VZCZCXRO8075
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2125 1790906
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280906Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1914
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002125 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: KRG PRESIDENT ISSUES STATEMENT DENYING 
INTERFERENCE IN TURKISH INTERNAL AFFAIRS OR PKK SUPPORT 
 
REF: A) BAGHDAD 2090 B) STATE 87965 
 
¶1. (C) Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani 
issued a statement on June 27 clarifying Kurdish 
noninterference in Turkish affairs as he had promised the 
Ambassador by secure phone, and as requested and referenced 
in State 87965 and Baghdad 2090.  The following is the 
translated text of the statement as emailed to the Embassy. 
 
¶2. (U) Begin text: 
 
Sent on Wednesday June 27, 2007 
 
In a clarification, the Presidency of the Region of Kurdistan 
denied that it is interfering in the internal affairs of 
Turkey with the approaching elections there. 
 
The Statement by the Presidency of the Region stated the 
following: 
 
With the approaching Turkish elections to be held next July, 
there are rumors that we are interfering in the internal 
affairs of Turkey and that we have certain influences over 
the Turkish elections. 
 
We emphasize that we did not interfere in the internal 
affairs of Turkey and we will not have a negative influence 
on the future of the elections.  On the contrary despite the 
attempts of the Turkish authorities to obstruct development 
and progress in the region of Kurdistan, we have always tried 
to keep ourselves far from the internal problems of Turkey. 
 
Although we have repeatedly been accused of helping and 
assisting the PKK, we reiterate again that we have not 
supported and assisted this party with logistics or in any 
other way, but instead we have tried to build friendly 
relations with all of the political and social components in 
Turkey.  This is because we do not encourage any interference 
in the affairs of any country and we do not condone the use 
of violence to solve problems, but instead have always chosen 
dialogue and mutual understanding in solving them. 
 
If we are called upon to cooperate and support any political 
process that serves peace and peaceful coexistence and 
strengthen good-neighborly relations between the region of 
Kurdistan and Turkey, we would be ready.  We are fully 
convinced that friendship, good-neighborliness and 
cooperation are the only way through which we will be able to 
coexist with Turkey - or any other neighboring country - on 
the basis of common interests and respect for others, and to 
answer all accusations. 
 
The Spokesman for the Presidency of the Region of Kurdistan 
June 26, 2007 
 
End Text. 
CROCKER