I thank Turkish officials for their decision not to send troops to Iraq. Turkey is a friendly country, and I want a new page to be opened between us.

As president of Iraq, I shall strive to represent the diversity of a country that has too often in the past denied difference.

As soon as possible, of course, we hope that American troops can proudly return home.

Rather, it is through conciliation and compromise that we are building a fair Iraq, a just state for all its peoples.

We need to ignore some petty or nonessential or marginal issues in order to achieve national unity for Iraq, including the unity of the opposition.

Now, the time has come for the rest of the world to recognize that a federal, democratic Iraq that can defend itself against terrorism is a goal worthy of broad international support.