Iraq's Neighbors Have Compromise On Elimination Of Illegal Groups In Iraq, Turkish FM

KUWAIT - Turkey`s foreign minister saw on Tuesday a compromise among Iraq`s neighbors on elimination of illegal groups in Iraq.
Turkey`s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said that there was a serious compromise among the foreign ministers of Iraq`s neighboring countries on elimination of illegal and armed groups in Iraq.
"We mainly debated security issues in Iraq and many countries voiced that PKK is a terrorist organization," Babacan told Turkish reporters after participating in an expanded foreign ministers` meeting of Iraq`s neighbors in Kuwait.
Babacan said the final declaration made a special emphasis on fight against terrorism.
On Turkey`s cross-border operation into north of Iraq, Babacan said that not only regional countries but also the international community had seen that Turkey did not have any hidden agenda regarding the north of Iraq.
"Every one has seen that our sole goal was to fight terrorists. We improved our economic and political relations with Iraq when the operation was going on," he told reporters.
Turkish army staged a cross-border ground operation into north of Iraq between February 21st and 29th against the terrorist organization PKK stationed in this area of the neighboring country.
Also, Turkey`s foreign minister said a senior Turkish Foreign Ministry diplomat and Turkey`s State Minister Kursad Tuzmen would visit Iraq soon.
Babacan said Turkey had not closed its embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad for the past five years despite many problems and gave messages of support for Iraq and its people.
"We told them that we stand by the Iraqi people in good and bad times," the minister said.
The meeting ended with closing remarks of Kuwait`s Foreign Minister Muhammad al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah and Iraq`s Premier Nuri al-Maliki.
The previous foreign ministers` meeting of Iraq`s neighbors took place in Istanbul, Turkey in November 2007. The conference also brought together not only executives from Turkey and Iraq but also representatives from many countries including the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were among the guests.
The neighboring countries initiative was launched in 2003 under the auspices of Turkey. Upon Turkey`s proposal, the process gained international feature in 2007. The first international conference was held in Egypt in May 2007.
(BRC-MS)