ANKARA - Wednesday, February 9, 2005

'My advice to all Iraqi political leaders is this: Such rhetoric would lead them nowhere. What they should do is turn their faces towards Baghdad,' says Gül

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül warned Iraqi Kurds against pursuing an independent state in the north of Iraq, saying unrealistic projects and sharp rhetoric have caused hardship in Iraq in the past.

�Iraq and Iraqis have suffered so much in the past from improper leadership, unrealistic projects and slogans and now is the time for progress,� Gül told a press conference after talks with visiting Tunisian counterpart Abdelbaki Hermassi.

He was responding to a question about statements made by Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani that an independent Kurdish state was a natural right for Kurds. He also vowed not to renounce claims on the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

Gül said Turkey would not engage in a verbal exchange when asked to comment on Barzani remarks but said all Iraqis must focus their energy on building their country in a way in which all ethnic groups can live in peace. �Any other behavior that is not aimed at this goal would harm the people of Iraq and the region,� he said.

Turn your face to Baghdad':

The administration of Kirkuk, which sits on an estimated six percent of the world's oil reserves, has caused bitterness in Turkey's relations with Iraqi Kurds running three provinces in northern Iraq and strained ties with United States.

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman said in remarks yesterday that the question of Kirkuk was up to Iraqis but said the issue must be resolved in a way that protects Iraq's territorial integrity, a top priority for Washington.

Gül warned Iraqis against moves that could lead to disintegration of the country and said, now that the country is in a process of restructuring after Jan. 30 elections, they should work towards the unity of Iraq. �My advice to all Iraqi political leaders is this: Such rhetoric would lead them nowhere. Such rhetoric has been of no use for anybody and it will be of no use for him or her. What they should do is turn their faces towards Baghdad,� he said.

Emphasizing that Turkey has prevented many massacres and hardships in the region in the past, Gül said Turkey's aim was to make sure Iraq will live in peace with its people and its neighbors.

�ener calls for broader participation in constitution:

State Minister Abdüllatif �ener also issued a call yesterday for the inclusion of Iraqi groups who would not be represented in Iraqi National Assembly after Jan. 30 polls in efforts to draft a constitution for Iraq.

�Iraqi elections took place under conditions that can hardly be considered as ideal,� �ener told a meeting of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Turkey wants better representation for Iraqi Turkmens and a role for Sunni Arabs, who largely boycotted elections, in efforts to draft the new constitution.