Sunday, March 18, 2007
Allawi in Egypt to outline plans for Iraqi 'national salvation government'
Politics
(MENA) Iyad Allawi arrived in Cairo on March 15 for a "several days" visit, MENA reported the same day, where he is expected to brief Egyptian leaders on his plan to establish a national salvation government. Allawi has already presented the plan to U.S. officials, as well as the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. His visit to Saudi Arabia coincided with a visit by Kurdistan region President Mas'ud Barzani. When asked if he met Allawi in Riyadh, Barzani told reporters in Irbil on March 15, "I saw Iyad Allawi there, but there was no connection between our visits." When asked his position on Allawi's proposed front, he said: "This is only media reports and there is nothing like that. When I visited Baghdad three months ago, together with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, we tried to meet other political forces to form a broad-based political entity in support of the current Iraqi government. We may only support that [entity]." Media reports indicate that Barzani discussed the front with Allawi and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad in Irbil earlier this month.
Labels: Egypt, Iyad Allawi, Mas'ud Barzani
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Gul accuses Barzani of 'irresponsible' statement
Security, Politics, Kurdistan, Turkey
(RFE/RL) Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul labeled remarks by Kurdistan Region President Mas'ud Barzani "irresponsible," the Anatolia news agency reported on February 27. Barzani told NTV Online in an interview published on February 26 that "Iran and Turkey should get used to the idea that the Kurds have a right" to their own independent state. "It is impossible for us [Kurds] to accept a cross-border operation or to remain a spectator in such an operation. We put emphasis on the sovereignty of our country as much as Turkey puts emphasis on its sovereignty, and we safeguard our sovereignty," the Kurdish leader said when asked about the possibility of Turkish military intervention in Iraq against the Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants holed up in the mountainous area along the border.
In response, Gul told reporters: "While the region, and especially Iraq, has been passing through a critical period, and while Turkey is following a constructive and embracing policy, making such statements are examples of irresponsibility." Turkish political leaders have called for possible talks with Iraqi Kurdish leaders in recent days, while Turkey's military leadership has threatened military intervention in Iraq.
Labels: Abdullah Gul, Kurdistan, Mas'ud Barzani, Turkey
