Cablegate: Krg President Issues Statement Denying
VZCZCXRO8075
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2125 1790906
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280906Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1914
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002125
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: KRG PRESIDENT ISSUES STATEMENT DENYING
INTERFERENCE IN TURKISH INTERNAL AFFAIRS OR PKK SUPPORT
REF: A) BAGHDAD 2090 B) STATE 87965
1. (C) Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani
issued a statement on June 27 clarifying Kurdish
noninterference in Turkish affairs as he had promised the
Ambassador by secure phone, and as requested and referenced
in State 87965 and Baghdad 2090. The following is the
translated text of the statement as emailed to the Embassy.
2. (U) Begin text:
Sent on Wednesday June 27, 2007
In a clarification, the Presidency of the Region of Kurdistan
denied that it is interfering in the internal affairs of
Turkey with the approaching elections there.
The Statement by the Presidency of the Region stated the
following:
With the approaching Turkish elections to be held next July,
there are rumors that we are interfering in the internal
affairs of Turkey and that we have certain influences over
the Turkish elections.
We emphasize that we did not interfere in the internal
affairs of Turkey and we will not have a negative influence
on the future of the elections. On the contrary despite the
attempts of the Turkish authorities to obstruct development
and progress in the region of Kurdistan, we have always tried
to keep ourselves far from the internal problems of Turkey.
Although we have repeatedly been accused of helping and
assisting the PKK, we reiterate again that we have not
supported and assisted this party with logistics or in any
other way, but instead we have tried to build friendly
relations with all of the political and social components in
Turkey. This is because we do not encourage any interference
in the affairs of any country and we do not condone the use
of violence to solve problems, but instead have always chosen
dialogue and mutual understanding in solving them.
If we are called upon to cooperate and support any political
process that serves peace and peaceful coexistence and
strengthen good-neighborly relations between the region of
Kurdistan and Turkey, we would be ready. We are fully
convinced that friendship, good-neighborliness and
cooperation are the only way through which we will be able to
coexist with Turkey - or any other neighboring country - on
the basis of common interests and respect for others, and to
answer all accusations.
The Spokesman for the Presidency of the Region of Kurdistan
June 26, 2007
End Text.
CROCKER