Iraqi minister warns of US attack consequences

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, August 25, 2002

Iraqi minister warns of US attack consequences

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"If the United States stages a military attack on Iraq, regional countries including Turkey, will be affected negatively," warned Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammad Mehdi Salah in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday.

Salah made the statement at a seminar organized by the Turkish Exporters' Association (TIM) on "Job Opportunities in Iraq," reported the Anatolian News Agency.

Salah said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi people consider Turkey as a friendly and sister country, adding that "our two countries have common targets. Therefore, the Iraqi leadership has given priority to the bilateral relations."

"Turkey was on top of Iraq's list of ecomonic relations before the embargo," Salah said, adding that during the embargo period, our attitude did not change.

"Before the embargo, there were intense relations between Turkey and Iraq. Every transportation was made via Turkey and Turkish firms played active roles in important projects," he said.

"In those days, trade volume between our countries was more than2.5 billion US dollars," Salah added.

He has conveyed messages of the Iraqi leadership to Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.

Saleh stressed that relations between Turkey and Iraq should be increased to the highest level, saying "we should set a lasting and long-term cooperation, and a cooperation agreement like the one signed between Iraq and Russia should be signed between Turkey and Iraq."

"Within the framework of cooperation agreement signed between Iraq and Russia, the two countries will carry out joint projects inoil, industry, electricity, agriculture, transportation, communication, construction and health," he said.

"These projects will cost 40 billion US dollars. We want to signa similar agreement with Turkey," he added.

Salah said Iraq exports 2.5 million barrels of oil a day, obtaining an income of 22 billion dollars, and aims to increase its daily exports to 6 million barrels in the next decade.

He disclosed that the relations between Iraq and the UN Security Council, the US threat and the impacts of the threat on the region were discussed during his stay in Ankara.

"We have carried out preparatory work against a possible US attack. The Iraqi people is not scared by or concerned of threats of the United States. We are ready," he said.

"If the United States stages an attack, we will defeat it. We will not allow the United States to violate our rights and to interfere with our domestic affairs," he stressed.

"The United States flees from setting up dialogue with us, rejects living in peace and does not try to reach an agreement withthe Iraqi leadership," he said.

The economic, commercial, technological and scientific cooperation agreement signed between Iraq and the United States in 1987 is still valid, he said, adding that the United States signed the agreement with the same Iraqi leadership and the same Iraqi government, but it applies a double standard.

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