Turkish Daily News
September 27, 2006 Wednesday

KURDISTAN MAP ANGERS COMEZ DURING KIRKUK TALKS

A Kurdistan map hung on the wall of an office in Kirkuk where members
of the Turkish Parliament held talks with the chairperson of the
Kirkuk Provincial Council led to a debate as the map angered Turhan
Comez of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)

Comez and his colleague, Orhan Ziya Diren of the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP), held talks yesterday with council
chairperson Rizgar Ali as part of their four-day visit to the region.
Their talks will apparently be dominated by talks in the disputed
northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, the status of which will be decided
upon after the results of a referendum slated for 2007

Following their talks with Ali, Comez wanted the map to be removed
from the wall when he learned that it was a "Kurdistan map," the
Anatolia news agency reported.

"This map is not a proper one," Comez was quoted as saying by the
agency.

When Ali explained that it was an antique map brought from a museum
in London in response to Comez’ question, Comez continued
questioning: "This is a public office, is it proper to have an
antique map in a public office? Why don’t you hang a new map?" "We
hung the map because it has Kurdistan and Armenia on it," Ali, who is
known to be a staunch member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
(PUK), responded

"Maps and borders drawn on them do not matter. What matters is the
togetherness of peoples," Ali said, when Comez offered him to give
"more proper" maps when he visits Turkey.

The conversation between Comez and Ali apparently continued in the
form of a debate.

"The United States will not stay here but Turkey will always be
here," Comez said as he looked at the antique map from the Ottoman
Empire era.

"We can’t forget the kindness of the United States towards us. It
[the United States] saved us from a dictator," Ali responded.

On their way from Arbil to Kirkuk, the Turkish parliamentarians had
to wait for two hours after a landmine was found on the road. The
landmine was defused by the U.S. security forces who escorted Comez,
Diren and journalists accompanying them on their way to Kirkuk.