Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Turkish MPs visit Kirkuk
Politics, Region
Two Turkish MPs on Monday began a four-day visit to the disputed city of Kirkuk in Northern Iraq where a 2007 referendum is expected to settle the status of the city, which is in a Kurdish area. Kirkuk was forcibly arabised under Saddam Hussein, and has a sizeable Turkmen population. The visit comes as Ankara - facing renewed attacks on troops police and civilians from militants linked to the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) - steps up diplomatic efforts to try to put an end to the PKK's presence in Northern Iraq.
Turhan Comez of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Orhan Ziya Diren of the main opposition Republican People Party (CHP) are scheduled to meet with the consul generals of Britain and the United States as well as the governor of Kirkuk and the head of the Turkmen Council.
Comez said they would prepare a report outlining their impressions upon their return and present the report to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, CHP leader Deniz Baykal as well as to Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc. Arinc over the weekend sent a letter to his Iraqi counterpart urging Iraq's assistance in the fight against members of PKK who have found a safe heaven in Northern Iraq.
Ankara is extremely concerned about any moves towards independence in Iraqi Kurdistan in case they encourage Kurdish nationalists in Turkey. Ankara is also wary about the situation in Kirkuk where the status of the city will be decided upon after the results of a referendum in 2007. Ankara argues that demographic structure has been altered in favour of Kurds, saying that this might lead to a repression on Turkish-origin Turkmens, who constitute 35 per cent of the total population according to Kurds and 45-50 per cent of the population according to Turkmens.
Turhan Comez of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Orhan Ziya Diren of the main opposition Republican People Party (CHP) are scheduled to meet with the consul generals of Britain and the United States as well as the governor of Kirkuk and the head of the Turkmen Council.
Comez said they would prepare a report outlining their impressions upon their return and present the report to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, CHP leader Deniz Baykal as well as to Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc. Arinc over the weekend sent a letter to his Iraqi counterpart urging Iraq's assistance in the fight against members of PKK who have found a safe heaven in Northern Iraq.
Ankara is extremely concerned about any moves towards independence in Iraqi Kurdistan in case they encourage Kurdish nationalists in Turkey. Ankara is also wary about the situation in Kirkuk where the status of the city will be decided upon after the results of a referendum in 2007. Ankara argues that demographic structure has been altered in favour of Kurds, saying that this might lead to a repression on Turkish-origin Turkmens, who constitute 35 per cent of the total population according to Kurds and 45-50 per cent of the population according to Turkmens.
