Barzani’s visit to Turkey, peace message, Kurdish official says

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, right, and Iraqi Kurdish leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Massoud Barzani shake hands before a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, (AP Photo/Serkan Senturk

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: The Chief of Kurdistan Region’s Presidency Office, Fuad Hussein,has said on Tuesday that Kurdistan President‘s recent visit for Turkey had been a message of peace and the Turkish officials have welcomed that message. “The visit of Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani, for Turkey was a message of peace and officials in Turkey have welcomed that message, and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) must welcome it as well,” Hussain said in an interview with the Voice of America. He said Barzani’s meetings with officials in Turkey had covered different aspects related to the joint relations between Turkey and Kurdistan and the current problems on the borders and security betrween both sides, adding that “Barzani had concentrated on the political solution for the current problems between both sides, during his talks with the Turkish officials.” “The Kurdistan Region’s President had confirmed during his visit the importance that the Kurds in Turkey achieve their goals through peaceful means and dialogue, and their struggle must be inside the Turkish Parliament,” he said. He stressed that the “Turish government had expressed readiness to continue the democratic openness towards the Kurds in Turkey.” As regards to the relations between Kurdistan Region and Turkey, Hussein said that the joint meetings were centered on furthers strengthening the relations between both sides,” confirming that “those relations won’t cover the security on the borders only, but necessity to end the fighting between the PKK elements and Turkey, along with all the border problems.” “it is to the interest of both sides to create new relations and necessity to end the fighting between PKK elements and Turkey, as well as ending the border problems between both sides,” he said. “We see that it is important to ceasefire and stop resorting to the use of arms to settle the current problems beween the PKK and Turkey,” he said, confirming that “the visit by Kurdistan President for Turkey had been a message of peace, he tried to get it reach both sides, whist the Turks have accepted that message, and the PKK must accept too.