The foreign minister yesterday said dialogue is already taking place with the semi-autonomous administration in northern Iraq through different channels, but stronger communication depended on Iraqi Kurdish steps to eradicate the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the North.
“We are open to dialogue with all the parties in Iraq with no discrimination,” Ali Babacan told a joint press conference with the visiting foreign minister of Laos, Thongloune Sisoulith.
He said dialogue was underway with Iraqi Kurdish officials through different channels, apparently referring to the recent contacts in northern Iraq by a Turkish delegation led by Turkey's acting special envoy to Iraq, Murat Özçelik.
“But the issue must be evaluated from another point. There is a need for a resolute stance against the PKK,” said Babacan, underlining that strong and determined action by Iraqi Kurdish leaders against the PKK presence would be influential for any improved dialogue in the future.
High-level visit from Laos
The visit by Sisoulith is the first in 50 years from Laos, or officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a landlocked country in Southeast Asia bordered by Burma (Myanmar) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west. Babacan said an economic cooperation deal was struck with the visiting foreign minister before their joint address to the press.
For his part, Sisoulith recalled that the 50th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations with Turkey would be marked in June. He also voiced support for Turkey's bid to secure a non-permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council for the 2009-10 period.
Later in the day the visiting foreign minister met with President Abdullah Gül.