Erdogan: Statements Of Barzani About Turkey Are Extremely Obnoxious
turkishpress.com
ANKARA - Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late on Wednesday, ''statements of Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani about Turkey are extremely obnoxious. He has chosen a wrong target.''
Erdogan responded questions at a program on the private Channel D TV.
When asked, ''if Turkey does not cooperation with the United States, can Kurdish groups found a state with the support of the United States?'' Erdogan said that it was possible.
''We have some concerns about political formations in the region. These formations can lead to serious mistakes. An atmosphere of uncertainty is in question in the region. It should be removed. And Turkish soldiers should enter the region to remove this uncertainty,'' he said.
When asked, ''if the United States does not keep its promises, what will happen then?'' Erdogan noted, ''there are official documents. We believe that the U.S. President will keep his word.''
Responding a question about departure process of U.S. soldiers from Turkey, Erdogan said, ''I believe that they will depart from Turkey when the military action comes to an end and a certain order is settled in the region.''
''There is not any difference of opinion between the General Staff and the government. Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok hold contacts frequently,'' he said.
Responding another question, Erdogan said, ''the decision to be taken by the parliament on the motion about deployment of foreign soldiers in Turkey and dispatch of Turkish soldiers abroad will include international legitimacy. It will not be a decision to wage war.''
Responding a question about statements of Barzani, ''statements of KDP leader Barzani about Turkey are extremely obnoxious. He has chosen a wrong target. Such an aggressive understanding will not be beneficial.''
Erdogan said, ''if the European Union (EU) had set a certain date for opening of accession talks during Copenhagen Summit in December of 2002, Germany and France would have assumed a different attitude towards Turkey. In that case, Turkey could put forward its stance in a different way.''
Responding a question about Mousul and Kirkuk, Erdogan said, ''we only plan to provide security in the region.'' |
