Hopes for Peace Amid Gül's Visit to Iraq

Turkey's president Abdullah Gül meets Kurdish Regional Government prime minister Nechirvan Barzani today, during his visit to Iraq. Following the meeting, Barzani told journalists that an amnesty for PKK militants would ease the Kurdish problem and they would support such an attempt.

According to cnnturk.com, Gül said that an amnesty is Turkey's internal matter and he wouldn't discuss it with anyone else.

Gül met with Iraqi president Jalal Talabani yesterday in Baghdad. "We're determined to improve our relations with Turkey in all fields. PKK has two choices: Either they leave arms or they leave the country" said Talabani.

Turkish journalists who accompanied Gül in his visit wrote that he used the word "Kurdistan," as in Kurdish Regional Government. When journalists reacted Gül said, "What should I have said? This is what's written in Iraqi constitution." Several newspapers gave this conversation as headliner today.

"The Kurdish conference which will be held in Arbil is a very important step," Gül also told journalists in reference to a conference of Kurdish groups from around the world, which is planned to convene in April or May.

According to Akşam daily, PKK's political arm in Iraq, the Kurdish Democratic Solution Party will participate in the conference. According to Iraqi sources, a statement from the PKK would be read during the conference. It's alleged that Turkey has received a guarantee from Baghdad that no controversial outcome will emanate from the conference.  

Fırat News Agency (ANF) reports that PKK commander Murat Karayılan claims that defining the outcome beforehand would render this conference abortive.

He claims that an amnesty for militants wouldn't be enough for peace; that Turkey must amend its constitution to change the definition of citizenship. Furthermore, Karayılan insists that the address for dialogue is PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who's currently imprisoned.

"If not, our people also have political representatives [the Democratic Society Party]. Why do you ignore them and look for a solution in Iraq of in the US?" (TK/AGÜ)