ANKARA - Iraqi Kurdistan Democrat Party (KDP) representative Necirvan Barzani said on Thursday that intervention of the Turkish soldiers in Northern Iraq was not right.
Responding to the questions of reporters, Barzani said there was migration movements from big cities to rural areas and villages in Northern Iraq, yet this was exaggerated. He said there was not anybody who entered from the Turkish border.
Barzani said they wanted Turkey to permit entrance of the international civilian institutions to the region to help the people in case of a possible migration inflow.
When asked if they gave order to their forces, Barzani said their forces were waiting in alert, stating that coalition forces have not started action from the land.
Pointing out that the Kurdish forces would be in defense in their own region, Barzani said they did not have an agenda like ''attacking to front belonging to Iraqi forces''.
Barzani said they clearly briefed Ankara about their own position, and noted that they considered the Turkish soldiers as the soldiers of a friendly country, yet that they opposed to any intervention of the Turkish soldiers at the time being. He said there was not any need for this.
Barzani said they would want the Turkish soldiers to enter in case conditions require this, yet that any intervention now would make the situation worse.
Barzani said they defended the rights of Turkmens as they believed that Turkmens have to benefit from every kind of rights, not because Ankara wanted this.
Barzani said they oppose to the imposition regarded with sending of a representative from the Iraqi Turkmen Front to the Chairmanship Council as the only representative of Turkmens. He said they favored election of representatives after convening of all Turkmens.
Barzani reiterated his call for a delegation from the Parliament to come to the region and examine the situation regarded with the Turkmens on the spot.
(AY-AÖ) 20.03.2003