Barham Saleh:  'Turkey is very important for us' 

Turkish Daily News
Oct 12, 2001

   Barham Saleh, a leading name of Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union Kurdistan (PUK),
   said they gave great importance to the improvement of ties with Turkey. 

   Saleh, who is in Washington, made a speech at the Washington Institute,
   concentrating on recent developments in Iraq, in a clear aim to give warm messages
   to Ankara. 

   Saleh quoted Talabani as saying that the secular and democratic order in Turkey was
   very important for them. 

   Stating that they are in close cooperation with Turkey in the fight against the Kurdistan
   Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization, Saleh said they did not want the PKK
   presence in their region. 

   Saleh went to Washington for talks on northern Iraq. 
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