Article 140 did not stipulate joining Kirkuk to Kurdistan – Turkmen statement

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com:  The Turkmen Front said today that Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution did not stipulate adhering Kirkuk to Kurdistan region, charging Kurdish premier Barham Saleh of using Kirkuk question for political ends, according to a statement. The statement, copy received by IraqiNews.com, added that “dialogue is the best way to solve all pending questions in Iraq, including Kirkuk, but there are parties want to make hindrances”. “Article 140 is a disputed article since it was inserted in the constitution, which many regarded it as constitutionally dead item, because it did not stipulate that Kirkuk should join the Kurdish region”, the statement added. The oil-rich disputed areas between Baghdad and Arbil are solved through normalization, census and referendum on the fate of these area, but the Turkmen and the Arabs insist that the validity of this article has ended after determining 2007 as the dead line for its implementation, but the Kurds see the opposite. The Front pointed out in the statement that UNAMI stressed in a report issued in April  2009 that this article dos not provide a solution to Kirkuk question, but sees that it could be solved through “a special region with joint administration among it original people”. Kurdish National Union Party quoted Barham Saleh that “there is no bargaining on Kirkuk which  should be returned to Kurdistan”, pointing out that “the Kurdish leadership will never abandon Kirkuk or the implementation of Article 140, which matter stressed by premier Maliki his abidance by the constitution, including this article.” RM (TR)/SR Number of Reads:417