“De facto developments are not allowed either in the region or in Mosul”
11.06.2014
President Abdullah Gül, after the Order of Merit Presentation Ceremony held at the Çankaya Presidential Palace, responded to queries from the press as to the current development in Mosul.
Question: Mr. President, there are concerns in the region due to ISIS. It was reported by news agencies that it was moving forward to Kirkuk. Can you share your evaluations with us regarding the recent developments in the region?
President Gül: “I drew attention to the possible developments that could emerge in the region during a speech I made in the US last year and I warned our allies against such developments then. If a vacuum is left in the region, it is filled in this way or another. I had underscored this issue during my address at the TBMM before as well. We are closely following these developments. The Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces are in close consultation and they have hold coordination meetings in this regard. Mosul is Iraq’s second biggest city. These developments canot be acceptable at all and de facto developments in the region are not allowed.”
Q: Mr. President, some people suggest that Turkey must secure its borders and that the regional countries can act together. On the other hand, it is known that there are some problems between the Maliki government and the Turkish government. Could Turkey conduct direct talks with the actors in the country in the face of these recent developments?
President Gül: “Turkey does not have any problem with Iraq’s territorial intergity or its domestic issues at all. Even so, it is a fact that our relations with Iraq are not as good as we want them to be. Turkey has always respected Iraq’s territorial integrity, its constitution and its people’s decisions. When this is the case, I believe that it will be useful to have talks with them regarding security issues and terrorist activities.”
