Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 16/08/07 - 03/11/07

Syria's Assad, in Ankara, backs Turkey over Kurds

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has backed neighbouring Turkey's tough stance over Kurdish rebels operating out of northern Iraq.

"Without a doubt, we support the decisions taken by the Turkish government against terrorism and we accept them as a legitimate right of Turkey," Assad told a joint news conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Wednesday.

Turkey's parliament was expected later on Wednesday to grant permission to the army to conduct cross-border incursions into mainly Kurdish northern Iraq against rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who use the region as a base.

Assad said U.S. forces in Iraq were the main source of the "terrorist activities" in that country. Syria is accused by Washington of sponsoring terrorism.

Turkey is a NATO ally of the United States but Ankara fears U.S. policy in Iraq is leading inexorably to the creation of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq.

It fears this could reignite separatism among Turkey's own large ethnic Kurdish population in the southeast.

Opposition to a Kurdish state has pushed Turkey closer to Syria and Iran, arch-foes of the United States which are also both home to large Kurdish communities.

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Syria signed an agreement on boosting economic, political, security and energy cooperation.

De****e its frustration with U.S. policy in Iraq, Turkey remains firmly anchored in Western security structures and hopes to join the European Union.

It is also one of the few countries in the region to have close security and trade ties with Syria's enemy Israel.

Ankara blames the PKK for the deaths of more than 30,000 people since the group launched its armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey in 1984.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17336011.htm

Maliki calls Erdogan before Turkish parliament meets

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki telephoned his Turkish counterpart, Tayyip Erdogan, on Wednesday to reiterate his commitment to stopping Kurdish rebels from using Iraq as a launchpad for attacks, state television said.

The call came shortly before Turkey's parliament was due to meet to approve cross-border operations to hunt down PKK rebels hiding out in the mountainous north of Iraq.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL738614.htm

Deputy PM says Iraq some way off Oil Law Agreement

Iraq's government has the political majority to pass a long-awaited oil law but will hold off until broader acceptance has been reached, which could take some time, Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih said on Wednesday.

The country's central government agreed on a draft oil law early this year, under which control and revenue from Iraq's oil reserves are to be shared among Baghdad and the provinces. But the law has since been stalled by political infighting.

"Most of the elements of the oil law are in place and if we were to decide to go to parliament and...present it any time soon, we probably can muster the political majority it needs to pass," Salih said.

"But...we want this law to unify Iraqis, not to divide Iraqis. We will not want this law to pass (with) 51 percent of the vote. We have to have broad acceptance of this law and we have some work to do in that regard," he added, during a discussion at international affairs think tank Chatham House.

Frustrated by delays and disagreements over amendments to the law, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) approved its own oil law in August and has signed several contracts. In response, Iraq's Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani has repeatedly said the contracts are illegal.

Asked whether he considered the KRG contracts to be legitimate, Salih, a Kurd, said: "It is not up to the ministry of oil to decide the legality of such contracts, it is for the constitutional court in Iraq to decide the legality or illegality of such contracts."

Describing the oil law as "like a rollercoaster", Salih said he believed Iraq could still succeed at courting investment from abroad in its oil sector, de****e all the existing problems.

"The time has come for us to opt for a serious effort at drawing international investment in the Iraqi oil sector. We are still falling very, very short of the potential of Iraq in terms of production and export levels," he said.

"Iraq, I believe, can do this thing. The way oil has been managed in Iraq has been no less than a disaster."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt...42188320071017

Demand for dollar soars in daily auction

Demand for the dollar increased in the Iraqi Central Bank’s auction on Wednesday, reaching $117.140 million compared to $71.275 million last Thursday.

In its daily statement, the bank said it had covered all bids, including $11.150 million in cash and $105.990 in foreign transfers, at an exchange rate of 1,232 dinars per dollar, the same for the fifth consecutive day.

The 15 banks that participated in Wednesday's session offered to sell one million dollars, which the bank bought at an exchange rate of 1,230 dinars per dollar.

In statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, said that the dramatic increase in the demand for dollar is attributed to the long period of closure because of the Eid al-Fitr (the Lesser Bairam) and the announcement made by the Central Bank to stabilize the dollar exchange rate until tomorrow's session.

The Iraqi Central Bank runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.


Demand for dollar soars in daily auction | Iraq Updates

Southern province markets in Eid…higher prices, lower demand

Shopping for feast clothes and sweets is an old tradition that all people, no matter their financial situation, share. This Eid al-Fitr (Lesser Bairam) residents of southern Iraqi provinces noticed an unprecedented rise in prices of all consumer goods, including those produced locally, dashing their hopes of bringing a smile to the lips of their children, who were unable to enjoy the feast without enough money.

With higher prices and apparently lower demand for all goods, many people were forced to celebrate with a very modest budget.

Ali al-Fahham, a wholesale trader of children's clothes in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, 160 km southwest of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) that he attributes the falling demand for goods to the enactment of the tax law and the displacement of scores of traders as a result of the deteriorating security situation.

Karrar al-Hakeem, an owner of a women's clothes shop in Najaf, said that clothes prices saw a 25% increase compared to last year. "The purchasing power also fell by 50% compared to the previous year. The beginning of the new academic year coincided with the Eid, which added to the already high prices of clothes," he said.

Hajj Jaafar Sadiq al-Nijm, a jeweler in the city, said that gold prices slightly increased this year, prompting individuals to avoid luxury goods and concentrate on other vital goods.

When asked about their reactions to price increases, many interviewees said that their monthly salaries did not allow them to afford new clothes for Eid.

Ihsan Abdul Amir from Karbala told VOI, "Prices have doubled this year. A suit for a 9-year-old child is now sold for 15,000 Iraqi dinars (12 U.S. dollars) instead of 10,000 dinars (8 U.S. dollars) before the Eid. The same applies to men's clothes."

Amal, a government employee who said she could not afford one new suit, called on storekeepers to rethink their prices, which she said are increasingly unaffordable. "We (government employees) did not receive our Eid bonus this year, which made it even worse" Amal explained.

Speaking in a sorrowful tone, Hussein Abd Ali, a vegetables seller, said, "I brought my wife and children to this market, but it is obviously not the right place for poor people like us. Prices are too high; only rich people can afford them."

Fadil Abd Ali, a foodstuff wholesale trader in al-Khudara market in the southern Iraqi province of Basra, said that some traders corner the markets and sell at higher prices. "Prices will soon get back to their normal level in the coming few days, when the demand for foodstuff drops," he indicated.

Southern province markets in Eid…higher prices, lower demand | Iraq Updates

Iraq's Kurdistan government regrets Turkish parliament's approval of Iraq incursion

Iraq's Kurdistan government on Wednesday expressed regret with the Turkish parliament's approval of a possible incursion into northern Iraq to pursue the Turkish outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters.

"We regret the Turkish parliament’s approval of an incursion into Iraq as it may lead to destabilizing the region," Jamal Abdulla, the official spokesman for the Kurdistan government, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Abdulla's statement came as the first Kurdish official commented on the Turkish parliament's approval of bill that would give the Turkish army the green light to launch incursion into northern Iraq for chasing the PKK's fighters.

The spokesman also said "we prefer to resolve the issue through dialogue rather than resorting to the military solution."

Earlier on Wednesday, the Turkish parliament gave a go-ahead mandate for the Turkish government to pursue the Turkish banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) inside the Iraqi territories.

Only 19 lawmakers out of the 555 parliament members voted against the bill, which permitted any Turkish incursion into northern Iraq to chase fighters allegedly using mountain areas in northern Iraq as a base to attack Turkish targets.

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the parliamentary session.

The motion came at a time that both Iraq and the U.S. urged Turkey to show self-restraint and to seek a peaceful means of resolving the crisis.
Last week, the Turkish government sought a mandate from the parliament to chase the PKK's fighters inside the Iraqi territories after 13 Turkish soldiers were ambushed by PKK in southeastern Turkey.

Erdogan however, said that the mandate did not mean an imminent incursion into northern Iraq, expressing hope that "the military action be avoided."

Iraq's Kurdistan government regrets Turkish parliament's approval of Iraq incursion | Iraq Updates

Bush urges Turkey not to Strike in Iraq

US President ,George W. Bush strongly urged Turkey on Wednesday not to carry out cross-border strikes on Kurdish separatist fighters based in nearby Iraq.

"We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don't think it is in their interests to send troops into Iraq," he said at a White House press conference.

"There's a better way to deal with the issue than having the Turks send massive troops into the country -- massive additional troops into the country," the president said.

PUKmedia :: English - Bush urges Turkey not to Strike in Iraq

Mufti: Turkey should take Path of Dialogue; Resolve their Problems far from the Language of Threat

The speaker of Kurdistan region parliament ,Mr. Adnan Mufti, during a session held today said : "The Turkish threats are not new ,where in various pretexts Turkey threatened Iraq and Kurdistan region , which is supported by people and Constitution of Iraq, and the Turkish government should respect international laws ,the Iraqi Constitution , the principles of good neighborhood and common interests between the two sides since any threat or invasion will not be in interests to both sides, because if their pretexts for incursion in the territory of Kurdistan region is the war on terrorism, we believe that the Turkish threats aim only the Kurdistan region experience, and this will strengthens terrorism and creates a vacuum zone for terrorists to carry out terrorist aims.”

He also said that Turkey should take the path of dialogue, understanding and resolve their problems far from the language of threat and evil, valuing the stand of the Iraqi government, which referred to the return to the Tripartite Commission to solve the problems through dialogue and understanding.

He also hoped that the Turkish Parliament to use wisdom and to return to the logic of thought and provides a wider space for peace and dialogue.

PUKmedia :: English - Mufti: Turkey should take Path of Dialogue; Resolve their Problems far from the Language of Threat

Russian Lawmakers call on Turkey to Exercise Restraint

Russia's lower house of parliament (Duma) on Tuesday called on Turkey to not launch a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, and said the U.S. invasion of Iraq was a "gross violation of international law."

"A military operation in northern Iraq will further destabilize the already tense situation in the region," said the resolution, which passed 338-0.
Turkey should "evaluate all possible negative consequences of a cross-border counterterrorism operation ... and display characteristic wisdom, foresight and restraint," it said.

PUKmedia :: English - Russian Lawmakers call on Turkey to Exercise Restraint

Turkey authorizes operations in Iraq

The Turkish parliament voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to allow its army to carry out military operations against Kurdish separatists in Iraq.

The resolution, which passed 507-19, gives Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan authority for a year to order cross-border operations, The Washington Post reported.

Other members of NATO oppose any Turkish military incursions into Iraq, The New York Times said. In the United States, President George w. Bush said Wednesday he did not think a cross-border operation is in Turkey's interest.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said his government would act against any groups using his country as a base for raids against Turkey.

Turkish officials promised to avoid hasty action.

"After so many incidents we are at the point where patience has run out," said Cemil Cicek, the parliament speaker. "We are, however, a great nation and a great state. What suits a great nation is the exercise of patience at the point where patience has run out, to find the right way and lock on to the right target."

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