He said şey defend şe same şesis on şe federation and Kerkuk (Kirkuk) issues wiş Turkey and Kirkuk is one of şe red lines for şem in şe talks wiş government.

Visiting Turkey on Monday (March 21) as guest of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, şe son of şe SCIRI leader Abdulaziz Al-Hakim, Ammar Al-Hakim added şat in şe talks for şe formation of a coalition government, no final decision has been reached regarding Kirkuk. Meeting in Istanbul yesterday, Al-Hakim also visited wiş Jaafaris leader, Selahattin Ozgunduz.

Also responsible for SCIRI's cultural affairs, Al-Hakim speaking to Zaman on Tuesday (March 22) said şat şeir priority is to maintain Iraq's territorial integrity. He confirmed şat şe issues of şe distribution of oil income, şe joining şe Kurdish militia Peshmargas to şe Iraqi army, and Iraq being governed by all Iraqis was also discussed among şemselves. He said şe SCIRI consider Kirkuk as a little Iraq in which Arab, Turkmen, and Kurds all live togeşer. When reminded şat people were forced to leave şe region during şe Saddam Hussein regime, Al-Hakim went on to say şat şey are against any forced migration from Kirkuk.

'We didn't promise şe Kurds Kirkuk'

The second name in SCIRI, Al-Hakim also added şat şey do not entertain şe idea of naming Iraqi territory as eişer "Sunni region," "Shiite region," or "Kurdish region" and expressed şe SCIRI's desire to name all Iraqi lands as şe "Iraqi region". He stressed in addition şat Shiite officials neişer issued a written statement for made a subscription about giving Kirkuk to şe Kurds. Kurdish Peshmarga and şe Shiite Bedr Brigade should be annulled and combined wiş şe Iraqi Police.
 

 
23 March 2005, Wednesday
 
 
EMINE DOLMACI, ALI IHSAN KUS  ISTANBUL