Gul: Gaining Turkey's Confidence Is For Benefit Of Iraqi Kurds In Long Term

ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday gaining Turkey's confidence was for the benefit of Iraqi Kurds in the long term.
Replying to questions of reporters en route from Georgia to Turkey, Gul said that Turkey saved Kurdish groups from massacres in the most difficult times.
Gul noted, ''they should be aware that gaining Turkey's confidence is for their own benefit in the long term.''
Commenting on recent statements of U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell, Gul said that Kurds in Iraq were not only represented by these two parties and that there were some other parties.
Gul said that Turkish officials knew that those two parties had different views on dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq and went on saying, ''but this doesn't change anything. Our stance towards Kurds in the region is obvious. We saved them from massacres in the most difficult times. We supported them economically. And, we even provided them with Turkish passports to help them travel. We will also continue to protect them. They should also be aware that gaining Turkey's confidence will be for their benefit in the long term.''
Asked how he evaluated the Iraqi Turkmen Front elections, Gul said that Turkmens in the region were dispersed in the past and the election was an important step to end this.
Drawing attention that Turkmens had not been represented according to their population so far, Gul said, ''I am sure that they will have more strength in the Iraqi administration and will be taken into consideration more from now on.''
Gul stated that Iraq was the motherland of Turkmens and went on saying, ''therefore, they have the right and responsibility to take role in future of their own country. Everybody in Iraq is our brother. Turkey will not refrain from fulfilling its responsibilities within the scope of this brotherhood.''
When he was recalled about the statement of Dr. Faruk Abdullah, who was chosen as the chairman of Iraqi Turkmen Front, that ''Turkish soldiers should come to Iraq under U.N. auspices,'' Gul said that talks on the issue continued with the United States.
Gul noted that ''both Turkmens and Iraqi people would prefer Turkish soldiers to British, Russian, U.S. or Polish soldiers'' if foreign soldiers were to serve in their country.
''Of course, nobody can say that foreign soldiers should come to their country,'' Gul said.
Gul stated that Iraqi people would prefer a country like Turkey which understood their own beliefs, adding that everybody was aware of this.
(BRC-AÖ) 16.09.2003