Erdogan: Ethnic Elements In Iraq Should Not Be Allowed To Dominate Over Each Other

ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that ethnic elements in Iraq should not be allowed to dominate over each other.
Erdogan, who attended a program broadcast on state-run TRT 1 channel, said that a constitution should quickly be prepared in Iraq.
After holding a census in Iraq under supervision of an international organization, general and local elections should take place in Iraq, Erdogan pointed out.
Erdogan stressed that a robust structure in Iraq would make Turkey, Syria and Iraq more tranquil.
It would be very beneficial to reconstruct a democratic Iraq after the Iraq war, Erdogan said.
Erdogan went on saying, ''we should see an Iraq where there is no discrimination. This should be neither a federative state based on ethnic roots nor federative states based on sectarian roots. It should be an Iraq which has a democratic structure and territorial integrity and where underground resources and other sources are shared equally by all Iraqi people as before the Iraq war. Ethnic elements should not be allowed to dominate over each other.''
''A constitution should be prepared in Iraq quickly. This constitution should be one prepared by only academicians. Non-governmental organizations should also take part in the preparation process. That is, this constitution should be a pluralist one. It should not be a constitution contradicting Iraq's goals, traditions and cultural values,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan stressed importance of determination of a road map in Iraq.
Thus, Iraq would take its place among democratic countries in the world, Erdogan stated.
Erdogan added that a different period would start in the Middle East after a robust structure was provided in Iraq.
(BRC-AÖ) 05.02.2004