Barzani Wants Direct Talks with Ankara

Kurdish Regional President Mesud Barzani has said that he wants to discuss the PKK presence in Northern Iraq with Ankara directly.

Tolga Korkut

According to Pukmedia, based in Süleymaniye in Northern Iraq, Kurdish Regional President Mesud Barzani has called for direct talks with Ankara, saying: “We need to come together in order to solve the Kurdish question. The Iraqi Federal Government must consult with us.”

He added, “I am not Turkey’s enemy, but I do not accept threatening language.”

Barzani said that the cancellation of meetings in Ankara with a delegation from Iraq was due to the question of borders and the fact that Turkey refused to accept that the borders be protected by Kurdish Peshmerga.

Barzani: Only military solution unacceptable

Barzani said that Ankara cancelled the meetings with the Iraqi delegation which was supposed to visit Ankara yesterday (30 October):

“If there is a peaceful solution, we will take part in solving this problem. But if there is only a military solution, we will not be part of that. We do not accept that weapons of Turkish units are deployed against us within our own borders. If our people and our territory is attacked, we will protect ourselves.”

Call for PKK ceasefire and release of hostages

“We want the PKK to continue its ceasefire, to release the hostages, to stop armed operations and to look for a peaceful solution.”

“As long as the Kurdish question is not solved, there will be no stability in the region.”

Zebari: Operations would destroy stability in region

Hosyar Zebari, Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that if Turkey carried out military operations, this would have disastrous consequences for the region and would undermine the basis for stability in Iraq and in the region. Zebari added that PKK leaders would not be handed over to Turkey: “They are not under our control; they are in the mountains and they are armed.”

Zebari and his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, are expected to meet on 2 and 3 November.

Petraeus: USA working for peace

According to the International Herald Tribune, General David Petraeus, who is commanding the US forces in Iraq, said that the USA was continuing its “efforts behind the scene” in order to bring peace to the region, but that he could not divest details.

Iran to reopen consulates in Northern Iraq

According to Pukmedia, Iran has decided to reopen its consulates in Erbil and Süleymaniye in Northern Iraq. Iran had closed some of its diplomatic centres after US soldiers had deprived five diplomats of their freedom at the beginning of the year. The USA has still not released the Iranian diplomats. (TK/AG)