UPDATE - Turkish opposition urges dialogue over Iraq's Kirkuk

UPDATE WITH BAHCELI'S REMARKS ON THE US, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish opposition party leader on Tuesday called for Iraq’s central government to lead dialogue and negotiations over the disputed province of Kirkuk, a recent flashpoint of conflict between the Erbil-based Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and Baghdad.

At his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli warned against ethnic and sectarian conflict in the oil-rich Kirkuk province, where Iraqi joint forces -- including army troops, Federal Police units, and Hashd al-Shaabi fighters -- established “full control” over the city center on Oct. 16 following a tactical withdrawal by Peshmerga forces.

"A dialogue, meeting, negotiation process on defining the governmental and political status of Kirkuk should be launched under the leadership of Iraq’s central government," said Bahceli.

Bahceli noted that the historical presence of ethic Turkmen in the region must be taken in account when deciding Kirkuk’s status.

"Also the Turkmen must be involved in the process," he said.

Bahceli also said all PKK terrorists should be eliminated from Kirkuk.

The PKK has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, during which more than 40,000 people have been killed.

He added, "Within this process of defining the final status of Kirkuk, as a first step, normalization should be provided, and it is essential to deal with the demographic structure in Kirkuk which was damaged before."

- Territorial integrity

During the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Peshmerga forces seized Kirkuk, prompting an influx of Kurds into the city, and in 2014 it was seized by KRG Peshmerga as Iraqi forces fled in the face of Daesh’s advance.

Kirkuk’s population is mainly made up of ethnic Turkmen, Arabs and Kurds.

Bahceli also stressed Iraq’s territorial integrity, saying: "It is an essential to find a solution for the status of Kirkuk within the independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Iraq."

Bahceli said that the rights of Iraq’s constituent ethnicities -- including Turkmen, Arabs and Kurds, as well as Assyrians and Chaldeans -- should be secured within the status of Kirkuk.

He said: "Kirkuk should have a special status independent of any province."

The retaking of Kirkuk by Iraqi forces last week was supported by Turkey, which, along with other regional powers and Baghdad, opposed an illegitimate referendum last month on Kurdish regional independence.

Although the KRG’s autonomy is recognized under the Iraqi Constitution, some territories -- including Kirkuk -- are disputed between Baghdad and Erbil.

- ‘US should make up its mind on Turkey’

Turning to tensions between Ankara and Washington, Bahceli said, "The U.S. should decide whether we are friends or foes."

"If we are allies, strategic partners, everybody must immediately display the morals, politics and virtue to do what is necessary and pulls his weight," said Bahceli, urging the U.S. to abide by the rules of alliances.

Bahceli also criticized the U.S. over Metin Topuz, a local U.S. Consulate employee arrested over alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen and behind last year’s defeated coup in Turkey.

The U.S. recently asked Turkey to return Topuz’s cellphone.

"If the phone is so valuable, here you should give [Turkey] traitor Gulen and get your phone," said Bahceli.

Ankara has long complained that the U.S. is dragging its feet on extraditing Gulen.

Bahceli added: "[With this phone] you can talk to any terrorist group [ranging] from Daesh to FETO, and from the PKK to the YPG, all night long."

Turkey has also complained of U.S. support for the PKK/PYD, Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK. Washington recognizes the PKK as a terrorist group, but claims the PKK/PYD is a “reliable ally” in the fight against Daesh.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.