BAGHDAD - Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegation comprising ambassadors Ecvet Tezcan and Selim Karaosmanoglu and Middle East Department Director Kerim Uras who held several contacts on Monday in Iraqi capital Baghdad, had a meeting on Tuesday with Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani in his house in Mansur region in Baghdad.
Talabani said that they wanted a democratic and independent Iraq and it was common wish of every person living in Iraq.
Stressing that a structure in which all ethnic groups had representatives should be formed to make this wish came true, Talabani said, ''as the Iraqi Kurds, we are ready to do our best and make every contribution to formation of an independent and democratic Iraq. Here I want to especially underline that I am saying Iraqi Kurds, I am not saying Kurds.''
When a reporter asked whether or not Saddam Hussein's family had requested his help, Talabani said, ''Saddam Hussein might have committed murders but there are many innocent people in his family, especially his daughter and wife. As the PUK, we are ready to accept them if they want to take refuge behind us.''
When asked whether or not he knew where Saddam Hussein's family was, Talabani said, ''I know where they are living, but I can't say anything about it.''
(MS-AÖ) 20.05.2003