’s government in
its disputes with the KRG.
Meanwhile, al-Hashemi has said he will stay in
Istanbul for “however long is necessary” and that
Iraq needs Turkey’s help in solving its political
crisis.
It is reported that the Turkish government which
intends to have a role in the political crisis in
Iraq will share notes with Barzani and Hashemi on ‘a
national conference’.
Against the increasing activity of Tehran, the
ruling AKP government intends to get involved by
exploiting Barzani and Hashemi balance in Iraq where
the political scene has been reshaping since
Hashemi’s asylum to South Kurdistan.
Hashemi has asked Erdoğan and Davutoğlu to include
Ankara to enable the conference to take place in
Hewler [Erbil], Ankara is reported to be supporting
Barzani’s call to make the conference in Erbil
because of the arrest warrant issued for Hashemi.
Iraqi National Conference which was scheduled for 5
April in Baghdad was suspended because of great
controversies between political sides.
In the meantime, Iraqi President Nuri El Maliki’s
right hand Falih al-Fayyad , National Security
Minister, paid a visit to Turkey on 6 April.
On the other hand, some sources report that in
Barzani's agenda (he will visit Turkey following an
invitation by Ankara) is not only the subject of
Hashemi but also the PKK issue. It is reported that
the AKP government, concerned over PKK’s increasing
power and activity in the territory of West
Kurdistan, Syria, will bring the issue to the table
and discuss it with Barzani.
Since it was established in 1984, the PKK has been
fighting the Turkish state, which still denies the
constitutional existence of Kurds, to establish a
Kurdish state in the south east of the country, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000
lives.
But now its aim is the creation an autonomous
Kurdish region
and more cultural rights for ethnic Kurds who
constitute the greatest minority in Turkey,
numbering more than 20 million. A large Turkey's
Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK rebels.
PKK's demands included releasing PKK detainees,
lifting the ban on education in Kurdish, paving the
way for an autonomous democrat Kurdish system within
Turkey, reducing pressure on the detained PKK leader
Abdullah Öcalan, stopping military action against
the Kurdish party and recomposing the Turkish
constitution.
Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population
as a distinct minority. It has allowed some cultural
rights such as limited broadcasts in the Kurdish
language and private Kurdish language courses with
the prodding of the European Union, but Kurdish
politicians say the measures fall short of their
expectations.
The PKK is considered ass '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.
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