ITC’s Aga: Without Turkey, We Would have Been Massacred

Aga said that the looting and conflicts of recent days had decreased in the two cities and that the atmosphere was calm. He said he had not met with Kurdish leaders Massoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani but had exchanged messages with them regarding several incidents.

Aga stated that people were experiencing great misery but added that the atmosphere was gradually becoming calmer. "Now is the time to activate the foundations. We are trying to do that. We witnessed the brutality of war as a nation, just like everybody else," he said. Admitting that incidents in Mosul and Kirkuk were causing concern on the part of Turkmens as regards their future, Aga stated: "Some armed Kurdish groups do not want democracy in this country. But we will bring democracy; we will do it with our Kurdish and Arab brothers."

Mehmet Demirci / Erbil (Arbil) / IRAQ