CONTINUED TERROR AND TARGETED KILLINGS OF THE TURKMENS IN IRAQ

ITF Europe Representative's letter to:
MEP Struan Stevenson, Chairman of the E.U. Delegation for Relations with Iraq at the European Parliament
and MEPs of Human Rights (DROI) at the European Parliament.

IRAQI TURKMEN FRONT

European Representation

Belgium

22nd September 2011.

Dear MEP Struan Stevenson, Chairman of the E.U. Delegation for Relations with Iraq,

SUBJECT: CONTINUED TERROR AND TARGETED KILLINGS OF THE TURKMENS IN IRAQ.

For your information, the campaign of targeted killings of Turkmen intellectuals, politicians and businessmen continues in Iraq and especially in Kirkuk in the absence of security and the will to protect the Turkmen community as the Turkmens are the only community in Iraq without any militias or armed forces and as their region is under Kurdish Peshmerga control since 9th April 2003.

The aim is to terrorize the Turkmen community and eliminate their leadership either by killing them or forcing them to leave the Turkmen region.

Indeed, the targeted assassinations, kidnappings and racketeering of the Turkmen politicians, intellectuals and businessmen have intensified lately especially in Kirkuk.

During the last two weeks the following crimes have been committed against the Turkmens in Kirkuk:

On 5th September 2011, Dr. Yildirim Abbas Demirci, a renowned Turkmen neurosurgeon and his brother Mr. Zainelabidin have been assassinated in front of their home in Tisin district of Kirkuk.

On 10th September 2011, a Turkmen businessman from Taza Hurmatu was wounded during an attempted kidnapping.

On 12th September 2011, a member of the security team of Mr. Hassan Turan, the Turkmen President of the Provincial Council of Kirkuk has been targeted and was seriously injured.

On 17th September 2011, Mr. Ghassan Ibrahim a member of the security team of Mr. Kasim Hamza, a Turkmen member of the Provincial Council of Kerkuk, has been killed by ‘unknown gunmen’.

On 18th September 2011, Mr Mohammed Radhi Mohammed, a Turkmen engineer was wounded together with his two sons by a remote controlled explosive attached to his car. He and his sons have been gravely injured.

On 21st September 2011, Mr. Qassim Mohammed, a Turkmen businessman was killed by a remote controlled explosive attached to his car and his wife was also wounded in the attack.

And the campaign continues in the complete absence of protection and security for the Turkmens of Iraq.

Despite the fact that Turkmens have complained to the local authorities about the lack of security in the Turkmen regions (which are de facto occupied and controlled by the Kurdish militias since 9th April 2003) and to the central authorities in Baghdad about the absence of any adequate protection for the Turkmens in Iraq and have asked them either for an effective protection from the central government forces or to allow them to form their own forces to protect themselves, similar to the Peshmerga militia of the Kurds and the Sahwa militia of the Arabs.

Unfortunately to-date, none of these demands have been met and the Turkmens remain unprotected and continue to be targeted and ethnically cleansed.

May I ask you to inform your colleagues in the Iraq Delegation as well as in your political parliamentary group in the European Parliament about the tragedy of the Turkmens who are subjected to ethnic cleansing since March 2003.

In the absence of an adequate protection of the Turkmen community in Iraq, may I ask you to raise this issue with the Iraqi authorities.

Thank you for your attention and understanding.

Yours truly,

Dr. Hassan Aydinli

Iraqi Turkmen Front

EU Representative.