ROME - Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, who attended meetings of the Socialist International, proposed structuring model of the first years of Turkish Republic for Iraq.
Meetings of Socialist International started in Rome on Friday.
Baykal delivered a speech at the meeting entitled, ''international and regional glance at new Iraq.''
''Federal system in Iraq should not be based on three or four different ethnic groups and subgroups, but it should be based on 18 provinces which are included in administrative structure of Iraq. I know it is not easy and it is a new concept, but it was not easy for other countries including Turkey to adopt concept of nation, either. The biggest success of Ataturk was to create a national state from an empire,'' he stated.
Noting that the power under the leadership of the United States for re-structuring of Iraq should reach an international character as soon as possible, Baykal said that foundation of an interim U.N. civilian authority was the best thing for Iraq and international society now and this authority should hand over its duties to an elected authority.
Baykal said, ''international legitimacy should be brought to Iraq. Formation of a representative Iraqi government should be encouraged. To this end, U.S. administration formed a consultative institution in Iraq last week, but it was not formed by election of people in Iraq. Thus, it does not include feelings and expectations of Iraqi people. Iraq is passing through a situation which was not seen before.''
''Iraq is a member of U.N., but who represents Iraq there? Can representatives of other countries be accepted on the behalf of Iraq? Answers of all questions belong to the nation. To this end, there is a need for a formation of a legitimate authority in Iraq as soon as possible by bringing equal rights to everyone without taking into consideration of religion, ethnic or personal solidarity,'' Baykal said.
Stating that new Iraqi Republic should be based on concept of citizenship, Baykal said, ''religious or ethnic groups should not be turned into a coalition.''
Baykal said that Iraqi people should determine form of government in the future and noted that if Iraqi people elected federal state, founder elements of federal Iraqi Republic should be geographical units, not religious or ethnic groups.
He said that a clash between ethnic and religious groups could harm territorial integrity of Iraq and stated that the constitution which would be prepared should first aim to protect the state from being destroyed due to ethnic, religious and social differences.
''Territorial integrity and sovereignty of Iraq should be protected,'' he said and noted that the constitution and political system of Iraq should be determined by free participation and approval of Iraqi people.
Baykal said that the United States and Britain should cooperate with Europe within the scope of the United Nations.
(EÖ-AÖ) 18.07.2003