Talabani: We Won't Blindly Take Part In Any Operation

ANKARA (A.A) - 07.08.2002 - Patriotic Union for Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani said on Wednesday that they would not take part blindly in a possible U.S. operation against Iraq.
Responding to questions of journalists after meeting with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal in the Foreign Ministry, Talabani said that he didn't yet know the aim of a possible U.S. operation against Iraq and whether or not they would have a role in such an operation.
The thing that matters for them is U.S.'s wish to form a democratic, parliamentary and secular Iraqi regime, he said adding they don't want a new dictator in Iraq. ''We won't take part in any operation blindly,'' he said.
Noting that PUK is against the division of Iraq, Talabani said that they fight for a democratic, parliamentary and secular Iraq which will meet the demands of Kurds, not for an independent Kurdish state.
Talabani said that Turkey should not believe in rumours claiming that Iraq would be divided, adding ''we are first of all Iraqi and we want a united Iraq.''
Talabani added that they try to form a common understanding about the existing situation in Iraq and its future during his contacts, adding that they would stress that PUK would be a Iraqi democratic power.