Turkish Businessman Suggests Benelux Model for Trade Between Turkey and Iraq
Speaking on the second day of the Abant Platform meeting in Arbil, Ensarioğlu said there is great economic potential between Turkey and northern Iraq and that if both sides can get rid of their mutual suspicions about each other, the region could become one of the most important trade centers in the world.
He noted that in order to realize this big potential, there are some political and practical steps that must be taken. He cited the planned opening of a Turkish consulate in Arbil and an expected official visit by President Abdullah Gül to Arbil as examples of the kinds of steps that are needed.
Ensarioğlu spoke critically of Turkey's policy on the dispute over the status of the city of Kirkuk and said Ankara should not insist on the integration of the city into the Arab region of Iraq, since such a move would not be in the best interest of Turkey; however, he added that the Kurdish regional administration should stop its attempts to change the demographic structure of the city.
According to Ensarioğlu, thousands of people depend on trade between Turkey and the Kurdish region of Iraq for their livelihood. He said there are 50,000 Turkish citizens working in the region and that 95 percent of the region's construction sector is dominated by Turkish firms. However, he stressed that the situation could be much better.
Ensarioğlu noted that since the potential in the region is so great, it is very important to take steps for the benefit of both Iraq and Turkey, such as the opening of an international airport in Diyarbakir, direct flights to Arbil, improvement of land transportation, cooperation in education and increasing border trade.
"We have to redefine our relations. While we are doing this, what we need most is sincerity. I want to underline something: Iraqi Kurdistan has to be the Dubai of the region and Turkey has to be the Britain of the region. I am not saying this on the basis of an imperialistic approach, but on the basis of mutual interests and opportunities," he said.
Karwan Akreyi, the general manager of Arbil's Kurdistan TV, also emphasized the importance of Turkey opening a consulate in Arbil. He said for the future of Iraq, the Kurdish regional administration would have a crucial role in stabilizing tensions between Sunnis and Shiites.
"Since it is enabling stability in the Middle East, Turkey may be interested in cooperating with the Kurdish regional government," he said.
Akreyi stated that any positive steps taken by Turkey to solve its own Kurdish problem and any improvement in the cultural and political rights of Turkey's Kurds would contribute positively to relations between Turkey and the Kurdish regional government.
He also said the Kurdish government could organize a regional conference to help Turkey solve its problems with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). He suggested that even the PKK could participate in this conference. "Turkey should not be disturbed by such a conference, since it would serve the interests of the people of the region and Turkey," he underlined.
In his speech at the conference, Star daily columnist Nasuhi Güngör emphasized the importance of the media for determining the future of relations between Turkey and northern Iraq. He warned that the mainstream media in Turkey has adopted militaristic and negative language and that this is harming relations between the two sides.
"The policy of neglecting our common history, regarding all cultural relations with suspicion and using only the punitive methods carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] has not helped find a solution," he said.
"I am not hopeful that the media will change its language, because a language based on conspiracy theories and hostility always finds an audience," Güngör added.
Abdurrahman Sadik, from Arbil's Salahaddin University, emphasized the importance of the media for developing relations and its responsibilities, such as increasing public awareness and refraining from using negative language.
During the discussion session at the meeting, Sero Kadir, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said efforts in seeking dialogue between Kurdish and Turkish intellectuals were very important and a good sign of a changing mentality in Turkey, which previously refused to even recognize the existence of the Kurds. (Ayşe Karabat, Arbil)
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