We fear new chaos to erupt while peace expected

Following his meeting with Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, a member of the Iraqi Interim Governing Council and the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), Gul and Al-Hakim held a joint press conference.

Gul said that Turkey could make every kind of proposal regarding preparation of new constitution of Iraq and to this end, a meeting would be held in Turkey in coming months.

Gul did not name who would be invited to the meeting.

Noting that their sole desire was appearance of a constitution which would be accepted by all sides in Iraq, Gul said that Turkey had duties and responsibilities for making contribution to it and all members of the Interim Governing Council were pleased with Ankara’s contributions.

Gul said that Al-Hakim had told him at the meeting that a federation on ethnic, religious and sects basis in Iraq was not right, and he had told Al-Hakim that they shared same opinions.

Noting that settlement of peace and stability and democracy and economic development in Iraq was beneficial not only to Iraq but also to Turkey and whole region, Gul said that Turkey had been continuing to making constructive contribution to this end.

Stating that Iraq was currently going through a critical process, several basic laws would be approved and later a constitution would be prepared, Gul said that Turkey encouraged Arabs, Kurds, Turks and all other minorities to act in cooperation in a way of protecting their motherland.

Recalling that meetings of Iraq’s neighboring countries on this issue had been held and Iraq’s territorial integrity had been stressed at those meetings, Gul said that Iraqi people had suffered serious problems and Turkey wanted prosperity, peace and stability to prevail in Iraq while a new period was beginning.

"We fear that new chaos would erupt while everybody expects peace, stability and prosperity. It should not be allowed. To this end, all Iraqi people should be in cooperation with their neighboring countries. We hope that wrong steps would not be taken. All Iraqi people and their neighboring countries, and undoubtedly the United States which is currently the highest authority in Iraq, Britain and all coalition forces have such responsibility," Gul added.

Meanwhile, sources said that the meeting at which proposals for new Iraqi constitution would be discussed would be held at academic level.
Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, a member of the Iraqi Interim Governing Council and the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), said on Tuesday that federation issue was very important in Iraq but they had postponed discussion of this issue until formation of the assembly that would prepare the new constitution.

Following his meeting with Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, Al-Hakim and Gul held a joint press conference.

Al-Hakim said that as former Iraqi opposition forces, they had discussed the federation issue and it was an issue which they had adopted.

"However, we agreed that it would be a federation for all Iraqi people. We underlined that it would be a federation that is accepted by all Iraqi people and we reached compromise that this federation should be inside one Iraq," he said.

They had discussed this issue in the past and they had reached an agreement on it with Kurds but it should include more details so they had thought that the issue should be accepted and adopted by an elected assembly that would prepare the new constitution, he said.

Replying a question about Iraqi Kurds’ federation demand, Al-Hakim said that Kurds had encountered some problems and they had some concerns so they had been exerting efforts to get some of their rights due to those concerns.

Replying a question about Turkmens’ concerns, Al-Hakim said also Turkmens had the right to demand their rights and it was quite right to take steps to this end.

Stressing that all sides in Iraq had several concerns, Al-Hakim said that they wanted formation of a constitution assembly and representation of this assembly by all Iraqi people to remove their concerns.

Al-Hakim said that they did not accept selection of the assembly that would prepare the constitution by the United States and they had presented a proposal about election of the assembly by all Iraqi people and representation of all Iraqi people in the assembly.

Al-Hakim said that hey were in favor of holding elections as soon as possible with respect to get opinions of people. Noting that he had held very important, constructive and sincere meetings with Turkish officials in Ankara, Al-Hakim said that they had put forward several principles that should be implemented in Iraq.

Al-Hakim said that those principles were ‘providing Iraq’s territorial integrity, holding elections and getting opinions of people about preparation of constitution, formation of a political system away from dictatorship, election of power and power institutions, prevention of all ethnic, religious and sects discrimination in Iraq, showing respect to Islamic identity of Iraqi people and participation of all Iraqi people in determination of Iraq’s future’.

Noting that they had also discussed issue of federalism, Al-Hakim said that they had stressed importance of historical ties between Turkey and Iraq and having good relations on basis of neighborhood and joint interests.

Stating that they had discussed the important role that Turkey would play in political, economic, cultural, social and security areas under rebuilding of Iraq and they had seen that they had very close opinions with Turkey, Al-Hakim added that they had also discussed U.N.’s role in Iraq and issue of handing over the mission of providing security in Iraq to Iraqi people.