Abdullah Gül: Kurdistan developed by Turkish experts

19.03.2014 – Hawar Abdulrazaq – BasNews, Ankara – Turkish President Abdullah Gül has acknowledged that his country has strong relations with Iraqi Kurdistan and has admitted that, in the past, Turkey has made mistakes in its dealings with Kurds.Gül, 63, who has been Turkish president since 2007, said in an exclusive interview with Danish newspaper Politiken that the Kurdistan region has undergone development by Turkish workers and benefitted from Turkish expertise.

The relaxation of the ban on speaking the Kurdish language in Turkey is a positive sign, paving the way for greater support for Kurdish rights.

“I’m brave enough to admit to the mistakes of the past,” said Gül. “If the state gives democratic rights to Kurds, then PKK guerrillas won’t have any excuses to prolong their fighting.” He said that solving the Kurdish issue in Turkey is in harmony with the country’s democratic principles. Regarding Ankara’s relations with Iraqi Kurds, Gül said, “We have very good relations without any sensitivity towards the Kurds. Currently the Kurdistan region is being developed by the hands of Turkish experts and engineers.” Despite these statements from Gül, a large number of Kurdish journalists and activists are currently behind bars in Turkey. Some have never faced trial and most have been charged with “supporting terrorists” or for using the prefix “honorable” when writing about Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the PKK.