HUDA PAR President Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu evaluated the developments in Iraq's Kirkuk to ILKHA. Stating that there are problems in the region and that the only way to solve them is dialogue, Yapıcıoğlu emphasized that conflicts must be terminated immediately by drawing a lesson from Syria.

Pointing out that the conflicts would not benefit anybody other than the imperialists, Yapıcıoğlu said that Turkiye should not be positioned as a party but should evaluate its role in mediating between the parties.

Yapıcıoğlu explains that the lack of a referendum on where Kirkuk will be connected in 2007 is the biggest reason underlying the problem, said: "Kirkuk's situation is certainly different from other regions as the ethnical and sectarian structure and according to Iraqi constitution. Yet there are Turkmen, Arabs, and Kurds in Kirkuk. More than half of the population is Kurdish. Maybe it is better to remember Turkiye's thesis that the number of Turkmens was higher in a while. There are some controversial places in Kirkuk and similar status according to the Iraqi Constitution. At the end of 2007, a referendum would be held to ask the public whether they want to be with Iraqi Kurdistan Region or with the government of Baghdad. But that referendum did not happen."

"Kirkuk has its own status"

Referring to the fact that Kirkuk has a special statue, Yapıcıoğlu said: "Kirkuk is neither in the central administration nor in the administration of Erbil, but Kirkuk has a unique status. As I said, with a referendum to be held here in 2007, the people of Kirkuk would decide where to be affiliated. At the moment there is a provincial council in Kirkuk, a governor at the head of Kirkuk. Although the central government has announced that he (governor) has been abolished, he also said that he did not recognize this decision, that it was contrary to the Constitution and that he was in charge of the task."

"You cannot solve any problems with guns or conflicts"

Yapıcıoğlu, who is in the warnings that the problems cannot be solved with arms or conflict, continued as follows:

"Since June when the referendum decision was adopted, we have consistently said: There are problems in the region, but there is only one way to solve these problems, which is the way of dialogue, which needs to be overcome by negotiating. Yes, according to the Iraqi Constitution, there are some grounds for the fact that there is no referendum in Kirkuk, but there is an agreement, and this agreement is the constitution of Iraq, that is both Turkmen, Kurds, and Arabs sit together and make this constitution together. This constitution was for all of them. This constitution is being violated many times. The constitution wasn't violated only by the referendum. The violation of this Constitution was made with the postponement of the referendum in Kirkuk. And in some other respects, the constitution was violated. At least there is no serious discussion between the parties regarding the interpretation of that constitution. For this reason, a call can be made to the present Constitution now on all parties to comply, until a new ground is found. We, as HÜDA PAR, make this call; 'You cannot solve any problem with weapons or conflicts, non-peaceful methods. This may deepen the problems perhaps further'. It is clear that no one other than the imperialists who are not friendly but merely considering their own interests will benefit from it. A lesson must be drawn from Syria and the conflicts should be ended immediately." (M. Hüseyin Temel - ILKHA)