Turkey voiced unhappiness over Iraq constitution

"The interim law does not satisfy us, it increases our concerns," Anatolia news agency quoted the Turkish government’s spokesman, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, as saying.

In Dallas, Texas, US President George W. Bush congratulated Iraqis and their governing council Monday on their new interim constitution, calling it "an important step" towards the June 30 transfer to self-rule.

"I congratulate the Iraqi Governing Council and the Iraqi people on completing the Transitional Administrative law for Iraq," the president said in a statement released by the White House.

"This document is an important step toward the establishment of a sovereign government on June 30th," added Bush, who was in Texas raising money for his reelection bid.

But Cicek said Turkey sees the constitution "as an arrangement that will not help the establishment of permanent peace in Iraq and one that will allow for the continuation for a long time of unrest and instability there." He did not specify which provisions of the interim constitution irked Turkey.

Turkey has repeatedly warned against moves in its southern neighbor that could help Iraqi Kurds enhance their self-rule in the north of the country.

It fears that increased political influence for the Iraqi Kurds could set an example for their restive cousins in adjoining southeast Turkey, where a bloody Kurdish rebellion has only recently subdued.

Under the interim constitution, Iraqi Kurdistan will retain its federal status and the rest of Iraq will be given the right to prepare to form states.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi welcomed the signing of the interim constitution as "an important step toward building a framework for the political process.

"With this document, we hope the political process will progress … toward establishment of a peaceful and stable nation," she said in a statement, adding that Japan was committed to continuing help for its reconstruction.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw hailed what he called a "significant achievement" and paid tribute tribute to "all parties to this agreement, for their patience and for the spirit of consensus in which they have negotiated it."

"This is the clearest demonstration to date of the strong desire to build a free, stable and democratic society in Iraq, despite the terrorist violence which seeks to deny the people of Iraq the future they want," he added.

Britain continues to occupy southern Iraq with 10,000 troops, after joining the United States in the March 20 invasion last year that led to the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

In Paris, French foreign ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous said: "We hope that the adoption of this basic law will help consolidate the process of restoring sovereignty and the establishment of a state of law in Iraq."

In Moscow, Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said that Moscow believes that the interim constitution "will also help quickly return sovereignty to Iraq, and restore its position on the international arena."

In Tehran, Iran gave its blessing to the signing of the new Iraqi interim constitution by Iraq’s US-appointed Governing Council, praising the document as an "effective step in the transfer of power to the Iraqi people".

In Riyadh, the Saudi government also hailed the agreement on Iraq’s interim constitution and expressed hope "that the signing of the interim constitution will lead to establishing an independent government and to a return of sovereignty and independence for brotherly Iraq."

In Amman, Jordan called the signing of the interim constitution a "step forward" that would help Iraqis recover their sovereignty and preserve their unity.

"Any step decided by the Iraqi people and their authorities that helps them recover their responsibilities and authority quickly and contribute to rebuilding Iraq’s national institutions is a step forward," government spokeswoman Asma Khodr told AFP.