Gul: Turkey Rejected Suggestion Of Saddam That Turkey And Iraq Should Destroy Kurdish Groups In Iraq

PUTRAJAYA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had suggested fighting against Kurdish groups in Iraq together with Turkey prior to war, but Turkey rejected this suggestion.
Gul replied to questions of reporters before attending second-day sessions of Ministerial Preparatory Meeting of the 10th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Malaysia.
When recalled that Kurdish groups in Iraq were against Turkey's decision on sending soldiers to Iraq, Gul said that Kurdish groups were acting unjustly. He added that Saddam Hussein had suggested for 15 years that Turkey and Iraq should destroy Kurdish groups together, but Turkey rejected this suggestion and even protected Kurds.
Gul said that they wanted OIC to undertake a role to end the occupation in Iraq as soon as possible.
Gul will meet with foreign ministers of Malaysia, Tunisia and Pakistan later in the day.
(GC-BRC) 14.10.2003