KurdistanObserver.com

Barzani Adheres To Kirkuk's Belonging To Kurdistan Region

Arbil, (Southern Kurdistan)- July 23, 2005-  Massoud Barzani, a Kurdish leader and president of Iraqi Kurdistan region, has reconfirmed that Kirkuk is a part of Iraqi Kurdistan. Meanwhile, he called for converting it to "a model city for national and sectarian coexistence".

The day before yesterday evening, during his reception of the city council members, Barzani said, "Kirkuk's issue is sensitive. Everyone should handle it with reasoning."

He added, "The remaining of the current situation in Kirkuk is unacceptable by Kurds. There is an agreement and commitments in the state administration code for the interim period, which all the parties should abide by."

Barzani is referring here to the Kurds' demands for the return of the residents, whom Saddam Hussein's regime has deported from Kirkuk, or receiving fair compensations through a logical time limit and allowing the Arabs who settled there to find land in their original homeland.

Barzani has reconfirmed, "Geographically and historically, Kirkuk is a part of Iraqi Kurdistan." Nevertheless, he added that admitting this fact does not mean that Kirkuk is only for Kurds, but it is for the Kurds, Turkmen, Kildo-Assyrians and the original Arabs. He stressed the necessity of converting this city to a model city for national and sectarian coexistence.

As regards the demand of Arabs and Turkmen for creating the province council on basis of accord, Barzani said, "I wonder when I see some people in the new Iraq handling the issue of Kirkuk in the same former chauvinistic mentality." He added, "We would not accept that.

Those people have to handle the issue of Kirkuk in a realistic manner." He considered that those, who are speaking from behind the curtain of accord, should know that the accord should be established on logical basis and belief in the federation and democracy.