ANKARA (CIHAN) - The chairman of the Iraqi Kurdistan Patriotic Union (PUK) Celal Talabani, referring to the terror activities of the PKK/KONGRA-GEL, said that a war against Turkey is a war against the Kurdish community.
"All rational forces in Turkey are against war. We think that most members of the PKK are also against war," the PUK chairman said on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül received Talabani in Ankara. The two leaders mainly focused on the terror activities of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the 2.5 hour meeting in the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
PUK leaders said that the number of PKK members who want peace has been soaring. According to Talabani, the PKK is split into groups. "The number of the militants wanting peace has increased."
Talabani stated that his organization his forces did not aid PKK leader Osman Ocalan who recently broke away from the rest of the PKK and later arrived in the Iraqi city of Mosul. "We did not aid him and would not insult our friends in Ankara."
Responding questions on Turkey's concerns on the status of the oil-hub city of Kirkuk, Talabani said that Kurds, Turkmens and Arabs could live in peace in Kirkuk. "We are defending the rights of Turkmens."
Stating that the war against Turkey is also a war against Kurds, PUK leader said that they condemn the terrorist activities of the PKK/KONGRA-GEL. "Nobody wants war. Everybody wants peace and democracy. There is a good democratization process in Turkey."
Iraqi Kurdish leader said that they would be neighbor of the EU when Turkey enters the European Union.
Terror attacks by the PKK have increased recently in the southeastern region of Turkey following an announcement by the PKK/KONGRA-GEL that they are ending their six-year unilateral ceasefire.
The Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül warned the PUK leader not to change the demographic structure of the Northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Gül said that the results could be catastrophic if the ethnic composition was intentionally changed.
Turkmens and Arabs criticized Kurdish groups for encouraging the migration of Kurds from the mountainous Northern Iraqi region with a view to changing the ethnic composition of the oil-rich Kirkuk and Mosul regions.
Turkey strongly opposes Iraqi Kurdish control of the oil-rich Northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk through planned ethnic migrations that are changing the demographics of the city. Turkey fears that any moves to bolster Iraq's Kurds could pave the way to the formation of a Kurdish state in Iraq and eventually could fuel separatism among Turkish Kurds in southeast Turkey.
The Turkish Foreign Minister also urged the PUK leader not to tolerate PKK militants hiding in Northern Iraq. "If you are responsible for this region, then take the necessary action against the PKK militants."
Turkish intelligence sources believe that nearly 4,000-5,000 PKK/KADEK terrorists are hiding in the mountainous northern Iraq region.
Regarding a possible federal structure in Iraq, Talabani said that a model suitable to the Iraqi people could be adopted in Iraq. He said that the future Iraqi national assembly would decide on the federation. "The important thing is to strengthen the independence and integrity of Iraq."