Turkish Opposition Party: ‘We Value the Unity of Iraq’

[Aslan]

ANKARA, Turkey – Erdogan Toprak, deputy head of Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was in Baghdad recently, where he met with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. Toprak said he had also wished to visit other parts of Iraq, including the disputed city of Kirkuk, but could not “due to the security situation.” He said that his delegation also discussed trade and investment with Iraqi officials. Rudaw interviewed Toprak about his trip to Baghdad, Turkey’s relations with the Kurdistan Region and his party’s views on the planned Kurdish National Conference. Here is an edited transcript of his interview:

Rudaw: Some Iraqi officials say that Turkey is meddling in Iraq’s internal affairs. Did you discuss this issue during your visit?

Erdogan Toprak: As an opposition party we disagree with the foreign policies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), especially toward our neighboring countries. We believe that these policies do not serve peace and bilateral dialogue with other countries. Our foreign policies have reached this level due to the wrong steps of the AKP.

Rudaw: What are your views regarding Kirkuk? How should this issue be settled?

Erdogan Toprak: Kirkuk is an Iraqi domestic affair. This issue can be solved by the Iraqis through dialogue among the components of its communities (in a way) that would preserve the unity of Iraq and its domestic stability. We believe that Turkey should offer all the necessary political, economic and diplomatic assistance to Iraq if the latter needed it from Turkey. The key to solve this issue lies with the Iraqi people.

Rudaw: If CHP comes to power, what would be its foreign policies toward Turkey’s neighbors, especially Iraq?

Erdogan Toprak: “Peace at home, peace abroad,” is our motto in this regard. This means non-interference and respecting the internal affairs of other countries. This of course does not mean standing still against foreign aggressions. All the wrong steps taken by the AKP in this regard will be corrected by the CHP. We will restore dialogue and trust with our neighbors.

Rudaw: Why did you not visit Erbil?

Erdogan Toprak: We were invited by the Iraqi PM. The program of the visit was planned by the Iraqi PM and the foreign ministry.

Rudaw: Will you visit Erbil if you get an invitation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)?

Erdogan Toprak: No doubt. If we receive a similar invitation from His Excellency Massoud Barzani, the president of the administration in the north of Iraq, we will evaluate the matter and be happy to visit Erbil and Sulaimani.

Rudaw: How do you evaluate the bilateral relations between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region?

Erdogan Toprak: We value the unity of Iraq and its constitution. Ties with the administration in northern Iraq should be valued and the internal affairs of both sides should be respected. Turkey has always assisted the Kurdish region in Iraq and signed important deals with it in this regard. Today, we are very happy with the stability and economic progress of the Kurdish region within the framework of Iraq. Normalization is always better than war and conflicts. This is an important humanitarian endeavor.

Rudaw: All Kurdish political groups are planning a Kurdish National Conference in Erbil soon. What do you make of that?

Erdogan Toprak: The importance of the conference will show in its achievements. I hope the participation of our Kurdish brothers from Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria will help achieve peace and coexistence in our countries and the region. I believe the results of this congress will help achieve wider and more open treaties in the region.

Rudaw: Will your party send an observer to the conference?

Erdogan Toprak: According to my knowledge, the official participation of our party is not in our agenda, but till the day of the congress further changes might take place and our participation might be possible. The final decision in this regard will be for the leadership of the CHP.


Comments


5 1 Darin | 13 hours ago
Turkey has been ruled first by the British and lately by USA. So every role the turks play in the region is directed by USA. Modern Turkey established by the British after they occupied the whole Ottoman empire including the capital Istanbul 1919 and then installed their fake hero the puppet Mustafa Kemal Ataturk as a leader of a new country called Turkey. The first thing Ataturk did he abolished Islam even the mongol turks used Islam as a tool to occupy all muslim nations and that helped them to creat an empire from nothing, so without using Islam there were no Ottoman empire, that is for sure, so why Ataturk abolished a religion which was the main reason their empire flourished at that time and became powerful? The answer is simple because Ataturk was a british puppet and he did what his masters the British told him. The irony is that Ataturk adopted the Swiss constitution for Turkey without taking count of that the turks are muslims and undeveloped nation which made the Swiss constitution not suitable for them and strange. When the americans invaded Iraq they did exactly what the British did when they occupied the Ottoman empire, they stayed there for few years which were enough to establish institutions which serve their interest before they left the area in the hand of their puppets.
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8 0 Simko | 13 hours ago
We value the unity of Kurdistán!
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0 0 bashdar | 9 hours ago
Thanks .very nice interview
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8 0 HangMeIfUcan | 8 hours ago
Here are some questions I would ask the Turkish opposition leader: 1) would you support the right to self determination for Kurdish people which is enshrined in the UN charter? 2) would you consider Kurds in Norther Kurdistan equal to Turks> If so, would you support their right to education in Kurdish language? 3) would you agree with a democratically held referendum by the Kurds on whether or not they want to stay with Turkey or form their own independent state? I doubt if he say yes to any of the above! BUT, if you ask the same questions with regards to Cyprus Turks the answers will all be yes! Bigotry!!!
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4 0 Russel Check | 5 hours ago
"Peace at home peace abroad"? really? if by that he means kill of all the Greeks and Armenians and brutally assimilate every other minority left in Turkey then I guess they have "Peace at home", peace abroad they can only dream of, they are in the wrong neighborhood for that. And didn't the journalist have the balls to ask him why he keeps saying "Northern Iraq" when even Iraq is calling the region Kurdistan? why is he not "respecting" Iraq on that one?