Iraqi Prime Minister meets Kurdish leader
(2 Jun 2007) 1. Mid of Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister and Massoud Barzani, Kurdish President, entering press conference 2. Cutaway of journalists 3. Set up of al-Maliki and Barzani seated at microphone 4. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister: "The duration of the forces (American forces) would stay for 50 years. This is baseless because this matter is up to the Iraqi people and the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people have not made a decision yet, and discussion on this matter did not take place." 5. Cutaway to cameramen 6. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister: "Our brothers in the Kurdistan region: the Iraqi Federal government rejects that Iraqi territories be a base to harm the neighbouring countries. If there are some problems, we should not rely on weapons and threats or use violence and power, because this will increase tension and deepen problems. Secondly, the Iraqi territory should be respected and we will not allow it to become a battleground, as we don't want to harm neighbouring countries. So we don't want the others (referring to Turkey) to enter Iraqi territory through military incursion or a fight of any kind." 7. Wide of al-Maliki and Barzani during press conference STORYLINE The Iraqi prime minister on Saturday urged Turkey not to stage a military incursion in northern Kurdistan, and vowed the relatively peaceful territory would not be "turned into a battleground." Speaking from a joint press conference with Kurdish president, Massoud Barzani, in the Kurdish capital of Irbil, Nouri al-Maliki presented a united force between the two territories and favoured the use of diplomacy with Turkey, over "violence and power." "If there are some problems, we should not rely on weapons and threats... this will increase tension and deepen problems," he told the news conference. Turkey has been building up military forces on the Iraqi border in recent weeks as political and military leaders debate whether to attack rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, (PKK) who have staged raids in southeast Turkey after crossing over from hideouts in Iraq. During the news conference al-Maliki issued a warning to Turkey, telling them not to enter Iraqi territory. "We don't want the others (referring to Turkey) to enter Iraqi territory through military incursion or a fight of any kind," he said. The Iraqi president voiced a desire to protect neighbouring countries from potential clashes that may arise if Turkey was to go ahead with its cross border incursion. "The Iraqi Federal government rejects that Iraqi territories be a base to harm the neighbouring countries," al-Maliki said. The Iraqi leader also dismissed concerns that United States (US) forces would stay in Iraq for 50 years following a White House comparison to the US presence in South Korea. He called the comparison "baseless." "This matter is up to the Iraqi people and the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people have not make a decision yet, and discussion on this matter did not take place," al-Maliki said. Turkey has accused Iraqi Kurds - who once fought alongside Turkish soldiers against the PKK in Iraq, of supporting separatist rebels. There are major concerns among Turkish officials that the war in Iraq could lead to the country's disintegration, prompting the creation of a Kurdish state in the north. Turkey is also worried that Iraqi Kurds' efforts to incorporate the oil-rich city of Kirkuk into the self-governing region in northern Iraq could embolden rebels seeking self-rule in southeast Turkey. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
