ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has said that interim constitution for Iraq protected its territorial integrity.
Following his meeting with TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas, Gul replied to questions of reporters.
Replying a question on the interim constitution for Iraq, Gul said that it did not envisage a federation on ethnic or religious basis.
Noting that it clarified that all resources in Iraq belonged to Iraq, Gul said, ''it is a basic law, it is not Iraq's constitution but an important legal document has appeared.''
Gul said that although the constitution included points that might be much different, it was important since a compromise was reached.
Asked about the aspects of the constitution for Turkmens, Gul said, ''a better constitution would have been requested, of course.''
Gul announced that a scientific meeting would be held in Turkey in coming days on Iraq constitution together with participants from other countries.
Recalled of U.S. State Department Under Secretary Marc Grossman's visit to Ankara under the Greater Middle East Initiative, Gul said that they thought that discussion of the issue was not harmful.
Noting that everybody developed opinion on the issue, Gul said, ''the Middle East is our region and protection of this region is our priority.''
Stressing importance of purifying a democratic and transparent region from corruption, Gul reminded that the speech he had delivered under last year's Organization of the Islamic Conference in Tehran targeted this point.
Meanwhile, Gul said that retrial of outlawed DEP deputies had not come to the agenda of his meeting with European Parliament President Pat Cox.
Recalled of news about surrender of some PKK terrorists to Americans, Gul asked reporters to follow the matter.
(MS) 02.03.2004