27/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Kurdish Institute in Brussels and the Kurdish Educational, Scientific and Cultural Centre in France (KESCC) organised a debate, “The Future of Iraq: Kirkuk and Disputed Territories: a Kurdic Perspective”, held at the European Parliament on Monday 26 April, with Dennis de Jong (GUE/NLE, Netherlands) as moderator. The Iraqi province, Kirkuk, is rich in oil and natural gas and is subject to conflicts between Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen peoples. The new Iraqi constitution provided for a referendum to be held on disputed territories before 2007, in order to decide whether these territories wanted to be a part of Kurdistan. The referendum did not take place. Kurds would like it to be held, while Turkmen and Arabs accuse the Kurdish parties of having manipulated the demographic situation to their advantage in order to give themselves a majority in the event of a referendum. In the presence of the national Dutch parliamentarian, Harry van Bommel, and experts, journalists and Iraqi, Kurdish and Turkmen politicians, those taking part in the conference discussed tension in the region. A solution must be found rapidly, as this would be beneficial for everyone, explained Dennis de Jong. It is important, he said, for all groups to be represented and for there to be dialogue between them. The aim of the European Parliament is to bring people together, he pointed out, saying that it must be a platform for true dialogue. (C-C.G./transl.jl)