"Kurdistan has never been part of the problem, but we are trying to be part of the solution," said Masoud Barzani, President of the Autonomous Kurdish Government in Iraq to the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday. Members of the European Parliament questioned him on minority rights, relations with Turkey and the referendum plans for the contested city of Kirkuk.

"There are two battles going on in Iraq: one against terrorism and one between violent sectarian forces," said President Barzani in his introduction. He underlined that his government was adamant to adhere to the unity of Iraq as long as every party respected the Iraqi Constitution, and argued that "separation of religion and state is necessary" for a functioning Iraqi state.

Kirkuk

On the issue of Kirkuk, a hotly contested multiethnic city in the southern part of the Kurdish region, Jan Wiersma (Socialist, Netherlands) asked what guarantees the Kurdish government could give for a free and fair atmosphere for a referendum. Joost Lagendijk (Greens/European Free Alliance, Netherlands) also cited a report by the International Crisis Group (ICG), which argued for a postponement of the referendum citing the danger of bloodshed if a vote were to happen.

Mr Barzani responded that all groups living in Kurdistan will get to vote freely and according to their own conscience in the referendum. He also pointed out that 80% of Iraqis have agreed to the Constitution, and that its Article 140 is the legal basis for dealing with the Kirkuk question. "We need to go ahead with a referendum, as further delays can only destabilise the situation," he said, while warning that "foreign intervention in this issue is unacceptable."

American forces and PKK issues

José Ignacio Salafranca (European People's Party-European Democrats, Spain) asked what the President thought of the recent votes in the United States Congress, which called for troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. Mr Barzani responded that a US withdrawal would lead to "a full-fledged civil war in Iraq," and that this would lead "the terrorists to win and transfer their war to Europe and the US."

Finally, Cem Özdemir (Greens/European Free Alliance, Germany) asked what the government's contribution had been to talking to Turkey on the question of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party), a terrorist organisation. The President responded that "the PKK is a political question that cannot be solved by military means." He said he was ready to cooperate with Turkey and take part in a political solution to the issue.

7 May 2007
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Chair: Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (European People's Party-European Democrats, Poland)