TEHRAN An Iraqi Kurdish leader yesterday criticized the Turkish military cooperation with Israel and said `such ties are damaging the interest of the people of Turkey primarily as compared to others in the region.' Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talebani in an interview with the TEHRAN TIMES said, Despite the fact that the people of Turkey are Muslims, the Turkish government has failed to maintain friendly relations with the Muslim countries of the region.

Now all secret and open agreements between Turkey and Israel are known to the people of this region and they strongly condemn them, Talebani said. On August 28, 1996, Turkey and Israel signed an agreement on defense technological cooperation. It was second such agreement in that year which drew strong criticism from the regional countries including Iran. The first agreement between Turkey and Israel was signed in February 1996 providing for military training.

This agreement allowed Israeli pilots to have training flights in Turkish airspace. It is also known that Turkey's influential military believes that cooperation in defense technology with Israel is beneficial for Turkey. Iraqi Kurdish Socialist Party Secretary General, Mohammad Haj Mahmood echoing the opinion held by Talebani said, Turksih-Israeli military ties are harmful for the regional peace and stability. Haj Mahmood said, Turkish attacks on North Iraq were carried out in accordance with the Israeli plots against the Iraqi people.

The Iraqi people are not the only target of Israeli plots, other regional countries including Iran and Syria are also included in these conspiracies, Haj Mahmood told the TEHRAN TIMES. Turkish forces frequently tresspass the border of North Iraq and Ankara says they do so in pursuit of separatists of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who have their hideout there.