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UNPO Urges Action To Protect Iraqi Turkmen (Reposting)

REPOSTING: 

  

UNPO General Secretary Calls for Urgent Action

Regarding the Iraqi Turkmen

*    *    *

European Parliament Must Urge Iraqi Government

To Provide Safe Haven For Iraqi Turkmen

Brussels, 4 February 2013 - The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) are calling for the European Parliament to exercise pressure on the government of Iraq, to put security measures into place to protect the Turkmen minority as a matter of urgency. This appeal follows a series of attacks against ethnic Turkmen in Iraq, including an attack on 23 January 2013 in Tuz Khurmato at the funeral of a civil servant, in which at least 42 people were killed and a further 117 wounded.

Unfortunately, this is far from a unique occurrence. Attacks on the Turkmen have been increasing at an alarming rate in recent months – including the burning alive of two teachers – as tensions between the Arab and Kurdish populations in the disputed territories rise. All too often, the Turkmen community has been caught up in the collateral damage of this conflict and many Turkmen feel both marginalised and victimised by their fellow Iraqis.

The UNPO welcomes the statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton in which she condemned the funeral attack in Tuz Khurmato. However, more needs to be done to specifically protect the Turkmen community, which has suffered disproportionately from violence in Iraq in recent times.

The Iraqi government has repeatedly pledged greater protection for the Turkmen community, but any action on the issue has not been forthcoming. The UNPO and the ITF therefore urge the European Parliament, moreover in light of the visit of members of the EU Delegation for Relations with Iraq, to put pressure on the Iraqi government to fulfill its obligations to the Turkmen community, guaranteeing them a safe and secure environment in which to live.

Marino Busdachin

UNPO Secretary General

For media queries please contact:

Maud Vanwalleghem | +32 251 314 59 | mv@unpo.org 

- See more at: http://www.unpo.org/article/15452#sthash.FRWcRSqA.dpuf

SRSG Martin Kobler was one of the speakers at TEDx Baghdad last year; he addressed the Iraqi youth and asked: "What are your dreams for Iraq?"

United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)

"التسامح هو قبول الآخر على رغم عدم الاتفاق معه."

كان ممثل الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة في العراق السيد مارتن كوبلر أحد المتحدثين في تيداكس بغداد 2012، حيث توجه الى الشباب العراقيين بالسؤال "ما هي أحلامك للعراق؟"

شاهد العرض في هذه الوصلة (الرابط):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcK70-FhQ8Q
***

"Tolerance is accepting despite disagreements."

SRSG Martin Kobler was one of the speakers at TEDx Baghdad last year; he addressed the Iraqi youth and asked: "What are your dreams for Iraq?"

Watch his presentation here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcK70-FhQ8Q

Political Balances Changing in Favour of Kurds, Shiites in Iraq, Hasan Kanbolat, ORSAM Director

Political Balances Changing in Favour of Kurds, Shiites in Iraq

Hasan Kanbolat, ORSAM Director

Things are not going well in Iraq; the deal between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Iraqi Kurdistan continues to change the political balances in the country.

We have seen the outcomes of the new political balances in favor of Kurds and Shiites in the provincial assembly elections in Mosul and Anbar and the bombing incident in Tuz Khurmatu on June 25.

Mosul and Anbar are two predominantly Sunni-Arab provinces of Iraq. Maliki made a deal with Iraqi Kurdistan which cleared the way for the increased influence of Kurds in Mosul. A Kurdish list won the elections in Mosul, a stronghold of Sunni Arabs. The Kurds won 11 seats in the 39-seat provincial assembly. The Muttahidun, a list of Sunni Arabs which won 19 seats in the 2009 provincial assembly elections, won only eight seats this time. In addition, five of these eight are Turkmen. Maliki attracted Sunni Arab allies in Mosul and Anbar, causing the Sunni Arabs in these two provinces to be divided.

Thirteen people died in the suicide bombing in Tuz Khurmatu in the province of Salahuddin on June 25 while 71 were wounded. Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) Vice President Ali Hashem Mukhtar Oglou and former Salahuddin Deputy Governor Ahmed Abdel-Wahed died. Over the last two years, frequent attacks have been held in the Turkmen areas in Tuz Khurmatu. These attacks intensified in 2013. Why Tuz Khurmatu? Why Turkmens?

Tuz Khurmatu was part of Kirkuk but it was transferred to the province of Salahuddin in 1976. Its population is around 150,000. It is a Turkmen residential area in terms of its historic, cultural, social and political features. The population is predominantly Shiite Turkmen. However, the Turkmen identity is stronger than the Shiite identity. The Sunni Turkmen tend to adopt the Arabs' culture whereas the Shiite Turkmen preserve their cultures. Tuz Khurmatu is one of the most important centers for Turkmen. It is a place where Turkmen politicians, writers and poets are born and raised. For this reason, Tuz Khurmatu has always been important in Turkmen politics since 2003. The most influential provincial organization of the ITF, the most important political institution of the Turkmen people in Iraq, is in Salahuddin; its headquarters are also in Tuz Khurmatu.

Tuz Khurmatu, located along the Baghdad-Kirkuk road, is not included in Iraqi Kurdistan. However, it is shown in the enlarged Iraqi Kurdistan. Even in the official maps of Arbil, Tuz Khurmatu is shown within the borders of Iraqi Kurdistan. To this end, a policy to increase the Kurdish population in the enlarged Iraqi Kurdistan and to reduce the impact and presence of non-Kurdish ethnicities is being systematically implemented. For this reason, Tuz Khurmatu was one of the places where Kurds preferred to settle in the aftermath of 2003.

Today, Kurdish identity is dominant in Kirkuk. However, in Tuz Khurmatu, Turkmen identity is dominant. Even though al-Qaeda has been blamed for the attacks in Tuz Khurmatu, this organization has no interest in this region. Its name is used for manipulation. Al-Qaeda has become an organization whose name is most frequently used in the Middle East, but in reality, this organization does not exist. The main goal in Tuz Khurmatu is to destroy the Turkmen identity. In addition to bombings, threatening letters are sent to Turkmen people. The policy of harassing the Turkmen people in Tuz Khurmatu has been successful so far. Nearly 400 families have migrated to the south, predominantly Shiite areas, over the last two years. This has cleared the way for an increased presence of Kurds in the city.

The change in the political balances in Iraq is affecting Turkey because it shares the same physical, political, ethnic, religious, sectarian and cultural geography.

Iraqi Turkmen: Tuz Khormato Weeps For Recent Killings

Iraqi Turkmen: Tuz Khormato Weeps For Recent Killings

Frequent bombings and deadly attacks have reduced the Iraqi Turkmen region of Tuz Khormato to ruins. Residents long for peace and tranquillity, but their cries fall on deaf ears.



Below is an article published by WorldBulletin:



With continuous bombs, the Iraqi Turkmen region of Tuz Khormato has recently turned into ruins due to the recent deadly attacks targeting Turkmens.

As residents tell, Tuz Khormato was once known for its salt (tuz in Turkish) and dates (hurma in Turkish), which it was named after. However, people recently know Tuz Khormato, not for its salt or dates, but for the ongoing bombings.

The Iraqi Turkmen region of Tuz Khormato has been high on the Iraqi agenda again due to the recent suicide attack killing the Iraqi Turkmen Front's Vice President Ali Hashim Muhtaroglu and Salah ad Din Province Deputy Governor Ahmed Hodja.

Suicide bombers or other assailants with explosive-laden vehicles ended up in Tuz Khormato, causing a slaughter.

Since the attacks, residents of Tuz Khormato live on their nerves, unable to estimate when and from where another possible bombing will come upon them. Insisting that the Iraqi government set up a security force to protect them, the demands of Tuz Khormato Turkmens fall on deaf ears.

Turkmens strive to protect themselves counting on their own means, but hardly could.

Enholding 180,000 residents, Tuz Khormato now resembles a wreckage. Having its Turkmen, Kurdish and Arab neighborhoods split by clear cut lines, Tuz Khormato streets are full of iron or concrete barriers at the entrance and people keep watch of the streets.

The streets are also full of harrowing stories of slayings and of the violent attacks on Turkmens.

“We have several martyrs because of the attacks” told the Head of Iraqi Turkmen Front's Salah ad Din Province Haydar Kasapoglu, asking "Why are the Turkmen regions always the target of the bombings?"

A Turkmen resident Hani Mehdi noted “We are being slaughtered. You can see what our city has turned into. This is a deliberate policy against us. We are the target of bilateral attacks. For being Turkmen and Shiite, we are exposed to both sectarian and ethnic violence."

OICC'nin 3 yılda bir verdiği Mimarlık Ödülü Prof. Dr. Suphi Saatçi’nin

OICC'nin 3 yılda bir verdiği Mimarlık Ödülü Prof. Dr. Suphi Saatçi’nin

Kısa adı OICC (Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities) olan İslam Başkentleri ve Kentleri Teşkilatı tarafından 3 yılda bir verilen Mimarlık Ödülüne Prof. Dr. Suphi Saatçi’nin kitabı layık görüldü.

İslam Başkentleri ve Kentleri Teşkilatı, İslam kentlerine katkı sağlayan, tarihi çevre korumacılığında başarılı araştırma ve projelere ve mimarlık alanında yazılan telif eserlere 3 yılda bir ödül veren Teşkilatın, bu dönemdeki ödülünü Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi’nden Prof. Dr. Suphi Saatçi’nin The Urban Fabric and Traditional Houses of Kirkuk (Kent Dokusu ve Geleneksel Evleriyle Kerkük) başlıklı kitabı aldı. Gelen yazıya göre Saatçi’ye ödülü, İslam Başkentleri ve Kentleri Teşkilatı’nın 1-3 Eylül 2013 tarihinde Mekke’de yapılacak olan 9. Dönem Genel Kurulu toplantısındaki törende verilecektir.

Suphi Saatçi Kimdir?
Ödül töreni için Suudi Arabistan’a davet Prof. Dr. Suphi Saatçi, 1946 yılında Kerkük’te doğdu. Liseyi Kerkük’te tamamladıktan sonra Türkiye’ye geldi. Girdiği İstanbul Devlet Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi’nin Yüksek Mimarlık Bölümünü bitirdi. Doktorasını tamamladı ve ardından Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi’nde doçent oldu. Aynı üniversitede profesörlüğe yükselen Saatçi, en son Rektör Yardımcılığı görevine atandı ve buradan 1 Temmuz 2013 tarihinde yaş haddinden emekli oldu. Evli ve bir kız çocuğu babası olan Saatçi’nin 20’nin üzerinde basılmış kitabı vardır.

OICC Nedir?
Kısa adı OICC (Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities) olan İslam Başkentleri ve Kentleri Teşkilatı, İslam Konferansı Teşkilatı’na bağlı bir kuruluştur.

1980 yılında bir sivil toplum örgütü olarak kurulan İslam Başkentleri ve Kentleri Teşkilatı, İslam Ülkelerinin başkentleri ve kentlerini üye kabul eden Teşkilatın merkezi Suudi Arabistan’ın kutsal başkenti Mekke’dedir. Ülkelerin siyasî konularından uzak olan Teşkilatın geliri, üyelerin ve kişilerin, kuruluş ve belediyelerin, hükümetlerin katılım payları ile Teşkilat yatırımlarından gelen aidatlardan oluşuyor.

Dört kıtada (Asya, Afrika, Avrupa ve Güney Amerika) yayılmış 54 devletten 141 başkentin ve kentin üye olduğu teşkilatta 6 devletten 8 adet gözlemci kent yer almaktadır. İslam ülkelerinden Teşkilatın amacına uygun etkinlikler yapan çeşitli bakanlıklardan, kuruluş ve üniversitelerden, ayrıca beşerî yerleşmelerin sürekli gelişimi üzerinde çalışan araştırma merkezlerinden 14 katılımcı üye bulunmaktadır. Teşkilat çalışmalarında Arapça, İngilizce ve Fransızca iletişim dilleri kullanılmaktadır.
By: Turkmen Medyasi

DÜNYA TÜRKLERİ AVRUPA PLATFORMU - BRÜKSEL meeting

Members of DÜNYA TÜRKLERİ AVRUPA PLATFORMU met in Brussels on 28th June to discuss future activities.

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