Turkish and Iraqi Kurdish Rapprochement Ominous for PKK


May 13, 2008 - By David Romano (from Terrorism Focus, May 13) - In a significant change of policy, Turkey recently initiated high-level official dialogue with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq. A columnist for the Turkish mass circulation daily Zaman commented that such an official dialogue “was not an ordinary step. It was a turning point in the approach to the Kurdish issue and broke a taboo” (Zaman, May 5). The talks—which focused on a wide range of political, economic and security issues—are the first to occur on such a high official level. The May 2 talks in Baghdad involved a delegation led by KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and a Turkish delegation led by Ahmet Davutoglu, the senior advisor to the Turkish prime minister; Murat Ozcelik, the special coordinator for Iraqi affairs at the Turkish Foreign Ministry; and Derya Kanbay, Turkey’s ambassador in Baghdad. The KRG official media described the meetings as cordial, open and focused on a convergence of common interests of both parties. According to the KRG, “Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani expressed the Kurdistan Region’s desire to develop good neighborly relations with Turkey. He recognized Turkey’s legitimate concerns and highlighted the importance of solving common problems through cooperation, political negotiation and dialogue” (KRG Statement, May 2).