Thursday, September 28, 2006
Turkish PM reacts to Talabani's accusations
Politics, Region
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted sharply to the statements of Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani that Iraq can "make trouble" for its neighbours (Turkey, Iran and Syria) if they do not stop interfering in his country's internal affairs, online edition of Turkish newspaper Sabah reads today. Mr. Erdogan qualified Mr. Talabani’s words as ‘ugly and indecent’ and ‘not suitable for the position he is holding’, the newspaper notes.
Talabani accused the neighboring countries of interfering with Iraq’s internal affairs. In statements for a US TV station President Talabani explained that he meant Iran, Syria and Turkey and all the other Middle East countries with the exception of Kuwait. “The patience of the Iraqi people is now running out and if these attempts of interfering are not ceased Iraq will undertake reciprocal activities by supporting the opposition in the countries in question. We could do this in Iran, Syria and Turkey but we haven’t so far,” Jalal Talabani said cited by Turkish press.
A possible reason for Talabani’s statement is thought to be Ankara’s sensitivity toward Kirkuk. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had said turmoil in Kirkuk would threaten all of Iraq to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In a statement he issued, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan said Turkey’s Iraq policy was transparent.
A possible reason for Talabani’s statement is thought to be Ankara’s sensitivity toward Kirkuk. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had said turmoil in Kirkuk would threaten all of Iraq to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In a statement he issued, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan said Turkey’s Iraq policy was transparent.
