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KurdistanObserver.com
Talabani Slams Iran, Turkey Interference
BEIRUT, Lebanon, UPI- May 16 , -- Iraqi
President Jalal Talabani lashed out at neighbors Iran and Turkey for interfering
in Iraq's domestic affairs, warning Baghdad could reciprocate.
Talabani was quoted as saying Tuesday in Saudi daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat that
"Iraq is not a weak country. The neighbors can create problems for us and we
also are capable of causing problems for them."
He said, "if Iran allows itself to interfere in Karbala because it is a Shiite
city and Turkey feels it can interfere in Kirkuk, that will open the way for
very dangerous consequences."
"In that case," he added, "Iraq will also have the right to interfere in
Khozestan in Iran on the grounds that it has an Arab population and the same
applies to Alexandrite in Turkey which has an Arab population."
Talabani stressed, however, that Iraq and Iran
have had historic relations which were both positive and negative "but there is
always room for agreement and also between Iraq and Turkey agreement is
possible."
He acknowledged that the two countries have plausible reasons to interfere in
Iraq since the Kurdistan Labor Party attacks Turkey from Iraq's Kurdish north; a
Kurdish group in Iran has done the same, taking refuge in Kurdistan (northern
Iraq).
"Nevertheless, we need to find a solution in order to eliminate all the pretexts
used by Iran and Turkey to hit Iraqi territories," he added.
Talabani said that excluding the Kurds or
opposing their appointment to certain posts demonstrates prejudice and has no
place in a united Iraq, in reference to the opposition in some Sunni circles to
the appointment of a Kurd to head Iraq’s foreign ministry.
Asked about the regional threats currently
facing Iraq, the president said, “Give me a government of national unity and a
delegation from this government to visit Tehran and Ankara and solve the
problems. If I fail to solve them, I shall go to Sulaimani and hand in my
resignation.”
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