VILNIUS - It was Turkey's right as a neighbor (of Iraq) to react when it saw that Turkmens were in trouble, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Saturday.
Gul held a press conference in Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.
Turkey's reaction to the developments regarding Turkmens should not be perceived as intervention in Iraq's internal affairs, Gul said.
Gul noted that Tal Afar was an Iraqi city, which was overwhelmingly comprised of Turkmens, and stressed that everybody there were Iraqi citizens.
''We have shown the same sensitivity about the situation Turkmens are facing now as we did about the problems that Iraqi Kurdish citizens faced 10-15 years ago. We showed the same reaction to the Saddam regime, and protected the Kurds when they were targeted. Those people were in trouble those days, and we protected them. And, when we see that our Turkmen relatives are in trouble, it is our right as a neighbor (of Iraq) to raise our voice. These (reactions) should not be perceived as an intervention in Iraq's internal affairs. Our neighbors are our friends. But, there is no doubt that it is our right to fulfil our responsibilities when we see such a threat,'' Gul said.
Gul expressed thought that everybody should also show the necessary sensitivity about the developments to prevent any increase in incidents, and to prevent Iraq's stability from being harmed.
''Therefore, we have launched every kind of initiatives, and we will continue to do so,'' Gul said.
(BRC) 11.09.2004