Talabani, Barzani said to visit Ankara jointly in mid-June

Ankara - Turkish Daily News
June 4, 2001
SAADET ORUC

The leaders of the rival Iraqi Kurdish groups received an invitation from Ankara to jointly
visit the Turkish capital, Kurdish sources in Suleymaniyah in northern Iraq reported on the
weekend.

Reliable Turkish Daily News sources based in Suleymaniyah, in the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK)-controlled area, confirmed that both leaders, Jalal Talabani and Massoud
Barzani, have been invited and the visit will take place mid-June.

The agenda of the scheduled meeting is the revitalization of the Ankara peace process,
sources close to the Turkish military comment. The sharing of revenue gained from the
Habour border gate, the smart sanctions issue, which is said to displease both of the rival
Iraqi Kurdish parties, and the second border gate are expected to be raised at the meeting.
Sources claim that the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP's) unexpectedly getting closer
to Iran and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) elements in northern Iraq will also be
touched on at the meetings in Ankara.

Turkish Foreign Ministry officials, when asked by the TDN, said that although there might
be some premature plans, there was nothing concrete on the issue. The Turkish Foreign
Ministry has been following a policy of "hush-up" on Iraq for a while.

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and PUK representatives in Ankara refrained from
confirming the visits, despite the messages from Suleymaniyah where the headquarters of
PUK leader Jalal Talabani is based.

Considerable steps towards reconciliation

Important steps are being taken towards the reconciliation of the two rival Iraqi Kurdish
groups.

Regarding the situation of the Internally Displaced People (IDP), a solution is about to be
reached as a result of the meeting which took place on Saturday in Erbil with the
participation of security officials.

The security commission meetings have been held regularly, and will continue to do so,
since the beginning of 2001.

Turkey has been concerned about the recent developments in northern Iraq and a circular
has been published by the prime ministers office on Iraqi affairs, stating that any attempt to
establish of a Kurdish state will be considered as a "casus belli."

No matter, top officials at the Foreign Ministry denied the report the Hurriyet daily published,
with the full text of the secret document signed by top officials in Ankara.
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The Kurdistan Observer
www.kurdistanobserver.com