KurdistanObserver.com

Talabani set off to Iran?

By: Mustafa Kirkuki
Nov 25, 2005

According to some creditable evidence, Talabani has engaged into some covert meetings with the Turkish top officials to address the issue of PKK in Sothern Kurdistan. He assured the Turkish government of his full party’s support, the preservation of Iraq’s territorial integrity and full cooperation with Turkish military to root out PKK operational bases in Southern Kurdistan in exchange for loads of dollars. His abrupt visit with hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, top national security official Ali Larijani and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was set up to discuss bilateral security issues of both countries including the ongoing unrest in Iranian Kurdistan. Iranian government urged Talabani not to provide any form of moral or logistic support to the Kurdish separatist movements and condemn the prevailing status quo in its strongest terms. In both cases, Talabani has assured the neighboring countries of commitment and respect to the principles of non-interference into the internal affairs of other states as well as disdaining and disregarding the issue of abiding containment of Kurdish population residing in the respective countries.

The afore-mentioned countries have also attempted to bring Barzani into the line but failed. Barzani’s recent meeting with top officials from the Turkish national Intelligence Organizations (MIT), held at his Serirash headquarters in Salahaddin, was mainly aimed at bridging the gap and further strengthening military cooperation between the Iraqi Kurdish leadership and Ankara. Rapport between KDP and Ankara deteriorated after Turkey called off high-level diplomatic approaches with Barzani, alleges KDP not to cooperate suitably to dislocate PKK rebels in Southern Kurdistan, and blames his provocative remarks about the legitimate and innate right of independence for Kurdish people.

Dogged with Barzani’s recent visit to Washington, Germany and the UK with his Kurdish traditional outfit and German Chancellor Angela Merkel offer of Germany's tangible backing for the design of an independent Kurdish element in southern part of greater Kurdistan, Turkey immediately expressed her strong disagreement to Bush administration. Pushed and pressured by US administration to start dialogues with Kurdish leaders, Turkey decided to dispatch some of her top agent to convince the Kurdish leadership by all means possible to cooperate versus PKK including material aid

The bones of contentions in the held meeting between Barzani with MIT were: the long-term issue of PKK and the realistic system to address that concern, Kirkuk issue in case of an abrupt civil war and Independence for Kurdistan. Barzani has repeatedly asked Turkey to seek some democratic solution to PKK plight and reiterated his determination to declare Kurdistan as an independent Kurdish state whenever necessary. With respect to the issue of Kirkuk, he said in the 2007 referendum the fate of Kirkuk province shall be decided by the Kurdish voters.

Made-up rumors are starting to circulate that the vast majority of Iraqis are opposed to annexing the Kurdish province of Kirkuk, which is also part of the Turkish challenging propagandas to undermine Kurdish aspiration for independence. Turkey is planning to launch heavy military operations against the PKK insurgents and needs the approval of Kurdish leadership on this subject. At the same time, Iran is striving to silence the voice of Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan by calling the Kurdish president in. Once again, to dominate the Kurds, the Kurds are brought into play.