Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday expressed worry about Iraq's oil-rich Kirkuk that was dominated by ethnic Kurds, reiterating that Turkey attached great importance to Iraq's territorial integrity.  

Erdogan made the remarks during his meeting with visiting Iraqi Interim President Ghazi al-Yawar, the Anatolia News Agency reported.

Turkey did not want any ethnic group to dominate another in Iraq, Erdogan was quoted as saying, asking Iraq to take into consideration Turkey's sensitivities towards Kirkuk, which he described as a small model of Iraq.

He pointed out that ethnic groups should refrain from regional, ethnic and religious nationalism, which he defined as "three red lines."

Erdogan showed sorrow over attacks and clashes in Najaf between US forces and Mehdi Army fighters loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

He, meanwhile, expressed uneasiness about activities of Turkey's outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), but said that the government was strong enough to fight against PKK, also known as KADEK and Kongra-Gel.

The PKK has been listed as a terrorist group by the United States for its killing of some 37,000 people in southeastern Turkey since 1984.

The organization has been fighting for 20 years for a Kurdish homeland in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast. Recent conflict has killed more than 60 in the past two months.

Yawar, on his part, said that problems in his country had a great impact on the entire region, but there was no historical or cultural reason for eruption of a new war in Iraq.

He added Iraq's target in the short run was to restore its own security without an external support.

The Iraqi president also hoped that "commercial and economic cooperation between Turkey and Iraq can be enhanced."

In response, Erdogan said, "Turkish Petroleum Corp. (TPAO) can cooperate with Iraq in natural gas and oil exploration, extraction and marketing."

(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2004)