Iraqi Turkmen: MEP Kazak Warns European Parliament About Plight Of Iraqi Turkmen

Iraqi Turkmen: MEP Kazak Warns European Parliament About Plight Of Iraqi Turkmen

On 26 February 2014, Metin Kazak, ALDE Coordinator and Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, made a statement during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, calling on the EU to pay attention to the deteriorating security and human rights situation for Iraqi Turkmen, and growing inter-ethnic tensions. According to Mr. Kazak, the European Commission and the European External Action Service should pressure the Iraqi Government to achieve a peaceful solution regarding the situation of the Turkmen in Iraq.



Below is an article published by the Official Website of Metin Kazak MEP



Metin Kazak, ALDE Coordinator and Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights made a statement on the situation in Iraq during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg (24 to 27 February, 2014). The Bulgarian MEP noted that 2013 will be remembered as "the bloodiest year" after the war on Iraq and the Iraqi people. He stressed that the European liberals are extremely concerned about the deteriorating security situation of the population, especially the Iraqi Turkmen.

The MEP underlined that the Resolution on "Iraq: the plight of minority groups, including the Iraqi Turkmen" adopted by the EP on March 14, 2013 is seen as a positive step forward, but not a sufficient measure taken by the EU given the current situation. He argued that cultural, religious and economic damages on the Turkmen population are highly visible and that it cannot be ignored by the Union.

Metin Kazak gave as an example the bloody incident in January 2014 in the cities of Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu, where two doctors were kidnapped and killed and 14 explosions killed a total of 20 and injured over 163 Turkmen. "This openly illustrates the existence of deep tensions between ethnic groups in Iraq, which increases the risk of a civil war involving the Iraqi people in bloody clashes," said Kazak.

According to the MEP, the EU should pay special attention to the deteriorating human rights situation of the Turkmen community in Iraq. He said that contractual relations between the two sides and the creation of a legal framework for relations covering political dialogue, trade relations, legal cooperation, human rights, development aid and others were established for the first time by the signing of the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation in May 2012. Kazak pointed out that the purpose of the agreement is to significantly expand cooperation with Iraq on key foreign policy issues for the EU such as human rights, the rule of law, non-proliferation of weapons, the International Criminal Court, migration and others, because the situation in the country is directly linked to the overall stability in the Middle East region.

Finally, Metin Kazak called on the European Commission and the European External Action Service to exert additional pressure on the Iraqi government to achieve a peaceful solution on the situation of the Turkmen in Iraq in order to avoid irreversible consequences in the region.




- See more at: http://www.unpo.org/article/16903#sthash.38jETEwK.dpuf

PLENARY SESSION AT THE EU PARLIAMENT – IRAQ: PLIGHT OF MINORITY GROUPS, IN PARTICULAR THE IRAQI TURKMEN (video)

PLENARY SESSION AT THE EU PARLIAMENT – IRAQ: PLIGHT OF MINORITY GROUPS, IN PARTICULAR THE IRAQI TURKMEN

photo: MEP METIN KAZAK

On the initiative of MEP METIN KAZAK the European Parliament discussed and voted in Strasbourg an urgency resolution on the plight of minority groups, in particular the Iraqi Turkmen.

FOR VIDEO OF PLENARY SESSION AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT on 14^th March 2013 PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/plenary/video?debate=1363271282990

TEXT OF JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+MOTION+P7-RC-2013-0147+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN

Iraq's minorities need action from EU, By Metin KAZAK, Bulgarian MEP from ALDE

Iraq's minorities need action from EU



No easy solution and time is running out


ARTICLE
DECEMBER 17, 2011 - 10:06AM
BY METIN KAZAK,BULGARIAN MEP FROM ALDE

When people are kidnapped in Kirkuk they disappear. Some do return to their families, after large ransoms are paid, while others become the victims of their kidnappers. Bombings are a daily occurrence and no one knows the target of two terrorists that accidently killed themselves assembling a bomb on 11 December.

It is no wonder that the Turkmen community of Kirkuk and other so-called disputed areas are under siege. Many are searching either for a way out or the support at home and abroad needed to sustain their centuries-old communities that, like others, have been rocked by the instability that is only now beginning to ebb away from Iraq.

As many of my colleagues that deal with Iraq have agreed, the European Union has to play a more joined-up and constructive role in Iraq as the United States draws down its forces before exiting completely on 31 December 2011.

To date, I have not seen the signs that this is happening. This sentiment is shared amongst colleagues, civil society, and observers from all manner of backgrounds, party, and experience. The EU’s delegation within Iraq remains woefully small, under-resourced, and under-staffed.

More worrying is the complacent, or at worst disengaged, attitude that seems to characterise the approach to Iraq from the European Commission, and newly formed EEAS. The EU has projected itself as an international actor and has been believed, especially by those that follow it from afar, and in this I include Kirkuk.

Kirkuk reflects many of the gnawing deficiencies within Iraq today. The 2005 constitution has still to be formally adopted, a process for normalising relations between communities remains dormant, and all the while demographic change, dislocation and insecurity is eating away at Turkmen communities, livelihoods and futures as the city’s cultural fabric is eroded bomb by bomb.

Every week, Turkmen professionals, including much-needed doctors, are leaving after facing death threats, intimidation or discrimination in the workplace. Their children have limited prospects, with little if any tuition in their mother tongue, excluded from state jobs, and with no signs that the thousands of property claims will be resolved soon.

But when the Subcommittee on Human Rights convened on 5 December 2011 it did so with a clear desire – to raise awareness of the situation facing the Turkmen of Iraq and to make the first step in identifying the action that can – and should – be taken to safeguard the future of Iraq’s communities, of which Turkmen are the third largest.

It was a meeting that had been long overdue, and the interest from colleagues and the public was a demonstration of the European Parliament acting in concert with the real interests of policymakers and European citizens.

The message from invited academics was also clear, namely that the situation in Kirkuk is acute and the risks are real. In identifying the dangers, the existing and mostly failed initiatives to solve them, and drawing comparisons I believe we are closer to understanding one of the world’s most complex conflicts.

We cannot pretend that a solution is easy or imminent but we know that time is running out. The coming year will be a time when my colleagues and I intend to support the discussions into community security, property reparations, multi-lingual education, confidence building measures, and parliamentary capacity building needed to help make a solution realisable. The European institutions must be part of this and I hope to bring to their attention the realities facing Turkmen and their neighbours today.

Soon a new year will be dawning for the EU in Iraq, and with this must come resolutions. The EU must resolve to demonstrate its commitment to the people of Iraq as a whole and to the Turkmen in particular. As a community, the Turkmen have been listening to the EU make promises for too long and for almost a decade they have seen nothing. That must change in 2012.

About the Author

Metin Kazak, Bulgarian MEP from ALDE
http://www.neurope.eu/article/iraqs-minorities-need-action-eu

Iraqi Turkmen representatives in Europe denounce the lack of security for the Turkmen community in Iraq

Iraqi Turkmen representatives in Europe denounce the lack of security for the Turkmen community in Iraq 

In the wake of the latest abominable criminal act that took place in Kirkuk on 5^th September 2011, which targeted Dr. Yildirim Abbas Demirci and resulted in his killing together with his brother Mr. Zaynelabideen Abbas Demirci in front of their family home in Kerkuk, the Iraqi Turkmen Front representatives and the Iraqi Turkmen human rights and civil society activists in Europe denounced the lack of security in the Turkmen region of Iraq and raised the issue of the targeted killings of the Turkmens at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Dr. Yildirim Abbas Demirci was an eminent Turkmen neurosurgeon who was greatly respected for his professionalism and dedication to his patients.

The assassination of Dr. Yildirim Abbas Demirci follows a long series of targeted killings and abducting of Turkmen intellectuals, professionals and businessmen since 2003. These criminal acts against the Turkmen community have intensified lately, they are aiming at terrorizing this community and forcing their intellectuals either to abandon their region or be kidnapped or killed.

Despite the numerous crimes and targeted killings which have been committed against the Turkmens, to-date, not a single perpetrator of these acts has been arrested or identified.

This demonstrates the lack of commitment or will by the local authorities - which are still controlled by the Kurds - and the lack of will by the central government to protect the Turkmens and track and arrest the authors of these crimes.

Turkmens have addressed multiple demands to the central government to obtain the means and the authorization to form a security force to protect their community, similar to the Peshmerga militia in the Kurdish region and the Sahwa militia in the Arab region, to-date, the central government has remained deaf to Turkmen demands, leaving them the only community in Iraq without any adequate protection.

Iraqi Turkmen Front EU representative Dr. Hassan Aydinli having informed in the past the Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee as well as the Members of the Human Rights Subcommittee at the European Parliament about the continued violations of Turkmens’ Human Rights in Iraq since 2003, the Vice-Chairman of Subcommittee on Human Rights at the European Parliament MEP Metin Kazak received him on 22^nd June 2011 to examine the situation and discuss the matter. 

MEP Metin Kazak having understood the gravity of the situation promised he would put the Turkmen issue on the agenda and that he would organize a Hearing of Turkmen Representatives in front of the Committee of Human Rights at the EU Parliament.

In order to confer about the Hearing a delegation representing the Turkmens in Europe was received on 8^th September 2011 by Mr. Metin Kazak, MEP at the European Parliament.

The Turkmen delegation was composed of:

- Iraqi Turkmen Front representative in the European Union Dr. Hassan Aydinli
- Iraqi Turkmen Front representative in the United Kingdom Mrs. Sundus Abbas
- SOITM Chairman Dr. Sheth Jerjis, The Netherlands
- Europe-Turkmen Friendships Director Mrs. Merry Fitzgerald, Belgium.

 

The Turkmen delegation has also met MEP Ismail Ertug who assured them of his continued support to the Turkmen cause.

The delegation was also received by Mr. Andrew Swan, Programme Manager at UNPO in Brussels. to discuss the modalities of the upcoming Turkmen Hearing at the EU Parliament.

ITF EU Representative
Information Office
Brussels, 9th September 2011


See also:
http://turkmenfriendship.blogspot.com/2011/07/itf-eu-representative-dr-hassan-aydinli.html

ITF EU Representative Dr Hassan Aydinli met Member of the European Parliament Mr. Metin Kazak

Merry Fitzgerald and Dr. Hassan Aydinli with MEP Metin Kazak

MEP Metin Kazak's assistants at the EU Parliament

BRUSSELS, June 22nd 2011

ITF EU Representative Dr. Hassan AYDINLI met Mr. Metin KAZAK, MEP (Bulgaria) Vice-Chair Sub-Committee on Human Rights at the European Parliament.

During the meeting ITF EU Representative updated MEP Metin Kazak about the situation in Kerkuk and the Turkmen region and he stressed the importance of holding a hearing dedicated exclusively to the Turkmens at the EU Parliament.

Mr.Metin Kazak was supportive of the idea and said that he would first discuss this with his political group at the EU Parliament (the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe) and that he subsequently would propose to his colleagues at the Commission to hold such a Hearing at the beginning of October 2011.

Mr. Metin Kazak, MEP announces Hearing "Iraq's Forgotten people?- The Turkmen of Kirkuk" at the EU Parliament

Metin Kazak MEP Announces Iraqi Turkmen Hearing at the EU Parliament

Metin Kazak MEP Announces Iraqi Turkmen Hearing at the EU Parliament
In a recent meeting of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights, Metin Kazak spoke about the increasing violence in Kirkuk and appealed to the European External Action Service to take steps toward protecting Iraqi Turkmen rights in the region.

The city of Kirkuk has experienced a significant increase in violence, targeted at ethnic groups, in the months leading up to the U.S.withdrawal from Iraq. While the reconstruction effort in the country has yielded a marked decline in violence in a majority of regions, Kirkuk’s barriers to peace stem from an enduring struggle amongst several ethnic communities over the governance model for the city and wider region.


The Iraqi Turkmen, who have long suffered varying degrees of persecution in Iraq, have called for the restoration of peace, representation and culture in the region. These requests have been met with “bombings, assassinations and intimidations,” according to Metin Kazak, a member of the European Parliament representing Bulgaria.

On 12 July 2011, Kazak implored the European External Action Service to “support a peaceful and equitable solution to the question of Kirkuk and…initiatives intended to promote deep and meaningful dialogue between political parties, including all Iraqi Turkmen parties, associated with the disputed territory.”

In a prepared statement, a spokesman from the External Action Service responded that “in terms of the question of dialogue, the EU fully supports the United Nations, which has been in the lead on this issue and is playing a prominent role in facilitating dialogue on the disputed territories.”
The spokesman emphasized that a UN task force exists to confront the Kirkuk question and that this force has been consistent in its attempts to aid the Iraqi government in solving internal border disagreements.

The UNPO anticipates that these issues will be comprehensively discussed in the upcoming hearing organised by the Subcommittee on Human Rights, Iraq’s Forgotten People? – The Turkmen of Kirkuk chaired by Mr Kazak. The hearing, set to take place on Monday, 3 October 2011, will highlight the Iraqi Turkmen’s unique history which is so closely associated with Kirkuk, the consequences of US withdrawal on the community, and the future of Iraqi Turkmen in the region.

Author: Andrew Swan
http://www.unpo.org/article/12894

full transcript of the exchange:
Subcommittee on Human Rights: Parliamentary Question
Brussels,Belgium
14 July 2011
Subject: Announcement of Iraqi Turkmen Hearing
______________________________________________________________
Below is the full transcript of Metin Kazak’s Parliamentary Question:

Chairman (translated): And now I’d like to go over to the third question which was asked by
The question relate to the minorities in Kirkuk in Iraq. Over to you.

Mr Metin Kazak: Thank you very much chairman. As the United States prepares to withdraw its forces fromIraqand the European Union is working to expand its cooperation with Baghdad, the city of Kirkuk and its vulnerable population of Iraqi Turkmen remains as much as ever a flashpoint for violence that may prove the biggest threat to the stability and security of Iraq as a whole.

While violence throughout Iraq has been declining, Kirkuk is experiencing a rise in bombings, assassinations and intimidations that target Iraqi Turkmen and others in a potent demonstration of ineffective local government and security structure, a loss of faith in the central government and deepening mistrust in a process that seems to be working against the city’s historic Turkmen community. So, um, there have been voices urging the United States to retain a presence in Kirkuk to protect the Iraqi Turkmen community, for greater representation of Iraqi Turkmen in the federal administration, expansion of the power associated with the Kirkuk governate and government council and for a reassessment of Iraqi Turkmen social and political situation in Kirkuk.

So my question, what with this perspective to the European External Action Service, is how they see this cost and what steps is the EAS taking to support a peaceful and equitable solution to the question of Kirkuk and the second and additional question is what action is the European External Action Service taking to support initiatives intended to promote deep and meaningful dialogue between political parties, including all Iraqi Turkmen parties associated with the disputed territory of Kirkuk.
Thank you.

Chairman (translated): Thank you very much. Now I would like to give the floor to
representative of the EAS to answer to this question.

Commission: Thank you very much Mr Chair. I have an answer that has been provided to me by the Iraq desk of the EAS, which, more than the specific situation in Kirkuk emphasizes that a very substantial proportion of EU support has been given to the most vulnerable Iraqis, many of whom are internally displaced, living in areas with dense minority group populations.

EU assistance has ranged from humanitarian assistance to support for the protection and promotion of human rights to the rehabilitation of schools and it has been systematically based on principles of non-discrimination and impartiality. The EU has also provided support to Iraq in its efforts to re-establish rule-of- law and effective governance including through the U-JUST LEX mission. In general terms the Foreign Affairs Council addressed the issue of violence against minorities at its meeting of November 2010 and adopted conclusions stressing that the new government inIraq would need to rededicate itself to the pursuit of national reconciliation, representing the intere sts and needs and protecting the human rights of all Iraqis regardless of ethnicity or creed. In terms of the question on dialogue, the EU fully supports the United Nations which has been in the lead on this issue and is playing a prominent role in facilitating physical dialogue on the disputed territories between Iraq’s minorities. The United Nation’s assistance mission for Iraq has continued to work with the new Iraqi government and the Kurdistan region government to ensure follow-up to the high level task force for advancing the issues of disputed internal boundaries and the status of Kirkuk. Thank you.

Chairman (translated): Thank you very much. Would Mr Kazak want to ask a follow-up question?


Kazak (translated): Thank you president. I would like to thank the representative of the European External Action Service for this answer. I believe the answer clearly that the complicated situation I’ve brought up in my question is not fully realized. This is a region that needs special attention; it’s a region in a very delicate and very worrying situation. The Iraqi Turkmen community needs special attention and I expect the European External Action Service to really pay attention to this question because we are talking here about breeches of basic human rights. These people are godforsaken and this is the third community in Iraq in terms of size that has been victimized by the great powers and the way they govern the situations so we are going to organize a hearing on the matter.

Chairman (translated): Would the commission like to answer the question?

Commission: Thank you Mr Chairman. I will simply relay the information to the relevant colleagues. And we look forward to receiving information about the hearing and to ensure proper representation there. Thank you.

------

Below is the link to the video of METIN KAZAK MEP addressing the Commission on July 12, 2011


Note: to go directly to Mr. Metin Kazak’s question please slide the cursor to 9:31:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/wps-europarl-internet/frd/vod/player?eventCode=20110712-0900-COMMITTEE-DROI&language=en&byLeftMenu=researchcommittee&category=COMMITTEE&format=wmv#