Kurdistan President Tell Turkey to Stop Interfering in Southern Kurdistan
May 8, 2007
Agencies
BRUSSELS, Belgium: The leader of the Kurdish autonomous region in Iraq
appealed to Turkey on Tuesday to stop interfering in Iraqi internal affairs,
in particular trying to delay efforts to bring the oil-rich city of Kirkuk
under Kurdish control.
Massoud Barzani told EU lawmakers that the northern Iraqi city should be put
under the regional control of Kurds, a move which Turkey fears could be used
to fund a bid for independence.
Under Iraq's constitution residents living in Kirkuk are expected to hold a
referendum before the end of the year on whether the city should join the
autonomous region run by Kurds in northern Iraq.
The Iraqi government last month decided to implement the constitutional
requirement to determine the future status of Kirkuk — which is disputed among
several different ethnic groups. The plan is expected to turn Kirkuk and its
vast oil reserves over to Kurdish control, a step rejected by many of Iraq's
Arabs and Turkmen — ethnic Turks who are strongly backed by Ankara.
"Kirkuk is an Iraqi city, with Kurdistan characteristics, and no one outside
has a right to intervene," Barzani said.
Barzani, who was in Brussels to hold talks with EU officials, including EU
foreign policy chief Javier Solana, told the European Parliament's foreign
affairs committee that Iraq's neighbors, including Turkey, had nothing to fear
from his autonomous region, which he said was a rare area of security and
stability in Iraq.
Turkey fears that any moves toward greater independence for Kurds in northern
Iraq could incite Turkey's own estimated 14 million Kurds to outright
rebellion.
It has urged Baghdad to delay the vote, an appeal also made by some EU
lawmakers on Tuesday, who fear the vote will lead to new conflict between
ethnic groups in Kirkuk.
Barzani warned however, that any delay would violate Iraq's constitution and
could lead to unrest among Kurds.
"This will create major problems for all of Iraq and those who are asking for
delay of the issue, it seems they have not been able to study the situation
because then it will be very clear that the Kurds will not accept it," Barzani
said. "Any violation of this article means violation of the Iraqi constitution
and any intervention ... will create more problems in the future."
Dutch Green EU lawmaker Joost Lagendijk questioned why a referendum vote could
not be delayed warning that many international security think-tanks have
warned of new conflict if a vote over Kirkuk goes ahead. He appealed to
Barzani to seek negotiations with all ethnic groups in the city before holding
a vote.
"Postponement is not the end of your hopes and dreams," he said. "Are you
willing to take the risk?"
Barzani said his region was currently drafting its own constitution which
would safeguard minority rights.
