Talabani: War against Turkey equal to war against democracy

Friday, September 14, 2007

Iraqi Kurdish leaders Talabani and Barzani praises the victory of the AKP government in the July elections and say this proves Turks turned a deaf ear to nationalist, racist rhetoric

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News

 

  Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has said Turkish democracy offers significant opportunities to Kurds and warned that waging a war against Turkish democracy would amount to waging war against democracy and the rights of Kurdish people.

   Iraqi Kurdish leaders Talabani and Massoud Barzani, head of the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration, are pleased with the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) success in the July 22 general elections in Turkey.

  “I believe that the future is the AKP's in the region,” Talabani said in an interview with the Turkish daily Akşam. Both leaders made statements on a range of issues during the interview published yesterday.

  Barzani described the election results in Turkey as a great achievement on the part of the AKP, which proved that the Turkish people turned a deaf ear to nationalist, racist rhetoric, he said.

  

Accused of betrayal

  Giving excerpts from his dialogue with the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Talabani said he once sent a letter to Abdullah Öcalan before his arrest in 1999.

  “I told him (in the letter) to give up guerrilla fighting and to start a political fight by benefiting from the democratic environment in Turkey. Öcalan then accused me of betraying the Kurdish people, whereas I still believe the same thing,” he said.

  Talabani stressed that Turkish democracy was offering important opportunities to Kurds, referring to Kurdish deputies having seats in the Turkish Parliament.

  “Kurds are sending their own deputies to Parliament,” he said. “They have their own (political) parties and press and broadcasting organs. The new Constitution will grant them broader rights. Therefore, waging a war against the AKP government and the Turkish state would amount to waging war against democracy and even the rights of the Kurds.”

  Talabani said Kurdish politicians should contribute to the democratic process in Turkey. “I think Kurdish political leaders including Ahmet Türk (leader of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, DTP) understand this very well.” 

  

Kurdish problem

  The Kurds in Turkey are fed up with the armed struggle, said Talabani, because the war only brought migration and death.

  “However, AKP policies gave them (Kurds) hope. Prime Minister Erdoğan admitted the presence of the Kurdish problem in the country and pledged a democratic solution. Kurds preferred the AKP even in Diyarbakır and sent eight AKP deputies to parliament, while the DTP sent four,” he said.

  He underlined that the APK has proved it is not a nationalist or racist party.

  

Elimination of the PKK

  To fight the PKK, Talabani said, they will continue political calls and pressure the outlawed group through the media.

  “It should not be forgotten that the Iraqi constitution does not allow terrorist organizations to be harbored within Iraqi territory,” he said. “Therefore, the Iraqi government will do what needs to be done in line with the constitution as soon as it gets stronger but unfortunately, we cannot take armed action against the PKK and PEJAK (a wing of the PKK) at this stage. I clearly said this to Prime Minister Erdoğan in Riyadh (on the sidelines of an international meeting).”

  

Kirkuk matter

  On the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, Talabani said Kurds and Turkmen who were once forced to leave the city must return, while Arabs brought to Kirkuk during the Saddam Hussein era must return home the same way.

  The Iraqi Kurdish leader also made comments on the Kurds who were said to move to Kirkuk in an alleged plot to change the demographic composition of the disputed city just before the planned referendum due this year.

  “There are much exaggerated data and figures about this issue. I once asked (Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan how 500,000 to 600,000 people could be settled into the city. I mean, doing so would take a couple of years,” he said.

  

Kurdish state impossible

  The establishment of an independent Kurdish state in Iraq is not possible politically, geographically or socially, said Talabani.

  “I always tell the Kurds who defend independence: Let's say we declared the independent Kurdish state and Syria, Iran, Iraq and Turkey imposed sanctions on us, without waging a war. How would we survive under those circumstances?” he asked.

  Talabani also said the Kurdish community was not yet in a situation to govern a Kurdish state. “How can we survive if the central government in Baghdad cuts off financial assistance?”

  

Desire for Turkey visit

  Talabani said he has paid a visit to Syria and Iran since he was elected president. “But I haven't received an invitation from Turkey and I can say in advance that it would be an honor for me to come to Turkey if I am invited after the election of (Abdullah) Gül as president.”

  

Splitting up of Iraq

  Barzani, during the interview, said Iraq could be divided into two, three, four or five parts.

  “Iraqis will decide on that but what's important is that Iraq will never be a state governed by a central government because none of the formulae except for federal structures have worked,” he added.

  

PKK, a problem for us too 

  We are certainly against the use of the Iraqi territory against neighboring countries and will not allow this, said Barzani.

  “We clearly told the PKK our position. It should not be forgotten that the PKK is a problem for us too.”