Turkish envoy says Kirkuk should not cause new conflicts in Iraq
Kirkuk should not cause new conflicts in Iraq, Turkey’s permanent representative to the United Nations (U.N.), said on Thursday.
“The status of Kirkuk, which is a small example of the rich ethnic diversity in Iraq, should not cause new clashes in Iraq,” Baki Ilkin said during a meeting on Iraq at the U.N. Security Council in New York.
Ilkin said that Turkey, as Iraq’s neighbor, underlined the great importance to boosting stability and security in Iraq.
The envoy said that Turkey had good and equal relations with all segments of Iraqi society, and its only message was good will and cooperation. Ilkin said that Turkey welcomed Iraq’s progress towards an atmosphere of permanent security and stability at the end of long years of war and chaos.
The elections held in Iraq at the end of January strengthened the democratic process in Iraq, Ilkin said.
“Iraq made a good start to 2009, and we believe this year will be an important one for shaping up Iraq’s future,” he said.
Ilkin enumerated the problems that needed to be solved in Iraq, including reviewing the constitution in a way that would unite Iraqis, determining disputable administrative borders, particularly the status of Kirkuk in a way that would help preserve Iraq’s and territorial integrity, and handing over the role of security to Iraqi forces after the withdrawal of the multinational force.
The permanent representative said that the Iraqis should solve their problems through compromise.
Ilkin also underlined the importance Turkey attached to cooperation with Iraq in fight against terrorism, said that the terrorist organization PKK had used the north of Iraq as a base for carrying out cross-border attacks.
Ilkin said that the presence of the terrorist organization in the north of Iraq also posed a threat to the Iraqi people.
The permanent representative said that Turkey was pleased to see greater cooperation from both the local administrators and the central government of Iraq in the fight against terrorism.
Ilkin said that Turkey was also expecting to see more concrete and effective results from the trilateral mechanism established with Iraq and the United States to counter the terrorist organization PKK.
The incidents in Iraq are not only a regional problem; they reflect outside the region, he also said.
Ilkin said that Turkey was extending strong support to the democratic process in Iraq, and was ready to do everything it could to support and assist Iraq in this sense.
Source: Hurriyet
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