AKP deputy head to make surprise visit to KRG president, prime minister

YURDAGÜL ŞİMŞEK ANKARA - Radikal

AKP Vice President Çelik will visit Massoud Barzani and Nechirvan Barzani during his visit to northern Iraq.

The vice president of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Hüseyin Çelik, is set to meet Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Masoud Barzani and Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani during his visit to northern Iraq, daily Radikal reported.

Çelik will be visiting Turkish schools in the region and make a series of visits. Possible results of the recent Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) decisions and the peace process could be discussed with Barzani “if the issue comes up,” he told Radikal, adding that the visit was not organized to address those issues. 

“This is not a visit that is conducted to discuss those issues, but when we do meet, we will not be talking about how wonderful the weather is, or how spring approaches. If the issues come up, they will be talked about,” Çelik said. 

Relations between Turkey and the KRG have so far been constructive in that field, Çelik added. “Frankly, they want this to end as well. It would be in their benefit as well for this issue to be over. They too are very disturbed over the fact that their country is a terror hub, a shelter for terrorism.”

“It is right for the KRG to accept [PKK militants],” Çelik said. “If there will be a solution to this, there has to be a place for those who are leaving to arrive. Where else can they go but [northern Iraq]?” Murat Karayılan, a senior leader of the outlawed group, announced last week that it would withdraw from Turkish soil starting May 8. The militants would be deployed to northern Iraq and the PKK expected understanding from the Iraqi authorities, and particularly the KRG, Karayılan said.