Distinguished Foreign Ministers,

Secretaries General and Heads of Delegations,

I would like to welcome you all in İstanbul and to express my heartfelt appreciation for your attendance in this meeting which is taking place at a crucial juncture for Iraq. I am particularly happy to see my predecessor H.E. President Gül’s personal efforts bearing fruit. We are gathered here to pronounce once again our resolve to assist Iraq while our neighbour is going through difficult times.

The visits that I have recently paid to the Middle East have confirmed, above all, the fact that as the countries and the peoples of the region, we all are aware of and share the concern for the risks and threats that our region today encounters and the urgent need to unite our efforts to confront them.

We have assessed that we can utilize our means and our vast potentials to overcome the current challenges and turn them into opportunities only if we have a common vision and commitment for the future of our region. This, in turn, necessitates more intensive dialogue, coordination and cooperation.

Turkey will remain committed to its efforts for an enduring peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond. After all, we believe that living in a conflict ridden region is not the destiny of our people. If we work together, we can build together a better future for us all.

With these observations in mind, I would like to focus on Iraq. Political accommodation and reconciliation are the two essential elements for a way out of the current ordeal in Iraq. In this forum, it is our responsibility to try to produce guiding principles and guidelines to address all the existing problems in Iraq. In this vein we feel obliged to pursue coordinated and collective action with our Iraqi colleagues. Today, the need to cooperate with the Iraqi people and government is felt more than ever.

The security and political problems in Iraq are interrelated. Any improvement in the political arena is positively reflected on the security situation. Improvements in politics and security will in turn support the Iraqi government’s efforts to create a safe environment for the economic development to take hold. Lately, there appears to be encouraging signs of improvement in the security situation in certain parts of Iraq. We must also increase our assistance to the Iraqi government to rebuild their political institutions. We are of the opinion that, only negotiated outcomes are viable for all the major issues. If the interests of all the groups on the ground are not duly reflected, solutions can be neither realistic nor sustainable. We gladly observe that, in this forum we share the same priorities. In this context, UNSC Resolution 1770 underlines the role of the UN as the main instrument for this purpose. We have always voiced our support for the UN to play a central role in political reconciliation in Iraq. The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq – UNAMI, as suggested in the resolution, is particularly important in supporting the efforts of the Iraqi people and the government to promote national reconciliation and political dialogue. No doubt the UN has a unique role to play in Iraq.

Turkey’s policy is aimed at creation of a strong, united and stable Iraq capable of standing on its own feet. Humanitarian issues are an important component of our relations with our neighbor. Health and education remain as the two most pressing issues awaiting assistance. With this mindset, we are offering treatment for Iraqi patients and the wounded in our hospitals. We provide fellowships for Iraqi students. We are training members of political parties. The most vulnerable segment of the Iraqi society continues to be the displaced persons. Both externally and internally displaced persons live in dire conditions. Iraqi government must be reassured that the countries and the international organizations gathered here will do their utmost in providing the necessary health and educational assistance both to the internally and externally displaced people and their families.

Increasing bilateral trade and economic development assistance is another vital aspect of our relations with Iraq. Against this backdrop of numerous difficulties, bilateral trade between Iraq and Turkey is steadily increasing. Also Turkish investments in Iraq are well beyond four billion US Dollars. More than a million trucks carry manufactured goods, food and consumer products to Iraq annually. Turkey remains as one of the leading energy supplier for Iraq as well as for the Coalition forces.

We have concluded several bilateral agreements with Iraq on issues of mutual concern. We continue to work to narrow down our differences on difficult matters, such as fight against terrorism. We must not let terror poison our relations. With concerted efforts we have to eliminate this scourge from blocking the further development of our relations. Naturally every country has to put its hand on the plow, and shoulder its responsibility to combat terrorism. During the course of last few months, we have received several high level visits from Iraq and I visited Baghdad very recently. These visits certainly helped us to see more clearly the structure of our bilateral affairs with Iraq in its entirety.

Today we have convened here with the aim of helping Iraq. During this meeting, we will explain our approaches and then embark on producing comprehensive communiqué demonstrating once again our will for assistance. We would like this communiqué to produce tangible results with its action-oriented format. The final communiqué should also reflect the goodwill, as well as responsibility of the participants concerning the future of Iraq and its people. In return, Iraq should also demonstrate its willingness to become a democratic, peaceful and stable country, instead of becoming a source of threat for its neighbors, region and the international community at large.

Our senior officials have worked hard to draw up a comprehensive Final Declaration which is before you. It reflects the present state of affairs in Iraq and makes concrete recommendations to reach our common objectives of establishing a united, safe, stable and peaceful Iraq. The findings and conclusions of the past Sharm El Sheikh Meeting, as well as the last nine Neighboring Countries Foreign Ministers Meetings, such as the territorial integrity and national unity of Iraq, are unanimously supported in this venue and are therefore included in the present document.

The Final Communique before you;

• endorses the UNSG Ban’s offer to establish a “Support Unit” in Baghdad; • recommends to continue the work of the 3 Working Groups; • highlights the richness of multi cultural, multi sectarian, multi ethnic structure of the main Iraqi cities; • recommends the Iraqi Government to establish a committee, in coordination with UNESCO, to preserve and revitalize the historical heritage of Iraq; • encourages the government of Iraq to disarm and dismantle all militias and illegally armed groups, • further encourages the government of Iraq to protect the displaced persons; • condemns all acts of terrorism in all its forms in Iraq; • calls for immediate cessation of terrorist acts and • welcomes all bilateral arrangements concluded between Iraq and the Neighboring Countries regarding fight against terrorism.

I would like to announce once again that our High Level Officials were able to agree on the Statement as of last night.

My government supports all these aspects wholeheartedly, and I hope your governments could do as well.

We would like to see a democratic, prosperous, united Iraq free of conflicts, internal problems and terrorism. This is an attainable target. Common and coordinated efforts are the key to achieving this noble goal. I am confident that this Ministerial Meeting will also be another manifestation of our joined efforts towards this end. Thank you.