Corrections needed in article about Iraqi Turkmens published in Azzaman

Some corrections needed in the article published in Azzaman:

1) It is incorrect to say that Turkmens are a 'minority' in Iraq. On 28/07/2012 the Iraqi Parliamentarians unanimously recognized and voted that Turkmens are one of the three main ethnic components of Iraq, alongside the Arabs and the Kurds.

2) The following statement is incorrect: "Turkmen are part of large waves of emigration and settlement by Turks during the Ottoman Empire" because The Turkmen presence in Iraq pre-dates the Ottoman rule in Iraq.

The Turkmens came to Iraq from Turkestan (Central Asia) and particularly from today’s Turkmenistan, in successive waves.

The first recorded document of their existence as “Turks” in Iraq was in 632 AD in a peace treaty of “Banuqia”, between the Turkish prince Bozbörü Sülübay and Khalid Bin Walid, mentioned in the book of “Mu’jamul Buldan- Dictionary of the Countries” written by the Muslim historian Yaqut Al-Hamawi who mentioned about the existence of several Turkish principalities in Iraq and emphasized on two of them in central Euphrates called the Banuqlu and Batuqlu which were allied with the Sassanid Persian Empire.

Turks took high positions up to the level of prime ministry in the Sassanid Empire and portrayed the fiercest resistance against the Islamic Arab conquest of Iraq.

The high military capabilities of the Turkish soldiers attracted the attention of the muslim Arabs, so, the Umayyad Arab Empire recruited large numbers of Turkish military experts from Turkestan (Central Asia).
They became highly influential in the army and the administration of the Abbasid Empire which followed the Umayyads.

The Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad asked for the help of Tughrul Beg, the chief of the Seljuk Turks to remove the Persian Buwaihids who dominated Baghdad for a century. In 1055 the Caliph of Bagdad declared Tughrul Beg as a “Sultan” (the master of power) and from that day on, the Turkish era began and the Turks became the rulers of the Middle East.

The Turkish Era in Iraq

The word Turk and Turkmen became synonymous in the Middle East, one means the other.

The Turkmens established 6 states in Iraq:

1- The Seljuk Empire: 1055-1149                                    94 years
2- The Atabegs (of Musul, Erbil and Kerkuk): 1149-1258 109 years
3- The Ilkhans (Mongol and Turkish mix): 1258-1336       78 years
4- The Jalairids (Mongol and Turkish mix): 1336-1360     24 years
5- The Barans (Qara Qoyunlu) : 1360-1469                     109 years
6- The Bayindirs (Aq Qoyunlu): 1469-1508                       39 years

The Safawid Turks of Azerbaijan ruled Iraq:

1508-1534   26 years
1623- 1638  15 years 

Total :                                                                            41 years

Ottoman Turks ruled Iraq until the end of WW1: 

1534-1623      89 years
1638- 1918   280 years
Total:                                                                           369 years

Total Direct Turkish/Turkmen rule:                              863 years

3) It is not true that Turkmens are mostly Shiites. In reality approximately half of the Turkmen community is Shia while the other half is Sunna. It is quite common for Turkmen Shiites and Turkmen Sunna to intermarry.  

Article published in Azzaman: 

Iraqi minority asks for international protection

Azzaman, March 20, 2013

Iraqi Turkmen say they are not being treated properly and equally and have asked the United Nations and the European Union for protection.

In a statement, the head of a coalition grouping the various Iraqi Turkmen factions Arshad al-ٍSalehi said his people in the country were denied equal rights like other sections of the society.

He asked both the U.N. and the E.U. to exert pressure on the regional Kurdish government in the north and the central government in Baghdad to do more for granting equal rights to his minority.

Turkmen are members of a Turkish-speaking minority in Iraq and part of large waves of emigration and settlement by Turks during the Ottoman Empire which ruled the country for nearly 400 years.

Iraqi Turkmen mainly inhabit the oil-rich Province of Kirkuk but they also have large representation in the provinces of Mosul, Diyala and Salahudeen.

“The U.N. and the E.U. are required to pressure the central government (in Baghdad) and the (Kurdish) regional government to guarantee the protection of Turkmen,”said Salehi.

Most Turkmen in Iraq are Shiite-Muslims and their areas have been repeatedly targeted by deadly car bombings and violence by insurgents and members of al-Qaeda group in Iraq.

In Kirkuk, where most of them live, the Turkmen, like other minorities, complain of pressure and marginalization by Kurds who control most of the province through their militias and security forces.

http://www.azzaman.com/english/?p=670

Iraqi Turkmens fear over rising violence

ANKARA

Turkmens in Iraq want a special status to preserve their rights due to the ongoing violence between the central government and the KRG

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/iraqi-turkmens-fear-over-rising-violence.aspx?pageID=238&nid=37660

Iraqi Turkmens are worried that they could suffer the most amid increasing violence between the central government and Kurdish administration in the north, according to a senior Turkmen politician. 

The Iraqi army under the authority of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was dispatched to Turkmen regions in Kirkuk, while the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) peshmarga were deployed to the north of the city, Iraqi Turkmen Front chairman and Kirkuk deputy Arshad al-Salehi told Anatolia news agency yesterday, adding that any clashes between them would harm Turkmens. “We want a special status in our region for Turkmens so that Turkmens can preserve their rights,” the politician said.

Violence mounted recently against Iraqi Turkmens, said al-Salehi. Citing a lack of security in Kirkuk, he said the police was under the control of Kurds. Al-Salehi also touched on the killing of two Turkmen teachers that were burned to death in Kirkuk earlier this month, noting that the incident was designed to convince them to migrate elsewhere.

December/26/2012

Irak’ta Türkmen Siyaseti Yükseliyor

Irak’ta Türkmen Siyaseti Yükseliyor


2010 seçimlerine kadar Irak siyasetinde etkili olmayan ve Irak’ın yeniden yapılandırılması sürecinde saf dışı bırakılan Türkmenler önemli adımlar atmaya başladı. Özellikle Irak Türkmen Cephesi’nin yeni yönetiminin oluşmasının ardından Türkmen siyasetinde gözle görülür bir yükseliş söz konusu. Irak’ta 7 Mart 2010’da yapılan genel seçimlerin ardından 10 milletvekili ve 3 bakanlık elde eden Türkmenler, adeta küllerinde doğmuş gibi gözüküyor. Irak’taki siyasi kamplaşma ve devlet içerisindeki yozlaşmadan belki de en çok etkilenen taraf olan Türkmenler, özellikle Irak Türkmen Cephesi’nin yaptığı son hamlelerle sesini duyurmayı başardı. Suriye’den Irak’a döndüğü günden itibaren önce Irak Türkmen Cephesi’nin Kerkük İl Sorumlusu olarak, daha sonra da milletvekili seçilmesiyle parlamentodaki çalışmalarıyla son dönemde Türkmen siyasetinin en fazla ön plana çıkan ve Mayıs ayında Irak Türkmen Cephesi Başkanı olan Erşat Salihi önderliğinde, Türkmenler Irak siyasetinde rol almaya başladı. Yeniden bir yapılanma içerisine giren Irak Türkmen Cephesi, hem yönetim yapısında hem de politika stratejisinde değişikliğe gitmiş görünüyor.



Öncelikle Türkmen siyasetinin önde gelen ve bulundukları mevkilerde önemli işlere imza atan Ali Haşim Muhtaroğlu, Ali Mehdi, Hasan Turan gibi isimleri bir araya getiren Irak Türkmen Cephesi’nin yeni yönetimi, tüm Irak’ta siyasete yöneldi. Uzun süredir çekişme yaşadığı Kürt gruplarla dahi temel ilkelerden vazgeçmeden görüşebilir duruma gelen Irak Türkmen Cephesi, bunun ilk meyvesini daha önceden yasayla elde ettikleri bir hak olan Kerkük İl Meclisi Başkanlığına Hasan Turan’ı taşıyarak aldı. ABD’nin Irak’a müdahale ettiği 2003’ten Kürt Bölgesel Yönetiminin kontrolündeki Erbil’de resmi faaliyetlerini durduran Irak Türkmen Cephesi, Erbil’deki bürosunu yeniden açmak için başvuruda bulundu. Bu başvuru, Kürt Bölgesel Yönetiminin insafına kalan Erbil, Süleymaniye ve Duhok’ta yaşayan Türkmenler arasında olumlu bir hava yaratmış gibi görünüyor. Zira Temmuz ayının ikinci yarısında Irak Türkmen Cephesi tarafından Erbil ve Süleymaniye’de yapılan seminerlerin büyük ilgi gördüğü biliniyor. Ayrıca Irak Türkmen Cephesi Yürütme Kurulu Üyesi Aydın Maruf, KYB’nin Süleymaniye Bürosunu da ziyaret etti. Bu ziyaretle aynı gün Irak Türkmen Cephesi Başkanı Erşat Salihi de KYB Başkanı Celal Talabani ile görüştü. Öte yandan Kürdistan Muhafazakâr Partisi resmi bir davet göndererek, Irak Türkmen Cephesi’ni ikinci kongresine davet etti. 2010’un Aralık ayında da KDP resmi bir davetle Irak Türkmen Cephesini kongresine davet etmişti.



Ayrıca Erbil, Türkmenlerin en yoğun olarak yaşadığı vilayetlerden başında geliyor. Hatta Erbil’deki Türkmen nüfusunun Kerkük’teki Türkmen nüfusuyla yarışabileceği söyleniyor. Ancak Kürt Bölgesel Yönetiminin siyasi ve sosyal yapısı dikkate alındığında şimdiye kadar bu bölgede yaşayan Türkmenlerin kimliklerini ifade etmede sıkıntı yaşadıkları biliniyor. Ancak Irak Türkmen Cephesi’nin yeniden Erbil’e dönmesi Türkmen siyaseti adına dengeleri değiştirebilecek önemli bir adım olarak yorumlanabilir. Bu Irak’ta Türkmenlerin siyasette daha fazla seslerini duyurması açısından önemli.



Diğer taraftan Irak Türkmen Cephesi, Irak’ın güneyinde de yeni bürolar açıyor. Bilindiği gibi Irak’ta yaşayan Türkmenler arasında Sünni mezhebine bağlı olanlar kadar Şiiler de var. Her ne kadar Türkmenler arasından Şii-Sünni ayrımı yapılmasa da Irak’ta yaşanan mezhepsel gerginliğin Türkmenleri de etkilediği biliniyor. Şimdi durum düzelmiş olsa da Telafer’de yaşananlar halen hafızalarda. Ama Türkmenler yeniden birliklerini sağlayarak, Irak’a ders verir nitelikte bir tutum sergiledi. Irak Türkmen Cephesi daha kapsayıcı bir politika yürüterek, Necef’te de bir büro açtı ve hatta Necef’teki medreselerde eğitim gören 100’den fazla Türkmen gencinin barınması için 40 kişilik bir yurt oluşturuldu. Ayrıca Iraklı büyük Şii siyasi gruplarla da ilişkiler geliştirilmeye çalışılıyor. 12 Temmuz’da Irak Türkmen Cephesi Yönetim Kurulu Üyesi ve Kerkük İl Meclisi Başkanı Hasan Turan, Irak İslam Yüksek Konseyi Başkanı Ammar El-Hekim’i ziyaret ederek, hem Kerkük hem Türkmenlerin anayasal hakları konusunda destek istedi. 2003’ten sonra Şii grupların Irak siyasetindeki ağırlığı göz önünde bulundurulduğunda Irak Türkmen Cephesi’nin Şii gruplarla da ilişkilerini geliştirmesi, Türkmenler Irak siyasetinde önemli bir yapı taşı haline getirebilir. Zira Irak’taki Şii etkisi dikkate alındığında İran faktörünü göz ardı etmemek gerekiyor. Bu kapsamda 13 Temmuz’da Irak Türkmen Cephesi Başkanı Erşat Salihi ve beraberindeki heyetin İran ziyareti oldukça önemli. Bu ziyaret sadece Irak’taki Şiilerin desteğinin alınması açısında önemli değil. Irak Türkmen Cephesinin vizyonunu geliştirmesi açısından da önem taşıyor. Zira önümüzdeki dönemde Irak Türkmen Cephesi’nin diğer Irak’a komşu ülkeleri de ziyaret edeceğinin açıklanması, Türkmenlerin hedeflerini büyüttüğünü gösteriyor.



Irak Türkmen Cephesi tarafından atılan bu adımlar, Türkmen siyaseti açısından ilerisi için umut veriyor. Ayrıca Irak siyasetinde son dönemde elde edilen kazanımlar ve yapılan siyasi hamleler doğrultusunda elde edilen sonuçlar da Türkmenlerin önümüzdeki dönemde Irak siyasetinde daha etkili olabileceğini gösterir nitelikte. Bu noktada özellikle birkaç konuyu dile getirmekte fayda var. Öncelikle Irak Dışişleri Bakanlığı’nın internet sitesindeki Irak tanıtım bölümünde ülkede yaşayan nüfusa ilişkin verilen bilgilerde Türkmenlerin yer almadığının ortaya çıkmasının ardından, Türkmen milletvekillerinin yoğun çabası sonucu bu verilerin kaldırılması verilerin kaldırılmasına rağmen olayın arkasından gidilerek, Dışişleri Bakanlığından Türkmen halkından özür dilenmesinin istenmesi de önemli. Diğer taraftan Kerkük’teki kaçırma olaylarına ilişkin ilk adım da Irak Türkmen Cephesinden atıldı. 27 Temmuz’da Irak Türkmen Cephesi Başkanı ve Kerkük Milletvekili Erşat Salihi, parlamentodaki Türkmen milletvekilleri adına parlamentoya bir nota sundu. Notada, parlamentodan şanına layık bir tutum sergilemesi, bu olayların parlamentoda konuşulması ve Kerkük’teki olayların anlaşılması için parlamentodan bir heyetin bu şehri ziyaret edip olayları araştırması talep edildi. Notanın ardından parlamentoda bir araştırma heyetinin kurulması sağlandı. Bu örnekler siyasi olarak Irak’ta çok büyük etkiler doğurmasa da Türkmen siyaseti açısından önemli adımlar. Türkmenler Kerkük’le ilgili yerel seçimler yasasının 23. Maddesinin çıkarılmasından sonra belki de ilk kez Irak siyasetinde etkili olmayı başarabildi. Ancak burada altının çizilmesi gereken bir nokta var. Yazılanlar Türkmen siyasetinde her şeyi toz pembe göstermemeli. Büyük adımlar büyük sorumlulukları da beraberinde getirir. Önemli olan atılan adımların sonuç alıcı noktalara ulaşması. Zira Türkmen halkının siyasetçilerinden beklentileri büyük. Özellikle son dönemde bu beklentilerin daha da yükseldiği görülüyor. Bu noktada Türkmen siyasetçilerin halkın önceliklerini de dikkate alması ve buna göre davranması gerektiği söylenmeli. Yoksa Irak’taki kaygan zemin, rayına oturmaya başlayan Türkmen siyasetini de yeniden alt üst edebilir.



Bilgay DUMAN


ORSAM Ortadoğu Uzmanı

Letter to British MP Mr. Edward Leigh re: Iraq's minorities

To: Mr. Edward Leigh, MP for Gainsborough

Dear Sir,

Subject: Your article “Politicians must act to save the language of Jesus”

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/opinion/o0000273.shtml

I read your article in the Catholic Herald about your recent visit to the north of Iraq and I would like to make some comments:

The war of aggression launched on Iraq by the US and the UK in March 2003 and the illegal occupation of this country by the US-UK forces have brought complete chaos in Iraq and great sufferings to Iraq’s entire population, causing the death of over 1,270.000 Iraqis.

This illegal war followed 12 years of criminal sanctions - imposed on the Iraqi people by the UN at the instigation of the US and the UK- which caused the death of more than one million innocent Iraqi civilians.

This war has caused the destruction of Iraq’s infrastructure and the displacement of over 4.5 million Iraqis inside and outside the country.

The US-UK occupiers in order to impose their occupation policy on the Iraqis have dismantled Iraq’s existing institutions, disbanded its army and police leaving the country without defence forces, its borders without surveillance and its population without any protection. Over 400 Iraqi academics and scientists have been assassinated in Iraq since the occupation by gangs manipulated by the US, UK and Israeli, secret services.

Is it possible to ignore these crimes and simply turn the page?

As an honourable British MP who voted against the invasion of Iraq I deplore the fact that in your article you omit to mention the responsibility of your government in causing so much harm to the Iraqi people and that you do not demand that the UK political leaders who started this illegal war be held accountable for the crimes they committed in Iraq and insist that the Iraqi people receive a just compensation from the US-UK aggressors for the destruction of their country.

Defending one of Iraq’s minorities is highly commendable but is it fair not to give the same attention to the other minorities who are suffering under the same Kurdish domination in the north of Iraq today?

You recommend that: “the West, particularly the US and Britain, must step in to protect the last remnant of a Christian minority in Iraq, lest they go the way of the Jews, who were all evicted”. We need to give them their own province in the Nineveh Plains. We need to warn the Kurds that continued encroachments of their land will not be tolerated”

- Iraqis were well known for their religious tolerance, Christian and other non-Muslim Iraqis have always been respected by their Muslim compatriots. I would like to remind you that before the US-UK illegal invasion in 2003 Iraq’s Christians were not threatened and did not come under attacks from what you call “Muslim or Islamic extremists”.

- As for the Jews, it is false to say that they were ‘evicted’. Jews have never been forced to leave Iraq, they left by their own free will, following the Zionist plan which encouraged them to settle in Palestine.

I would like to remind you that it is the Americans and the British who have wrongly classified and described the Iraqi people as being composed of: “Shias, Sunnis and Kurds”, mixing religious sects with ethnicity and completely ignoring the Turkmens, the Chaldeo-Assyrians, the Yezidis and the Sabeans. It is interesting to note that although the majority of Iraqis are Arabs the name ‘Arabs’ was left out of their classification of the Iraqi people.

Of course, the division of Iraq along ethnic and religious lines ‘Divide and Rule’, by the neo-con gang which controlled the Bush administration, was meant to weaken Iraq, facilitate its occupation in order to plunder it’s natural resources and also to have a pretext to occupy the country indefinitely.

All Iraqis, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religion, have suffered from this brutal aggression and from the consequences of the occupation of their country. Evidently, Iraq’s minorities which did not have armed militias became more vulnerable in the chaos which has been created by the foreign aggression and occupation of Iraq in 2003.

Today in the north of Iraq all minorities are suffering from Kurdish hegemony and from their land grabbing that is why there should be no hierarchization of Iraq’s minorities and none of the victims should be ignored.

Among Iraq’s minorities the Turkmens who represent the third main ethnic community in Iraq have suffered the most.

Over the last three decades they have suffered from discrimination, marginalization, expropriation, forced displacement, arbitrary imprisonment and assassinations due to the Arabisation policy of the former regime. Their situation has continued to deteriorate even further since the occupation of the north of Iraq in April 2003 when the Kurdish Peshmerga invaded and occupied Kerkuk and other Turkmen towns and cities with the blessing of the US Army.

Today, the Turkmens are victims of the Kurdification of their ancestral lands and cities as the two Kurdish warlords are imposing their hegemony over the entire north of Iraq and are seeking to annex Kerkuk - the Turkmens’ capital city and main cultural centre in Iraq - to their autonomous region.

Yet, I have not heard a single UK politician take up the defence of Iraq’s Turkmens. Why?

The US and the UK politicians must stop creating divisions among the Iraqi people, they must stop supporting one group to the detriment of the others and they must stop favouring one religious group while demonizing another, such kind of interferences will not bring peace, stability and harmony to the Iraqi people.

Yours truly,


Merry Fitzgerald

TURKMENS: Correct spelling of Turkmen names and cities in Iraq

TO: JOURNALISTS, WRITERS, HISTORIANS...

It is logical and right that Turkmen names should be written in the form preferred by IRAQ'S TURKMENS and according to their own pronounciation.

Therefore, please note that:

1. The correct spelling of the name of Iraq's third main ethnic community, the Turkmens, is :

TURKMENS

and NOT : Turkoman, Turkomen, Turcoman, Turkman, etc.

2. The correct spelling of the Turkmens' capital city in Iraq is :

KERKUK

and NOT: Kirkuk, Kirkouk, Karkuk, etc.

3. Please note the correct spelling of the following Turkmen cities:

TELAFER

and NOT : Tal Afar, Talafar, etc.

ALTUN KOPRU

and NOT : Altoun Kopri or Kupri

TUZ KHURMATU

and NOT : Tuz Hurmatu, Toz Khurmato, Tuz Khurmato, etc.

QIZLARBAT

NOT : Sa'diye

QARAGHAN

NOT: Jalawla

KHANEQIN

NOT: Hanekin

BESHIR

NOT: Al-Bashir, etc.

Please also note that Turkmens use the following spelling for MUSUL,

and NOT: Mosul, Mousil, Mawsil, etc.

IX UNPO General Assembly in Brussels on 16 - 17 May 2008 (Part VII)

Representatives of the TURKIC WORLD attending the Conference

Iraqi Turkmens, Southern Azerbaidjanis, Uyghurs and Crimean Tatars

Mrs. Rebiya Kadeer (East Turkestan) with Inner Mongolia Representatives

Inner Mongolian Human Rights website:

http://www.smhric.org/index.htm

Dr. Hassan AYDINLI, ITF Europe Representative attended the ALDE-UNPO Conference at the EU Parliament on 16 May 2008 (Part II)

الدكتور حسن آيدنلي ممثل الجبهة التركمانية العراقية لدى الاتحاد الأوربي يشترك في المؤتمر العام التاسع لمنظمه الأمم و الشعوب الغير الممثلة ( يو. ان. بي . او) الذي انعقد في بروكسل من 15 إلى 18 مايس 2008

تلبيه لدعوه تلقاها من منظمه الأمم و الشعوب الغير الممثله ( يو. ان. بي . او) اشترك الدكتور حسن آيدنلي ممثل الجبهة التركمانية العراقية لدى الاتحاد الأوربي في أشغال المؤتمر العام التاسع لهذه المنظمه الذي انعقد في بروكسل من 15 إلى 18 مايس 2008 ضمن وفد تركماني ضم أيضا كل من الساده محمد قوجا رئيس تحرير صحيفة تركمن تايمز ، شيت جرجيس رئيس منظمه حقوق الإنسان لتركمان العراق و السيد أتيلا قلمدار

وفي الجلسه الثانيه للمؤتمر التي انعقدت يوم الجمعه 16 مايس 2008 في قاعه البرلمان الاوربي في بروكسل ألقى الدكتور حسن آيدنلي ممثل الجبهة التركمانية العراقيه لدى الاتحاد الاوربي كلمه باسم تركمان العراق تطرق فيها الى معانات الشعب التركماني في العراق منذ تاسيس الدوله العراقيه في 1921 الى هذا اليوم وشجب جميع السياسات القمعيه
و العنصريه وكذلك التهميشيه التي طبقت من قبل مختلف السلطات العراقيه في كلا العهدين الملكي و الجمهوري ضد تركمان العراق الذين يشكلون القوميه الاساسيه الثالثه المكونه لشعب العراق و الذين لهم تاريخ طويل وحضاره عريقه قي هذا البلد مركزا بالاخص على المعانات و المظالم التي يعاني منها تركمان العراق منذ ثورة 14 تموز 1958 نتيجة الاظطهاد و التمييز العنصري ضدهم و كنتيجة لسياسة التعريب التي طبقتها النظام السابق في المناطق التركمانية
في محافظات كركوك و ديالى و صلاح الدين و نينوى و كذلك المعانات و المظالم التي يعاني منها تركمان محافظة اربيل منذ اعلان قرار الحكم الذاتي لاكراد العراق في 1970 الناتجه من سياسة التهميش و التكريد التي تطبقتها السلطات الكرديه في هذه المحافظه منذ ذلك الوقت

و أضاف قائلا
ربما لازال البعض يضن خطأ بان الامور قد تحسنت في العراق بعد الغزو الانكلو – الامريكي في مارس 2003 الذي أطاح بالنظام واحتل البلاد ثم مهد الطريق الى اجراء انتخابات برلمانبه أدعي انها كانت ديمقراطيه نزيهه و سلم السلطه الى الفائزين في هذه الانتخابات و الذين حدث ان جلهم كانوا من المتعاونين مع سلطات الاحتلال و المؤيدين لقوات الغزو ثم باشر في كتابة دستور جديد للبلاد أدعي انه عادل و عصري ، وبان السلطه في العراق قد باشر في تطبيق الديمقراطيه و ان الشعب العراقي بجميع مركباته و بينهم تركمان العراق بدؤا العيش هنيئا في جو ديمقراطي حر

للاسف الشديد لا شيئ من هذا القبيل قد تحقق لنا في العراق لان الاحتلال الاجنبي مستمر لبلادنا وإن تبدل اسمها من قوات الاحتلال الى قوات متعدد الجنسيات ولان الانتخابات تخللتها التجاوزات و عمها الغش لصالح الاحزاب التي كانت لها مليشيات مسلحه تدعمها و ان الدستورالجديد لم يكن عادلا و لا عصريا حيث فرق بين العراقيين و قسمهم الى قسمين او الى نوعيين من المواطنيين معتبرا عرب و اكراد العراق وحدهما كمواطنين من الدرجه الاولى وعنصريين اساسيين في تشكيل الشعب العراقي اما التركمان فقد اهملهم الدستور الجديد واعتبرهم مجرد اقليه في العراق ومع حقوق اقل من الحقوق المعترفه الى العرب و الاكراد . أي جعلهم مواطنين من الدرجه الثانيه قي العراق

كما ان الدستور الجديد تضمن فقرات او مواد خلافيه كالماده 140 في شأن مستقبل كركوك ومصطلحات غريبه كمصطلح الاراضي المتنازع عليها الذي يستعمل عادة لتحديد اماكن النزاع بين الدول المتنازعه و لا يليق ان يدخل ضمن فقرات دستور البلد الواحد

هذه بعض الادله على استمرار تهميش التركمان في العراق من قبل العرب و الاكراد المشاركين في الحكم و هناك
مصادر قلق اخرى للتركمان في العراق منذ الاحتلال حيث سمحت قوات الاحتلال المليشيات الكرديه الى الدخول في المناطق التركمانيه و السيطره على المدن التركمانيه ابتداء من مدينه كركوك و التحكم في مقدراتها و التلاعب في تركيباتها السكانيه باستيراد مئات الالاف من الكرد اليها لتكريدها تمهيدا لفرض الامر الواقع وضمها الى منطقة الحكم الذاتي

تركمان العراق شعب مسالم ، أحزابهم السياسيه تؤمن في مبادئ الديمقراطيه و تطبقها، تنبذ العنف و ليست لديها اية تنظيمات او ميليشيات مسلحه على خلاف الاحزاب العربيه و الكرديه المهيمنه على الساحه السياسيه قي العراق الان و التي حولت العراق الى يلد يعمه الفوضى بمساعدة قوات الاحتلال وبتوجيه منها حيث اصبح الشعار لدى هذه القوى البقاء للاقوى و القوي هو ذلك الذي يملك السلاح وله ميليشيات و الاقوى هو ذلك الذي يملك اكثر عدد من هذه الاسلحه و الميليشيات

لذا وقي هذه الظروف المعاشه في العراق اليوم أصبح صعبا جدا على التركمان الاحتفاظ على حقوقهم او المطالبه بحقوق إضافية إسوة الى العرب و الاكراد

نحن ندعوا الى تعديل الدستور العراقي الجديد كي يعترف الدستور المعدل على جميع حقوقنا المشروعه و يساوي التركمان مع العرب و الاكراد في الحقوق وكذلك لازالة جميع المواد و الفقرات أو المصطلحات الخلافيه منه

نحن نطالب السلطات العراقيه التحرك السريع لارجاع املاك و اراضي التركمان التي استوليت عليها في العهدين السابق و الحالي الى أصحابها الشرعيين وتعويضيهم تعويضيا عادلا لما خسروا جراء الاستيلاء على هذه الاملاك

نحن نسعى الى قيام جمهوريه عراقيه مستقله، ديمقراطيه و تعدديه و نتوجه بنداء عاجل الى منظمه الأمم و الشعوب الغير

الممثله ( يو. ان. بي . او) و الى الاتحاد الاوربي و كذلك الى الامم المتحده و كل الخييرين في العالم كي يساعدونا في تحقيق مسعانا هذا
أشكركم جدا

The Iraqi Turkmens

Iraqi Turkmens on UNPO Website (*)

Please click on link below:
http://www.unpo.org/member_profile.php?id=27

For Iraqi Turkmens news :

http://www.unpo.org/news.php?member_id=27&category_id=4&page=1

Geography

The Turkmens of Iraq are concentrated in the northern Iraqi provinces of Mosul, Erbil, Kerkuk, Salahaddin and Diyala. There are also significant numbers of Turkmens in the central provinces of Baghdad, Wasit.

Population:

The Turkmens are the third largest ethnic group in Iraq after the Kurds and Arabs. The number of Turkmens is estimated at 3 million or 13% of the Iraqi population. They form a cultural buffer zone between Arabs and Kurds. The Turkmen region has large natural resources such as Oil, gas and Sulphur. In addition, there is an abundant production of wheat and cotton.

Language:

A dialect of the Turkish language.

Turkmen Reality:

The Turkmens are a distinct society and the third largest nationality in Iraq. They are distinct in language and culture from both their neighbours, the Arabs and Kurds. Yet, the Turkmens are continuously denied political rights and systematically faced assimilation.

Historical background:

The Turkmens, originally came from central Asia. They are descendants of the Turkic speaking Oghuz tribes who began settling in Iraq about 1500 years ago where they inhabited all of Iraq. They had a significant role in the administration of Iraq and established 6 states, The Seljuks, Atabegs, Ilkhanids, Jalairids, Qara Qoyunlus and Aq Qoyunlus.

Brief Recent History:

October 30, 1918, at the end of First World War, the Mosul province was still within the borders of the Ottoman Empire. The British troops occupied the territory after the cease-fire on November 11, 1918. Turkey refused to accept this act and demanded the return of Mosul province. The Turkmens and Kurds resisted British authority by participating in the popular 1920 Iraqi revolution and refused the British installed Hejazi Hashemite monarchy in 1921.

Turkmens were attacked on May 4, 1924 by the British army mercenaries (Levies) in Kerkuk, where many civilians were killed.

1925, Under the Constitution, the Kurds and the Turkmens had the right to use their own languages in schools, government offices and to have their own language press.

June 5, 1926, Turkey, under British pressure, accepted the integration of Mosul into Iraq.

1932, Entering the League of Nations, the Iraqi government declared that it will respect all minority rights.

But in 1933 began closing Turkmen schools and sent activists into exile.

1940 Arab tribes were settled west of Kerkuk.

July 14th 1959, Communists and separatist militias massacred Turkmen leaders along with hundreds of Turkmens in Kerkuk in an attempt to ethnically cleanse the city.

Revised census of 1957, showed the Turkmens as 9% of the Iraqi population.

January 24th 1970, The Baathist government granted cultural rights to the Turkmens.
But in 1972 prohibited the study in the Turkish language and restricted the Turkish media in Iraq to one weekly journal and one monthly magazine promoting Baath propaganda.

1973, In the Interim Constitution, no reference was made to the Turkmen population in Iraq.

January 16th 1980, Four Turkmen leaders were executed by the Baath regime and prohibited the public use of the Turkish language.

In the eighties, Turkmen activists were arrested, tortured and executed. Hundreds of thousands of Arabs were brought from central and southern Iraq and settled by the Baath government in Kerkuk and other Turkmen towns.

1990, the new Constitution states that “Iraqi people consist of Arabs and Kurds” only.

1991, the creation of the Safe Haven by the UN after the Gulf War, Included Erbil.
This, divided the Turkmens into two separate communities, a minority (15%) in the Safe Haven and the rest under Iraqi administration.

The same year, Iraqi Turkmens became member of UNPO.

April 24th 1995, The Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) was formed in Erbil as an umbrella organization to include all Turkmen parties and movements such as INTP, Turkmeneli Party, Independents Movement and 2 non political organizations.1996, Assault on the Safe Haven” by the Iraqi army, the headquarters of the INTP was attacked and destroyed. Tens of Turkmen leaders were executed.

2003 April 10th, U.S. forces entered Kerkuk and all Turkmen towns.

Assimilation Campaigns:

Turkmens suffered from various degrees of suppression and assimilation that ranged from political persecution and exile to terror, massacres and ethnic cleansing.

During the British and monarchy era, despite 1925 constitution and 1932 League of Nations declaration, cultural rights were gradually taken away, activists were sent to exile. Arab tribes were settled west of Kerkuk.

During the early republican era, Communist and separatist groups committed the Kerkuk Massacre of July 14.th, 1959 which aimed at terrorizing and ethnically cleansing the Turkmens from the city.

During the Baathist era, the Iraqi administration granted some cultural rights to the Turkmens on January 24.th, 1970, including education in the Turkish language in primary schools, daily radio broadcasting for two hours and TV broadcasting for half an hour in the Turkish language, these rights were gradually taken away by the authorities and by 1972, all Turkish schools were closed.

The assimilation of the Turkmens already became a state policy in 1971 when the General Assembly of the Baath Party decided to complete the Arabization of Kerkuk by 1980.

Administrative boundaries were changed in 1974 to divide Turkmen concentrations.

Since the mid 70s, Arabs enjoyed special incentives and rights encouraging them to move to historically Turkmen areas including the oil-rich city of Kerkuk.

In the latter half of the 1970s, the names of several Turkmen villages and places were given Arabic names.

Organizations

The Iraqi Turkmens are represented in the UNPO by Dr. Muzaffer Arslan the founder of the Iraqi National Turkmen Party (INTP).

Turkmens have the following political organizations:

1- Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) which is an umbrella organizations of several parties: INTP, Turkmeneli Party (TP), Adalet part (AP), Islamic Movement of Iraqi Turkmens (IMIT) and the Independents Movement.

2- Turkmen Nationalist Movement (TNM),

3- Turkmen Wafa Movement,

4- Islamic Union of Iraqi Turkmens(IUIT).

Non political organizations are: Turkmeneli Cooperation and Cultural Foundation (TCCF) in Turkey, Turkmen Brotherhood Center (TBC) in Iraq and Iraqi Turks Culture and Solidarity Association in Turkey.
Several other civil society organizations.

On October 7.th 1997, Turkmen organizations arranged a "Turkmen Assembly" in Erbil, northern Iraq. The assembly gathered most of the Turkmen organizations, and determined the cultural, educational, information and social policies for the Turkmen people.

The groups who attended the assembly have adopted the "Declaration of Fundamental Principles. A 30 member council was created from various Turkmen organizations.

In order to maintain the identity of the Turkmens and to ensure social solidarity worldwide, several associations and foundations were established in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, Canada, the USA and Australia.

(*) UNPO: Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization