Kitêbxaneya Kurdî

Press about the Kurds

31 Ağustos 2002

Zebari: KDP does not want tension with Turkey

'The meeting was constructive. We discussed many issues, including tension between Turkey and the KDP. We give a lot of importance to our relations with Turkey. We are thankful for Turkey contributing to the protection of the region'

Ozgur Eksi

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) politburo member responsible for international relations and London representative Hoshyar Zebari stated that the KDP did not want tension with Turkey.

Zebari, who attended the U.S.-led opposition meeting in Washington, visited Turkish officials in Ankara on his way back to Northern Iraq. Zebari will inform Barzani about his meeting in Washington.

Sources close to the file commented that Zebari wanted to downgrade the value of the constitutional draft. "It was only a practical exercise," Zebari was claimed to have said to Turkish officials.

Zebari met with Turkish official, Ambassador Turkekul Kurttekin, and gave KDP leader Mesoud Barzani's message to Kurttekin. Zebari stated that the KDP did not want aggression with Turkey. During the 2.5-hour-long meeting, Turkey indicated that the KDP newspaper Brayeti's article was unacceptable. Zebari stated that the newspaper did not reflect the KDP's views.

A source indicated that the KDP had realized the mistake quite quickly and hoped to change Turkey's attitude toward the Brayeti article.

Zebari made a statement after the meeting and indicated that it was "constructive." "We discussed many issues including the tension between Turkey and the KDP," Zebari said.

"We give a lot of importance to our relations with Turkey. Turkey accepted thousands of our people running away from chemical weapons in 1988. We are thankful for Turkey contributing to the protection of the region," Zebari said.

Zebari's visit was first expected to take place last week, but was delayed to this week. Last week, the KDP newspaper Brayeti published an article saying that Turkey would share the Ottoman's destiny in Northern Iraq. The article had heavily warned Turkey not to enter Northern Iraq.

Zebari had prepared a Constitution and it caused Turkey's concern since it mentioned a federal stated based on ethnic differences. The constitution suggested that Kirkuk be the capital of the Kurdish federal state and Iraqi Turcomans be the minority.

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

© Ozgur Eksi, Turkish Daily News