ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday that Turkey would expend every necessary support to Turkmens to make them live on their territories in tranquility and welfare.
Gul received Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) Chairman Abdullah Abdurrahman and an accompanying delegation.
Stating that Turkmens would play a very important role in this critical period, Gul said, ''your territories are there. Therefore you should protect them.''
Stating that essential elements in Turkey's neighbor Iraq were Arabs, Turkmens and Kurds, Gul said, ''everybody should exert efforts for the well being of his own country during those problematic days.''
Gul said Turkey was a very big country and that there were many Turkish citizens living abroad, adding that, ''similarly, there is a big Turkish population in Iraq. You are Turks, Turkmens, however you are citizens of Iraq. Our solidarity will be in this way under conditions of today's world.''
Stating that Turkey wanted Iraqi Turkmens to be happy, Gul said, ''we want you to be in tranquility and welfare on your own territories. We will expend every necessary support in this respect. Never feel alone.''
Gul said preservation of Iraq's territorial integrity and political unity and its reaching a democratic structure was Turkey's biggest desire, adding that, ''Turkmens should make their influence felt according to their population.''
Gul said, ''Turkmens have always been the cement of Iraq'', stating that there should be people who should represent Turkmen population in the best way.
ITF Chairman Abdurrahman said Turkmens, having 3.5 million population, were the cement of Iraq, expressing belief to form a solid society by making cooperation with Iraq people to restore peace and order there.
(AY) 17.11.2003