By Mohammad Al-Ghazzi BAGHDAD, Nov 3 (KUNA) -- Speaker of Parliament of northern Iraq semi-autonomous of Kurdistan Adnan Al-Mufti said Saturday Iraqi Shiite leader Ayatollah Ali Sistani favored the peaceful option to the military one in solving the Turkish-PKK standoff.
Al-Mufti made the remarks after visiting Al-Sistani in Al-Najaf city. He was accompanied by deputy speakers of Iraqi parliament Khaled Al-Attiyah and Aref Tifur.
The three lawmakers arrived in Al-Najaf Saturday morning to discuss the crisis in northern Iraq with the Shiite leader.
"The visit aimed to show our appreciation for the efforts of Grand Ayatollah in maintaining the unity of Iraqi people and the development of the political process," Al-Mufti pointed out.
"We asserted to Al-Sistani the readiness of Kurdistan government to play its role in warding off the imminent Turkish military operation against northern Iraq.
"The Shiite leader asserted the importance of putting the peaceful solution to the crisis first," according to the Kurd leader.
"Resort to military action will only complicate the crisis in northern Iraq, " Al-Mufti quoted Al-Sistani as saying during the meeting.
"The meeting probed also the role of the Iraqi parliament including all political forces in solving the Turkish-PKK standoff," he added. The foreign ministers of Iraq's neighbors started Saturday in Istanbul, Turkey, an expanded meeting involving U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss the progress of the political process in Iraq as well as the military escalation between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels. (end) mhg.gb.
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