Iraq's Head Of State Says They Want Peace And Stability In Their Neighborhood

ANKARA - Iraq's Head of State Ghazi al-Yawer said on Tuesday that they wanted peace and stability in their neighborhood, noting that they would not overlook those groups who wanted to harm neighbor countries, including Turkey.
When asked what kind of concrete measures they would take against terrorist organization PKK/KONGRA-GEL, al-Yawer underlined that ''they would not allow groups who wanted to make harm to neighbor countries, to take shelter in Iraq''.
Noting that ''they were working together with international community on reestablishment of security and making Iraqi security units operational'', al-Yawer said that ''they would reach success soon''.
Al-Yawer said that ''refraining from intervening in the affairs of another country and establishing good neighborhood relations were among principles of the United Nations'', adding that ''allowing a terrorist group to shelter in his own country meant intervention in the affairs of another country''.
Replying to a question on opening of a second border pass between Turkey and Iraq, he said that ''officials of the two countries pursued talks on this issue'', adding that ''there was not any problem on opening of a second pass''.
-KIRKUK-
Answering a question about status of Kirkuk, al-Yawer stressed that ''this city was a common place of all Iraqi citizens'', and said, ''several ethnic groups lived in peace in this beautiful city, and this city will also be the symbol of co-existence in the future.''
Al-Yawer stated that ''the city had experienced problems like pressure and forced migration in the last 35 years''.
Noting that ''it was legal for the Iraqi citizens to return to their homes'', al-Yawer said that ''any group of the Iraqi people could not dominate the others because of its race or ethnicity''.
Asked ''if he considered warnings about Kirkuk as an intervention in their own internal affairs'', al-Yawer said that ''they did not consider the warnings that way, but they considered them within the framework of mutual confidence and cooperation''.
Al-Yawer added, ''Iraqi people can never be divided into groups; nobody can do this. Iraqi people are in full solidarity.''
-DEVELOPMENTS IN NAJAF-
Upon questions of reporters on recent developments in Najaf city of Iraq, al-Yawer said that they did not want bloodshed in their country. He stressed that they had been doing everything in their power to solve the problems through dialogue.
Al-Yawer told reporters that any attempt to form an army beyond the Iraqi Armed Forces and to establish a system based on Islamic Sharia religious law apart from the judicial system in Iraq was unacceptable in anywhere in the world.
Al-Yawer called on everyone to participate in the political process by putting an end to such nonsense attitudes.
When asked whether or not he would pay the other countries in the region, al-Yawer said that he was planning to pay similar visits to neighboring countries and Arab countries.
When asked whether or not the issue of water was taken up during his talks with Turkish officials, al-Yawer said that the sides would continue holding detailed talks over the issue.

(UK-AÖ) 17.08.2004