TURKMEN RESCUE FOUNDATION STATEMENT CONDEMNING THE SILENCE OF THE MEDIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON THE MASSACRE OF TURKMEN IN IRAQ

TURKMENS ARE LOSING HOPE AS THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REMAIN SILENT ABOUT THE EXECUTIONS AND DETENTIONS OF HUNDREDS OF TURKMENS (AMONG THEM WOMEN AND CHILDREN) BY ISIS IN IRAQ. WHILE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOWS EMPATHY AND IS HELPING THE NON-TURKMEN COMPONENTS OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE, IT IS TURNING A DEAF EAR TO THE APPEALS OF THE TURKMENS.

LES TURKMENES EN IRAK PERDENT L’ESPOIR D’ETRE ENTENDUS PAR LE GOUVERNEMENT IRAKIEN ET PAR LA COMMUNAUTE INTERNATIONALE, CEUX-CI RESTENT SILENCIEUX ET INDIFFERENTS SUR LES EXECUTIONS ET LES DETENTIONS DE CENTAINES DE TURKMENES (PARMI LESQUELS DES FEMMES ET DES ENFANTS) PAR LE GROUPE TERRORISTE DAESH, ALORS QU’ILS SOUTIENNENT ET AIDENT TOUS LES AUTRES GROUPES RELIGIEUX ET ETHNIQUES EN IRAK QUI SONT EUX AUSSI VICTIMES DE DAESH. JUSQU'A QUAND CES DEUX POIDS DEUX MESURES ?

ON 8th AUGUST 2015 THE  TURKMEN RESCUE FOUNDATION ISSUED A STATEMENT STRONGLY CONDEMNING THE DEAFENING SILENCE OF THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT, OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND OF THE MEDIA ON THE ONGOING MASSACRES COMMITTED AGAINST THE TURKMENS IN IRAQ, IT ACCUSES THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT, THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THE MEDIA OF DOUBLE STANDARDS IN DEALING WITH THE TURKMEN AND NON-TURKMEN COMPONENTS OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE.

In December 2014 the Turkmen Rescue Foundation published a well documented report in Arabic, English and Turkish about the 450 Turkmen civilians, (among whom 50 women and 120 children) who were held captive by the ISIS terrorists.  This report was disseminated  far and wide, to all governmental and non-governmental organizations, to the media, to international organizations and institutions.

On 8th August 2015 the Turkmen Rescue Foundation informed the international community that the criminal ISIS organization had recently announced through social networking sites that they have executed over 2000 civilians from Mosul, including women and children, accusing them of being apostates because of their jobs in the police, the Electoral Commission, the media and for being candidates in the elections.The Turkmen Rescue Foundation confirmed that 700 among the victims were Turkmen (including women and children) ISIS terrorists carried out public executions of these innocent civilians by firing squads.

The Turkmen Rescue Foundation sends the following message to all inside and outside Iraq:

The deafening silence of everyone towards the ongoing massacres committed against the Turkmen and the violations of their human rights by ISIS terrorists and by other aggressors make us lose hope. Although we, Turkmen, are the third main ethnic component of the Iraqi people (over 2,5 million people) we continue to be discriminated simply for being Turkmen and this makes us feel we are not considered as Iraqi citizens.

The double standard in dealing with the Turkmen and non-Turkmen components of the Iraqi people by the Iraqi government and by the international community is unacceptable.

The Turkmen Rescue Foundation demands that the Iraqi government and the international community support the Turkmen fighters (over ten thousand) who have joined the army, the police and the popular mobilization forces and who are combatting ISIS on the front lines, they are fighting to liberate the Turkmen areas of Bashir in Kirkuk, Telafer, Shrikhan, Al Kubban and other areas in Mosul in order to put an end to the sufferings of the Turkmen and save as many lives as possible.

The Turkmen Rescue Foundation calls on the Iraqi Parliament to approve the Turkmen Rights Law which has remained frozen since the previous Parliament, together with the law for the establisment of the new provinces of Talafer and Tuz, as legal valves which can prevent a repeat of the massacres that we see on a daily basis.

ITF Turkey Representation commemorates the 53rd anniversary of the 14th July massacre

ITF Turkey Representation published a press bulletin to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of the 14 July massacre.

 

 

The 14^th of July 2012 coincides with the 53^rd anniversary of the Kirkuk Massacre of 1959 directed at Iraqi Turkmen. As the Iraqi Turkmen Front Turkey Representation we want to emphasize that we have not forgotten this painful incident, nor will we forget it in the future or allow it to be forgotten.

The Iraqi Turkmen Front is commemorating the week of 14-20 July as Turkmen Martyrs Week to cherish the memories of our martyrs who have lost they lives in many sad incidents, one of the major ones being the Kirkuk Massacre, fighting for the national cause. We believe that all individuals of the Turkmen community will do their duties to prevent the Turkmen from experiencing similar massacres or atrocities in the challenging times ahead..

The Iraqi Turkmen Front Turkey Representation shall hold a recitation of the Mevlid-i Şerif to commemorate all our martyrs who have sacrificed their lives to date for the divine goals. This year the Mevlid-i Şerif shall be held on the 13^th of July on Friday at Ankara Maltepe Mosque before the noon prayer (at 12:00 hours). We will be honored to see you among us as representatives of the Turkmen community living in Turkey. We are confident that once again you will give countenance to our cause by joining us in the Mevlid-i Şerif for our martyrs.

Sincerely,

Dr. Hicran Kazancı
Iraqi Turkmen Front Turkey Representative and MKYK member

Massacre of 14th July 1959 against the Turkmens by the Communists and the Kurds

Excerpt from Mofak Salman Kerkuklu's book: Brief History of Iraqi Turkmen:

"On 14th July 1959, the Turkmen in the Turkmen city Kerkuk were preparing for the first anniversary of the 1958 revolution and more than 600 Turkmen men, women and children started marching from Al-Jumhuriya street. Passing by the local Officer's Resting House chanting Turkmen songs, they were ambushed by Kurdish militia forces established by the communist and supported by the Iraqi Communist Party.

The massacre was pre-planned. Electricity and telephone lines had both been cut off prior of the march. And the Kurds communist militia groups surrounded Kerkuk City and secured all routes in order to prevent any assistance from Turkmen villagers coming to help and rescue their brothers in Kerkuk from the massacre.

The first bullet was fired at martyr Osman Hidir, the owner of a Turkmen cafe shop, and his body was dragged savagely through the streets of Kerkuk by tying it to a car. According to my father and very close relatives who participated in the march, Kurdish communists were holding ropes in their hands and started tightening the hands and feet of the Turkmens behind cars and pulling them in the streets of Kerkuk City."

Turkmens in Iraq and in the Diaspora commemorate the massacre of 14th July 1959.

This massacre against unarmed and peaceful Turkmens lasted for three days.

The streets of Kerkuk were filled with the blood of innocent Turkmens.

Witnesses say that the Kurds were shouting: "One kilo of Turkmen meat for fifty cents".

Barzani's peshmerga and Iraqi soldiers also attacked the houses belonging to Turkmens and workplaces belonging to Turkmens were plundered by the Kurds.