ANKARA - Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) representative Berham Salih arrived in Ankara on Thursday.
Replying to questions of reporters at Ankara's Esenboga Airport, Salih said that Kirkuk was a part of Kurdistan region in historical and geographical aspects, but it had a complicated structure comprising of Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians and Arabs.
When recalled his statements that Kirkuk was a Kurdish city, Salih said that he did not understand why his words were understood like that and added that according to their opinions, Kirkuk had always been a part of Kurdistan region in historical and geographical aspects, but it had been a complex city where Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians and Arabs were living together. He said that they had to turn Kirkuk to a place where different societies were living together in peace.
Salih said that Kirkuk's people would decide what its future would be. He added that this issue would be decided by Kirkuk people within the scope of searches for restoring a stable, peaceful and democratic order in Iraq.
Noting that Saddam was an ''evil'' person, Salih said that Saddam had committed ethnical elimination to those who were not Arabs and especially to Kurds and Turkmens to change demographic and historical structure of Kirkuk.
Stressing that they wanted an Iraq which was peaceful, democratic and purified from terrible crimes of Saddam, Salih said that they did not want ethnical elimination against Kurds and Turkmens in Kirkuk and other parts of Iraq. He added that ethnical elimination was against basic principles of national unity and democracy in Iraq.
Salih gave information about his program in Ankara and said that he would meet with officials of government and foreign ministry to take up developments in Iraq and ''Kurdistan region''.
Noting that Turkey was an important neighbor to them, Salih said that they attributed importance to meet regularly to discuss issues concerning both sides.
(GC-AÖ) 15.01.2004