Gül discusses security issues with Talabani
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 18, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - President Abdullah Gül and his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani discussed cooperation and security issues during their meeting in Istanbul yesterday.
"If we act smart, we will share happiness. If not, we will only share pain," Gül told Talabani, who is currently in Turkey to attend the 5th World Water Forum.
Gül also said there was remarkable potential for the improvement of commercial and economic relations between Turkey and Iraq. Talabani, on his part, expressed his country's wish to establish relations at Turkey's highest level. "We see Turkey as our second motherland. Every Iraqi wants to see Istanbul in their life," Talabani told Gül.
Meanwhile Talabani said former Turkish President Turgut Özal told him he would wage war against former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War if the Arab countries handed over Mosul province to Turkey, in an interview with daily Sabah. "I believe Özal was a great leader. He believed in a federation system (for Turkey). His death was a great loss for both Turks and Kurds," he said. It was speculated that Özal had accepted to establish a Kurdish-Turkish federation in Turkey.
Talabani also told Sabah that Özal asked him several times to persuade Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, to a cease-fire.
Gül also said there was remarkable potential for the improvement of commercial and economic relations between Turkey and Iraq. Talabani, on his part, expressed his country's wish to establish relations at Turkey's highest level. "We see Turkey as our second motherland. Every Iraqi wants to see Istanbul in their life," Talabani told Gül.
Meanwhile Talabani said former Turkish President Turgut Özal told him he would wage war against former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War if the Arab countries handed over Mosul province to Turkey, in an interview with daily Sabah. "I believe Özal was a great leader. He believed in a federation system (for Turkey). His death was a great loss for both Turks and Kurds," he said. It was speculated that Özal had accepted to establish a Kurdish-Turkish federation in Turkey.
Talabani also told Sabah that Özal asked him several times to persuade Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, to a cease-fire.