What Mr. M Barzani said on 6th April 2007

I am posting this for someone called "Danny" in Scotland who said that he could not find any trace of Barzani saying that "Kurds are 30 million in Turkey"!!!!

BBC Monitoring International Reports
April 8, 2007 Sunday
IRAQ'S BARZANI INTERVIEWED ON KURDISH AFFAIRS, IRANIAN ROLE, TIES WITH ISRAEL
Dubai Al-Arabiya Television in Arabic at 2000 gmt on 6 April carries a 50-minute episode of its new programme "Frankly Speaking," presented by Elie Nakuzi. Guest of the programme is Mas'ud Barzani, president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, who is interviewed in Salah-al-Din in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

Extract:

Told that the Turks say they will not allow the Kurds to annex Kirkuk to Iraq's Kurdistan, Barzani says: "We will not allow the Turks to interfere in the issue of Kirkuk." Reminded that the Turks have "a huge army," Barzani says: "I do not fear their military power. No matter how strong their military power might be, it will not be stronger than that of Saddam." He adds: "I do not fear their military or diplomatic power because they interfere in an affair that does not concern them. They interfere in an internal affair of another country. Kirkuk is an Iraqi city of Kurdish identity. History, geography, and all facts prove that Kirkuk is part of Iraq's Kurdistan and Kurdistan is part of Iraq. Therefore, Kirkuk is an Iraqi city with a Kurdish identity and Turkey has no right to interfere in the issue of Kirkuk. If it does, we will interfere in the issue of Diyarbakr and other cities."

Asked if this is a threat, Barzani says: "This is not a threat but a reply to interference. What right does Turkey have to interfere in the issue of Kirkuk?" He then says: "If they allow themselves to interfere in the issue of Kirkuk for the sake of a few thousand Turkomans there, we will then interfere for the 30 million Kurds in Turkey." Asked if things will reach this limit, he hopes not and says: "If the Turks insist on interfering in the issue of Kirkuk, I will be ready to bear all the consequences and not allow them to peddle their plan in Kirkuk."Responding to another question, he says: "If we are denied our right to settle down and live freely, I swear by God that we will not allow others to live in security or stability." He adds: "We are ready to defend our freedom and our cause to the end."it."
Source: Al-Arabiya TV, Dubai, in Arabic 2000 gmt 6 Apr 07
posted by Juan @ 4/10/2007 06:10:00 AM