ANKARA (A.A) - 14.08.2002 - Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that no project of establishing a state in north of Iraq came to agenda at Washington meeting.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yusuf Buluc said in the weekly news conference that information was given to Foreign Ministry about the Washington meeting by the Iraqi opposition leaders and U.S. authorities within the scope of the strategic partnership relation between Turkey and the U.S. and dialogue regarding Iraq, both before and after the meeting.
Buluc said that the aim of the meeting is to overcome the different views between the opposition groups, adding that ``there is no project of forming a state in north of Iraq in Washington meeting. It was stated many times that Turkey would not permit such a development and the political conditions in the region don`t permit that. Our attitude about the issue is still valid.``
Buluc said that the attitude of the U.S. in Washington meeting does not contradict with its earlier contacts, adding that Turkey hopes Turkmens who constitute the third highest population in Iraq to join the next meeting.
When reminded about the news telling that Turkey has certain concerns about the Iraqi Kurdistan Democrat Party (IKDP), Buluc said that contacts with two groups continued and that there was no displeasure.
Buluc said that IKDP and Patriotic Union for Kurdistan (PUK) were the main sources which Turkey contacts with in order to get information about the regional developments. ``Our contacts continue,`` he added.