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Barzani:
We Are Ready To Give Guarantees Demanded By Ankara
Anadolu
Agency
Oct 25, 2002
ANKARA - Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP) regional administration official Nechirvan Barzani said
on Friday that they were ready to give guarantees demanded by Ankara.
Barzani told a press
conference that founding an independent Kurdistan was not their goal.
Noting that hopes
and possibilities were two different things, Barzani said that these two things
could not always be in harmony.
Barzani stated that
they could understand national security interests of Turkey and that they were
ready to give assurances demanded by Ankara.
They did not have
any problem with the Turkmens living in their region, Barzani said.
Despite this, they
had some disagreements with the Turkmen Front, Barzani pointed out.
Barzani hoped that
they could solve their problems with the Turkmen Front through dialogue.
Kirkuk was in Iraqi
Kurdistan geographically, Barzani said and noted that the people living there
had to altogether take a decision about the future of that city.
Barzani said that
many people were thinking that Kirkuk's importance stemmed from oil. However, he
stated, this was of secondary importance for them.
Noting that they
were against any probable regional operation on Iraqi territories, Barzani
pointed out that such an intervention would cause more problems for the regional
people.
Upon a question on a
possible U.S. operation on Iraq, Barzani said that they hoped that the problems
would be solved peacefully. He noted that Kurds were one of those who had
suffered the most from mass destructive weapons.
On a question about
efforts of terrorist organization KADEK to join Kurdish parliament, Barzani
said, ''I can frankly say that PKK or KADEK are not elements in political life
of Iraqi Kurdistan.''
Responding to
another question, Barzani confirmed that there were a small group of PKK
terrorists in the region under their control. But, he said, this did not mean
that KDP backed the terrorists.
Reiterating that
they did not intent to found an independent Kurdistan, Barzani said that they
were always trying to be frank and realistic about this issue.
Noting that they
knew geopolitical conditions of the region, Barzani noted that they wanted to be
an element of stability instead of an element of instability.
Barzani said,
''hopes and possibilities are two different things. They may not always be in
harmony. We do not have a hidden agenda about the region.''
When he was reminded
that some Iraqi Kurdish doctors, who wanted to go to the United States, were
stopped in Istanbul by Turkish officials, Barzani said that those doctors got
U.S. visas but they were stopped in Istanbul by Turkish officials. He claimed
that those doctors should not be treated that way.
Asked if the
possibility of an intervention of Turkish army in Northern Iraq was removed
after their contacts in Ankara, Barzani said that they stressed that they were
against any intervention during their contacts.
Barzani noted that
they could not see any reason for such an intervention.
Stating that he
could not tell that they had solved all the problems, Barzani said that they
found a common ground and will to solve the problems.
Barzani said that
the election atmosphere was affecting the current situation and that this issue
could be used in election campaigns.
''I hope we can take
up the relations again after the elections,'' he added.
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