ANKARA - Ankara has given the message that it would maintain its support to protection of rights of Turkmen in the rebuilding process of Iraq.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) Chairman Abdullah Abdurrahman and an accompanying delegation on Tuesday.
The meeting focused on the rebuilding process of Iraq and problems of Turkmen in the process.
Stressing that they should prepare themselves for the upcoming elections in Iraq, the Turkish side told ITF delegation, ''instead of perpetual complaints, adoption of a style including productive proposals will be more beneficial. Turkey will continue extending support to Turkmen.''
Noting that preparatory works on a new constitution would top agenda of Iraq in the coming days, the Turkish side told ITF delegation, ''Ankara wants to see a fully sovereign Iraq having peaceful relations with its neighboring countries. We have always defended protection of territorial integrity and political unity of Iraq. All sections of the society should be represented in the new administration. The new Iraqi administration should progress on the path of democracy.''
Ankara has also given the message that Turkey did not want to see a Turkmen-Kurd conflict in Iraq.
Meanwhile, ITF delegation conveyed Turkmen people's will to live together with all sections of Iraqi society in solidarity and peace.
Noting that they had always been excluded so far, ITF delegation members said that they had been extending efforts to live in peace in Iraq.
The delegation expressed its regret that they had never been represented fairly.
Referring to Saturday's dual bomb attacks on Istanbul's two main synagogues in which 25 people were killed and more than 300 others were wounded, ITF delegation expressed profound sorrow.
(UK) 18.11.2003