TURKEY: Turkey expressed its concern yesterday over ethnic and political divisions in neighbouring Iraq and said it could not stand quietly by if Kurds took control of the major northern oil hub of Kirkuk.
Ethnic tensions have risen in Kirkuk, a city of 750,000, as political groups jostle for advantage before the June 30th handover of power in Iraq from the US occupation forces to an interim government.
Turkey fears Kurdish domination of Kirkuk and its energy resources will greatly boost prospects for Kurdish autonomy and possibly even independence, which in turn could help reignite separatism among Ankara's own Kurds in southeastern Turkey.
"Everybody knows about Turkish sensitivities over Kirkuk. We would never allow (Kurdish domination to become) a fait accompli in Kirkuk," Foreign Minister Mr Abdullah Gul told reporters.
"Everyone should have their fair share of the country's wealth." Kurds regard Kirkuk as a Kurdish city and want to reverse Saddam Hussein's "Arabisation" policy which forced Kurds from their homes, replacing them with mostly Shia Muslim Arabs.
But Turkmen, with close linguistic and ethnic ties to Turkey, insist they are the original inhabitants of Kirkuk.
"Turkey backs Iraq's political and territorial integrity.
"The division of Iraq should not be allowed," Mr Gul said.
In comments reported by Turkish media at the weekend, Iraqi Kurdish leader Mr Masoud Barzani was quoted as saying Turkey had signalled an easing of its opposition to a federal structure in Iraq, provided it did not lead to a separate Kurdish state.
Prime Minister Mr Tayyip Erdogan and Mr Gul both denied there had been any change in Turkish policy on Iraq.
Turkish security forces are currently facing an upsurge in violent clashes with Kurdish guerrillas in the southeast after the rebels called off a six-year unilateral ceasefire.
The security forces say some 2,000 Kurdish fighters have crossed into Turkey recently from hideouts in northern Iraq.
Mr Gul said Turkey would urge the US President, Mr George W. Bush, at planned talks in Ankara next Sunday to crack down on the Turkish Kurdish rebels still holed up in northern Iraq.