Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu: Relations between Turkey and KRG to improve

Istanbul (Daily Sabah) - Speaking at the Suleymaniyah Forum held in Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said yesterday, "They told my generation all the time that other countries and other ethnic groups are a threat to Turkey. This is not correct; all of them are our friends. There is no inside or outside threat to Turkey."

Mentioning the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Masoud Barzani's visit to Turkey last year, the foreign minister recalled how Barzani had saluted the public in his own language of Kurdish to highlight increased awareness of Kurds in Turkey. Davutoğlu noted that a sense of belonging is the biggest future challenge for the region, with a sense of citizenship going hand-in-hand with a sense of belonging.

There should be no discrimination based on ethnic backgrounds or sects, he added. With this year's theme of "Navigating Challenges in the Middle East," Davutoğlu remarked on the Arab Spring, suggesting no power can stand against the new generation's demands. "Standing against any ethnic group or sect is a mistake, we should respect them," he said.

Highlighting Turkey's 2023 vision, the foreign minister echoed the government's sentiments that Turkey looks to include not only its public but also its neighbors in its political vision for the coming years.

Regarding the current situation in Iraq, Davutoğlu said, "We should not allow any sectarian conflict in Iraq and must respect each other's sovereignty." Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari made reference to the first Kurdish female lawmaker in Turkey's history, Leyla Zana, who won a seat in the Parliament in 1991. "Leyla Zana was imprisoned for taking her parliamentary oath in Kurdish, but today, Davutoğlu saluted the people of Suleymaniyah in Kurdish. No one could have anticipated that 10 years ago," Zebari said.

Referring to negotiations to pipe Iraqi oil to the world market via Turkey, Davutoğlu said relations between Turkey and the KRG would continue to improve.

In January 2014, crude oil from the KRG region began flowing through a new pipeline between Northern Iraq and Turkey.
Tensions between the KRG and Iraqi Central Government over the budget allocation of oil exports previously halted the first pipeline for Kurdish crude oil exports.

Amidst tensions between Irbil and Baghdad, Turkish authorities maintained their calm and expected both sides to reach another agreement. Talks between Irbil and Baghdad continue, however sources claim progress has been made with the sides close to reaching a deal over the oil dispute. Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız confirmed this sentiment during an interview with Daily Sabah's Ankara correspondent on Feb. 23.