Erdogan: Federation Based On Ethnical Elements In Iraq Will Not Be Appropriate

ISTANBUL - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that a federation based on ethnical elements in Iraq would not be appropriate.
Prior to his departure for Saudi Arabia to attend Fifth Jeddah Economic Forum, Erdogan told reporters that a federation based on ethnic elements had never been beneficial in any place in the world.
Erdogan said that the government had many times stated that formation of a federation based on ethnical elements in Iraq would not be beneficial.
Turkey was sharing same views with neighbor countries, Erdogan noted.
Erdogan said that formations based on religions were not beneficial either.
He discussed the issue with Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, the Chairman of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and a member of Iraqi Interim Governing Council, Erdogan emphasized.
Erdogan added, ''they are also sharing the same view. None of these choices can lay infrastructure of a healthy state in Iraq.''
(BRC-AY) 17.01.2004