(22 Jan 2004)
1. Exterior police compound
2. Establishing shot Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
3. Close up of Erdogan's hand
4. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister:
"I believe most important portion of our meeting (with Mr Bush) will be dedicated to the issues of Cyprus and Iraq."
5. Cutaway flowers
6. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister:
"Let me be open and very frank with you. Any federation system based on ethnicity is not going to be healthy and will be not be feasible for the long term in Iraq."
7. Close up of Turkish flag pin on Erdogan's suit
8. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister:
"Both Iran and Syria are similiarly demanding any democratic system that's going to encourage a more relatively stable structure in Iraq. And that's going to bring justice and peace to the region."
9. Cutaway reporters and Erdogan
10. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister:
"I believe the United States will do what is needed to be done to ensure stability and a fair and just structure to be formed in Iraq."
11. Close up of Erdogan's hand
12. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister:
"This issue (Cyprus issue) was also raised during Mr Prodi's visit to Turkey and Mr Prodi said this was not a condition but conveys the opinion that solving the Cyprus problem by May 1 will have a positive affect on Turkey's EU (European Union) bid. Right now, we will continue with a positive attitude until the end. We convey our thoughts to the president of the Turkish Republic of north Cyprus and the newly formed government. They tell us they will also spend efforts to solve the issue. This is a good intention. Since we are approaching the issue with goodwill if the other side also shows the same goodwill I believe we will have a result."
13. Erdogan gets up
STORYLINE:
Kurdish control of an autonomous area in a future Iraqi state would threaten the stability of the country, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Erdogan said this view was shared by northern Iraq's neighbours, and that he will raise the issue when he meets US President George W. Bush at the White House next week.
Turkish leaders have repeatedly said they fear that expanding Kurdish self-rule in northern Iraq could lead to the country breaking apart and could threaten the stability of Iraq's neighbours, which has sizable Kurdish minorities.
Kurds are demanding autonomy in northern Iraq within a unified state and are asking for control of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, a step that Turkish leaders have said is intolerable.
Turkish leaders have been meeting with the heads of Syria and Iran, northern Iraq's other neighbours, in recent weeks and all have expressed reservations over Kurdish aspirations.
Northern Iraq is one of the few stable areas of the country and the United States is keen not to undermine that stability.
US leaders have however, repeatedly said they will not accept a Kurdish state in northern Iraq, meeting Turkey's key demand.
Erdogan last visited the White House on December 10, a little more than a month after his party won a massive majority in Turkish elections.
Erdogan, however, was barred from running in those elections due to a conviction for reciting a poem in public that the courts said challenged Turkish secularism. He later won a seat in parliament and in March became prime minister.
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