ANKARA Ñ The Bush administration has assured Turkey that the United
States will not support the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern
Iraq.
"A separate Kurdish state in the north would be destabilizing to Turkey
and would be unacceptable to the United States," U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told a conference
in Istanbul. "Fortunately, the Kurds of Northern Iraq increasingly seem to
understand this fact and understand the importance of thinking of themselves
as Iraqis who will participate fully in the political life of a future
democratic Iraq."
Wolfowitz arrived in Turkey on Sunday to
discuss Ankara's participation in the U.S. military campaign against Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported.
Regarded as Turkey's most effective advocate in the
administration, Wolfowitz, said he understood Turkish fears of a Kurdish state. But he
added that Turkey could become a key strategic partner to a democratic Iraq.
Officials said Turkey's main concern is that an independent Kurdish
entity in northern Iraq would prompt calls by Kurds in southeastern Turkey
to demand independence. They said the Kurds are already being torn by
insurgents from such countries as Iran, Iraq, Syria and those linked to Al
Qaida.
"Turkey is naturally interested in the fate of the Turcoman minority in
Iraq, which, like the rest of the Iraqi population, has suffered grievously
from tyrannical rule," Wolfowitz said. "And Turkey reasonably wishes to be
assured that events in Iraq won't have a negative impact on its own unity."
Over the last 10 days, Kurdish insurgents from the Jund Islam group have
been battling forces from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan for control of
key sites near the Iranian border. So far, the PUK is said to have repelled
the insurgents.
