Iraqi Kurds abuzz over rumors of Gül visit to Arbil

HEMIN HUSSEIN Oct 17th 2008

President Abdullah Gül has denied that he received an invitation to visit Arbil, the regional capital of the Kurdish administration running northern Iraq, during a planned visit to Iraq, but even media rumors that he might set foot in the Kurdish city have caused excitement among residents of northern Iraq. The Turkish media reported earlier this week that Gül was considering an invitation from the Kurds to visit Arbil to open an airport in the city. Gül stated later that he had plans to visit Iraq but that no date had yet been set. Earlier, his office had said there was no invitation for the president to visit Arbil. But the prospects of a presidential visit from Turkey have already excited Iraqi Kurds, who have had troubled relations with Turkey over the past several years. "The visit of President Abdullah Gül to Arbil will be the result of a very brave decision and will act as a building block for the relationship between Turkey and the Kurdistan regional government in Iraq; it will indeed act as a grand benefit for both sides," said Serbaz Hawrami, the chief of staff of Iraqi Kurds' regional prime minister, Nechirvan Barzani. "Although on our behalf no official invitation was sent to President Gül, we are more than delighted to hear the news of his visit," he added. The Arbil airport, which is expected to be opened soon, is the largest investment of Turkish companies in the region of northern Iraq, with an estimated overall cost of $420 million. In September Gül said he would like to visit Iraq in the near future, after Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, in a meeting in New York reiterated the invitation to Gül during a session of the UN General Assembly. Arez Abdullah, a member of the local Kurdish parliament who visited Ankara in May and met with numerous Turkish lawmakers, expressed satisfaction with any visit by Turkish officials. "For a long time we, as Iraqi Kurds, have desired such a visit by Turkish officials and it is in the interests of Turkey more than us." Ties between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds have deteriorated following the US-led war on Iraq, with Ankara accusing the Kurdish administration of harboring the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which launches attacks on Turkey from its bases in northern Iraq. "We do not support the PKK; we even consider it an illegal group in our territory with no permission to operate here," said Abdullah. A source speaking on condition of anonymity told Today's Zaman that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki recently put a great deal of pressure on Kurdish leaders to have them aid in resolving tensions between the Kurdish administration and central government as soon as possible. Maliki told Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, currently in Baghdad, that it is necessary to solve all matters together; therefore, the Kurdish leaders are delighted to see any positive steps undertaken by Ankara, the same source said. In response to a question on the role of Turkey regarding the tensions between Arbil and Baghdad, Hawrami said: "Turkey is a very important neighbor for us in terms of political and economic affairs. Thus we hope to see a constructive role played by Turkey." The people of northern Iraq have become increasingly angry with the PKK attacks on Turkey and Turkish aerial strikes in northern Iraq in retaliation. Many believe that a visit by Gül could play a valuable role in finding ways to resolve the problem. Nyaz Abdullah, managing editor of Midya newspaper, renowned for its nationalistic rhetoric in the Iraqi Kurdish region, said: "We like to see Gül in our region; nevertheless, we hope the relations will not be at the expense of the Kurdish people's rights." Fatima Muhammad, 29, a former PKK member who is now working as journalist in northern Iraq, expressed mixed emotions concerning the prospects of Gül's visit to northern Iraq. She, like many others, is optimistic for the potential positive result of this particular visit. "No one is fond of violence. I am calling on President Gül and the Turkish state in general to solve the Kurdish issue in Turkey, if they really want to put an end to the PKK." As a former PKK member, she is one of the many who are waiting impatiently for a general amnesty to be able to return to Turkey. Maaruf Nabaz, 20, a graduate of one of the Turkish schools in northern Iraq, also expressed hope, comparing the current state of Kurdish-Turkish relations to that of the recent thaw between Turkey and Armenia. "As football took Gül to Yerevan and improved relations, it is possible that an inaugural ceremony could bring him to our region. That will facilitate a starting point to a route toward brotherly relations," said Nabaz, referring to Gül's September visit to Armenia to watch a World Cup qualifying match between national teams of the two countries. : TODAY'S ZAMMAN