Turkmens should protect themselves if Iraqi government can't, President Gul's chief advisor says

Turkish President Gul's chief advisor Hurmuzlu said if Iraq's central government was incapable of protecting Iraqi Turkmens, they had the right to find a way of self-defense

ANKARA - Turkish President Abdullah Gul's chief Middle East advisor Ersat Hurmuzlu stated Thursday if Iraq's central government was incapable of protecting Iraqi Turkmens, then they had the right to find a way of self-defense.

Iraq is a place, where various militia forces patrol the area, making Turkmens to find solutions to protect themselves, Hurmuzlu, an Iraqi Turkmen, told AA in an exclusive interview.

Saying they had shared their demands and expectations about "establishing an armed union" with Turkey, Hurmuzlu stated, "We inspire Iraqi Turkmens to continue these events through juristic ways, however it got out of hand. There is no more life safety in Turkmen regions." He added there was a planned project to demolish the Turkmen identity and existence in the region and said they were doing it by "scaring people, forcing them to immigrate both inside & outside and working the sectarian tensions up."

Hurmuzlu stressed deputy head of Iraq-Turkmen front Ali Hasim Muhtaroglu passed away as a martyr who had died in Thursday's bomb attack in Iraq's Tuz Khurmatu, saying he was a "flag martyr".

"Muhtaroglu was recently in Baghdad. While he was there, he got an information that the Turkmen flag was to be lowered in the meeting. He attended the meeting saying 'Whatever happens, I will protect the Turkmen flag at the risk of my life' and gets attacked there," Hurmuzlu said.

Calling on the international area to act sensitively on Turkmen's problems in that region, Hurmuzlu underlined his will to have the Turkish parliament handle this issue.

He added, the statements of Gul and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu were "boosted their morale", adding they were glad to see the issue also in the agenda of Turkish National Security Council.

Hurmuzlu listed the prior demands of Turkmens from Turkey as "securing Turkmens in Turkey, protecting their citizenship and calling out the constitutional rights as soon as possible."

Thursday, June 27, 2013