Babacan: Recent Turkish- Kurdish Talks “Extremely Positive”

PUKmedia       17:15       05/05/2008

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Ali Babacan, described recent Turkey’s direct talks with KRG Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani as “extremely positive”.

According to Turkish Hurriyet website, the statement came as Babacan spoke to the reporters with his United Arab Emirates counterpart in Ankara.

As he said, a closer dialogue is expected  in the future both with the Iraqi federal government and KRG, making condition that the level and frequency of the meetings will depend on further cooperation from the Iraqi government and KRG’s sides.

Meanwhile, the former Turkish lawmaker, Hashim Hashimi, said Turkey changed its policy towards the red line set for the Northern Iraq.

Speaking to Turkish Milliyet newspaper, Hashimi said that the Turkish new policy does not mean Turkey recognizes Kurdish independent state while it is a step towards a political recognition of forming a federal system in Kurdistan region.

As he said, Kurdish and Turkish nations have been living side by side for centuries as if there was no border between both nations, therefore the relations should be strengthened.