Gul: New Developments Which Will Cause Pain In Iraq Again Should Not Be Allowed After End Of Saddam Regime

ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday that if developments that would endanger territorial integrity of Iraq continued, Iraq and Iraqi people would be the center of pain and tears again.
Upon questions of reporters about activities of Kurdish groups in the north of Iraq, Gul said that new developments which would cause pain again should not be allowed after the end of Saddam regime. Recalling that the Middle East was already a center of pain and tears and the problem of Israel-Palestine has not been solved yet, he said the region could not bear a second incident.
Gul recalled that there were ongoing agreements to protect territorial and political integrity of Iraq and all Iraqis and especially the United States had signatures under those basic principles. He said that Turkey made warnings clearly and openly and in other countries in regard to the steps that would be taken to spoil demographic structure of Iraq and especially Kirkuk.
Gul said, ''Iraq and Iraqi people have suffered very much. Now their wounds should be healed and Iraq, as a democratic country, should take part besides Turkey as a democratic country in our region and Iraqi people should reach prosperity by using their sources. We have earlier made our warnings against the developments that will endanger territorial and political integrity of Iraq in the north of Iraq or another part of the country. We have made warnings not only as Turkey, but also as regional countries. If these dangerous developments continue, I fear that although Iraq has to reach peace and Iraqi people have to heal the wounds of past, the country will become a center of pain and tears again. We have warned and continue to warn everybody about this issue.''
Calling everybody in Iraq regardless of their ethnical origin to claim their country and to try to find peace in Iraq, Gul stressed that Turkey was continuing and would continue to provide help on this path.
When asked whether neighbors of Iraq would convene again or a similar diplomatic activity was considered or not, Gul said that such activities were continuing. He recalled that not only neighboring countries to Iraq but also a group under the name of ''Friends of Iraq'' with the proposal of Turkey under the auspices of the United Nations have convened.
Stressing that permanent representatives of U.N. Security Council and the neighboring countries to Iraq were brought together in this group, Gul said that he was sure that all of these would be discussed in these platforms in the best way.
Stating that Saddam regime which was a cruel regime ended and no one should give opportunity to developments which would cause sufferings again, Gul said, ''everyone should think of it seriously. Everybody should exert all their efforts for development of Iraq, settlement of tranquility and construction of a democratic Iraq.''
When asked whether or not Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani gave back his diplomatic passport to Turkey, Gul said that Turkey had extended the biggest support both to Talabani and also Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani in north of Iraq in the past. ''One of our contributions was that they traveled the world using Turkish passport when they were not allowed to travel. And there is no need for this now. Thus, they thanked Turkey for its support and contributions and they naturally gave back passports to Turkey as they don't need them.''
When he was reminded of some news stories which claimed that Turkey's Permanent Representative to Council of Europe (COE) Numan Hazar would be assigned to another place concerning headscarf case in European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Gul said that decision on this issue had been taken before a view was given to ECHR.
Gul complained that there were some baseless stories concerning the issue and stated that the proposal on Hazar's assignment from Strasbourg to Paris was submitted to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer one month before additional view was given to ECHR without informing the government on the issue. He added that Sezer approved it and thus, the two issues had no connection with each other.
Stating that public opinion knew the view of the government, Gul said that there were many things which had political content in the view which was given to ECHR and that's why it was withdrawn. He said that a new defense would not be prepared and this process ended.
Upon another question, he said that they were trying to finish their studies on Cyprus issue and stated that they hoped that it would be finished till the meeting of Council of Ministers on Monday.

(GC-EÖ-AÖ) 24.12.2003