KRG IS TO HAVE ITS OWN SEAT IN THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) PARLIAMENT

Basnews | Biryar Koyi – ERBIL – 6 Dec 2014 – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)is to have its own seat in the European Union (EU) Parliament representing the Kurdistan Region in the sessions the EU will hold regarding the issues in Middle East region. “In the past, KRG representatives in EU have often attempted to put the name of KRG in the EU Parliament,” KRG Representative to the EU, Dlawar Azhgeyi told BasNews on Thursday.He continued, “Finally, the head of the EU Parliament and Protocol Department approved a special seat for the Kurdistan Region labeled KRG.”





“Officially allocating a seat for the KRG in meetings of the European Parliament is an important step in the history of the KRG,” added Azhgeyi. In the last few months, KRG officials have accepted numerous invitations to the Parliament to discuss the current changes in the Kurdistan Region and beyond, especially after the emergence of Islamic State (IS). Many EU members have expressed their support for the Kurdistan Region by sending humanitarian aid and military equipment to Kurdistan and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting IS insurgents.

John Pilger - Logan Symposium - 5th Dec 2014 - MUST WATCH

Published on 5 Dec 2014

(uploaded for non profit educational purposes)
John Pilger speaking at Logan Symposium, London 5th Dec 2014.

Couple of spots the stream freezes, below is a transcript
http://johnpilger.com/articles/war-by...

An "official" video will be released at the end of the event.

David Campbell Bannerman, Chair of the Delegation for Relations with Iraq Speech on 27 November 2014 at the EU Parliament

Debates
Thursday, 27 November 2014 - Strasbourg	Provisional edition

7.3. Iraq: kidnapping and mistreatment of women Video of the speeches PV   David Campbell Bannerman, author . - Mr President, as Chair of the Delegation for Relations with Iraq, I welcome the creation of the new unity government in Iraq and offer my delegation’s unwavering support in helping it to build a fairer, more inclusive society, including one which protects and promotes the rights of women. I condemn without reservation the barbaric killings, kidnappings, rapes, sexual violence and torture committed by ISIS fighters in Iraq. Such actions arguably constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. These terror attacks against women and girls, committed by the so-called Islamic State and associated groups, are inhuman. They also include targeted attacks against members of the ethnic and religious minorities such as Kurds, Syrians, Christians, Yazidis and Turkmen. The utterly abhorrent use of forced religious conversions, forced marriage, sexual enslavement and gender-based violence by ISIS against women and girls in Iraq is evidence of this. Further steps need be taken to ensure the safety of women and girls ...

IRAQI TURKMEN MESSAGE TO THE EU PARLIAMENT MEMBERS

IRAQI TURKMEN MESSAGE TO THE EU PARLIAMENT MEMBERS

Who are the Iraqi Turkmens

The Turkmens of Iraq are a Turkic people, they are the descendants of the Turkish OGUZ tribes originating in Central Asia. They arrived in Mesopotamia (Iraq) in several successive waves and settled there more than 1400 years ago. The overall Turkmen region in Iraq is called Turkmeneli, it lies between the Kurdish region in the northeast and the Arab region in the southwest. It includes territories in the provinces of Mosul, Erbil, Kirkuk, Salaheddin, Diyala and Kut.

Population 

Since there is no accurate and reliable census data in Iraq, one cannot be sure about the exact numbers of the Turkmens, however, it is estimated to be around three million, which is roughly 9% of the Iraqi population. in the 1997 census, ‘Turkmen’ as a nationality was removed from the official census forms, Turkmens had to register either as Arabs or Kurds. The largest concentration of Turkmens lives in the city of Kirkuk, which they consider as their capital city and main cultural centre. A great number of Turkmens also live in Baghdad. We are a clear majority in Tal Afar, Tuzhurmatu and Kifri.

Demographic changes and confiscation of Turkmen lands

Several demographic changes have taken place in the Turkmen region, especially in Kirkuk province  and Kirkuk city. In the 1980s the Baath regime installed tens of thousands of Arab families on Turkmen lands, several Turkmen villages were totally destroyed and their inhabitants were forcedly displaced without receiving any compensation. The largest demographic change happened in Kirkuk under U.S. occupation in 2003 when the Kurdish leaders brought over 600.000 Kurds from other areas in Iraq and settled them in the city. Today, there is ongoing pressure by Kurdish and Arab authorities to shift the Turkmen population to different areas to continue the demographic change.

Human rights violations

Since the beginning of the Iraqi state in 1921 Turkmens were treated as second class citizens, their basic human rights were denied and their political leaders and intellectuals were killed. Since 2003 the Turkmen political leaders, academics, professionals have been especially targeted and assassinated, dozens of them were kidnapped for ransom. Turkmen areas are suffering under targeted attacks. Turkmens are easy targets as they are not allowed to have their own self-defence forces. Arabs and Kurds can get benefit from governmental financial sources while Turkmens do not. Even at 1^st November 2014 the new Iraqi Parliament rejected the one bill that would recognize Turkmens’ rights. This proves that the discrimination against the Turkmens continues.

Internally displaced Turkmens due to IS attacks

Since June 2014, many Turkmen cities and villages have been attacked and occupied by IS. 350.000 Turkmens had to flee leaving everything behind and many were tortured and killed (in Tel Afer, Bashir, Biravceli, Amerli, Kara Tepe, etc). Neither the Iraqi army which was supposed to protect them nor the Kurdish Peshmerga forces came to their help. Thousands of these Turkmen IDPs are now living under dire conditions in transit camps in the Kurdish region and in mosques and schools in Kirkuk. Thousands of other Turkmen families were taken to the south of Iraq where they were given shelter in schools and mosques. Wherever they are these internally displaced Turkmen families have hardly received any help from the Iraqi government, to survive they can only rely on humanitarian help from fellow Turkmens, Turkmen and Turkish NGOs.

What is needed for our survival 

To survive and be recognised as part of Iraq we formulated the conditions for our survival as an Iraqi people in the Common ‘Declaration of the Turkmen, Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian and Ezidi Kurdic people of Iraq’ which has been signed and presented at 19 November 2014 in the European Parliament.

Brussels, 4th December 2014

Contact: Dr. Hassan Tawfiq Aydinli, Iraqi Turkmen Front EU Representative

e-mail : htwalli@skynet.be

UNPO Briefs Delegation for Relations with Iraq at European Parliament

UNPO Briefs Delegation for Relations with Iraq at European Parliament

Yesterday, 4 December 2014, the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Iraq (D-IQ) convened its 5th European Parliament – Iraq Interparliamentary Meeting to discuss the security, political and human rights/humanitarian situation in Iraq. UNPO, who recently concluded a 10-day fact finding mission in Iraq together with the Institute for International Law and Human Rights (IILHR), was invited to brief the D-IQ on the human rights situation in Iraq and the preliminary findings of the mission.

The meeting was chaired by MEP David Campbell Bannerman and brought together a number of MEPs, Iraqi parliamentarians and government officials, as well as expert speakers, who discussed a range of different elements on the crisis in Iraq.

Although the speakers represented a variety of organizations and discussed different elements, they all emphasized two things in particular. First of all, the dire humanitarian situation of minorities and internally displaced people and the horrendous human rights violations that they have endured were acknowledged and emphasized by all speakers. The importance of unity was also highlighted: how the crisis must continue to unite Iraq’s many ethnic and religious components against the threat of the IS and how the international community must stand with Iraq in dealing with both immediate and long-term security, humanitarian and rule-of-law challenges.

Dr. Humam Baqer Hamoodi, the Vice President of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, made the point that the response to the current crisis in Iraq should and must include the whole international community: “Such is the severity of the current situation, that the entire international community has a responsibility to assist Iraq in dealing with its humanitarian crisis and providing for the millions of IDPs”.

Ambassador Brett McGurk, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and General John Allen’s Deputy Senior Envoy (Global Coalition to Counter ISIL) gave a detailed explanation of the security situation in Iraq and the coalition’s military action, stating that the situation is getting better, but fighting the Islamic State will be a long process and counter offensives are planned for this coming spring.

Mr. John O’Rourke, Head of Division for the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq at the European External Action Service and Mr. Jean-Louis de Brower, Director of Operations in the European Commission’s DG ECHO, explained the EU’s political and humanitarian response to the crisis, respectively, while Mr. Jean-Claude Boidin, the Head of Unit for Geographical Coordination for Central Asia, Middle East/Gulf, Asia Regional Programs at DG DEVCO in the European Commission stated that thinking about Iraq’s long term future and building on EU development programs already undergoing in Iraq are essential to addressing the root causes of the current crisis. The work and challenges facing theUN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Iraq were explain by Ms. Rebecca Blackledge, who highlighted that the utmost priority for IDPs now is winterization assistance.

Civil society also spoke on the humanitarian and human rights situation in Iraq. UNPO Program Manager Johanna Green, briefed the delegation on the findings of UNPO and IILHR’s fact finding mission, including the humanitarian situation and specific human rights violations, particularly focusing on Iraq’s ethnic and religious minorities. In her speech, Ms Green gave a first-hand account of the terrible conditions in the IDP camps that individuals from ethnic and religious components, particularly the Yezidis, are forced to endure. She also drew attention to how the discriminatory practices which have been an unfortunate reality for ethnic and religious minority groups in Iraq – including the Turkmen, Assyrians, Shabakis and others – for most of the country’s recent history, have been reflected in the response of the authorities, in the wake of the IS attacks.

UNPO's Johanna Green briefing the EP Delegation for Relations with Iraq

As the world has turned its focus to Iraq’s security situation and combatting Daesh, or the so called Islamic State, the horrific human rights violations and dire conditions facing Iraq’s 2 million internally displaced persons risk being overlooked and ignored. Therefore, UNPO, IILHR and Minority Rights Group (MRG) have launched a joint initiative culminating in the publication of a comprehensive report on the human rights and humanitarian situation in Iraq since 1 June 2014, which will be presented before the European Parliament at a date to be confirmed. The joint UNPO-IIHLR mission between 8 and 18 November 2014 to Erbil, Dohuk and Baghdad, where the mission delegates talked to minority leaders, senior Iraqi government officials, parliamentarians, local NGOs and IDPs, aimed at collecting first-hand information for the said publication.

To download UNPO’s speech before the D-IQ on the situation of Iraq’s ethnic and religious minorities please click here.

Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Karim: " The future of Kirkuk is that it has to have a special status."

Karim: “The future of Kirkuk,
regardless of where it will end
up politically, is that it has to
have a special status.”
Kirkuk Governor
Najmaldin Karim


://www.orsam.org.tr/tr/trUploads/Etkinlikler/Dosyalar/20141125_soylesi11ing.pdf

The English version: The Turkish version: The Arabic version:

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Brussels to attend meeting of the 60-state coalition against the IS jihadist group and to call for funding

Iraq PM to urge reconstruction fund at Brussels meet

By AFP

PUBLISHED: 21:48 GMT, 2 December 2014 | UPDATED: 21:48 GMT, 2 December 2014


Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi flew to Brussels on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the 60-state coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group and to call for funding, his office said.

Abadi, who is also due to meet French President Francois Hollande in Paris on Wednesday, will brief his allies in the Belgian capital on latest developments on the ground.

Abadi told lawmakers on Monday that he would also call on the international community to set up a special fund to help rebuild regions ravaged by the jihadist offensive.



+1

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi gives a press conference on October 20, 2014 in the Iraqi central shrine city of Najaf ©Haidar Hamdani (AFP/File)

"It is not fair that Iraq should bear the cost of the war on its own," he said. "We were attacked by outside forces that entered from Syria and destroyed our country."

"An important reason for my visit to Brussels is that 60 states are gathered there and we will ask them: 'Are you standing by Iraq and fighting terrorism?'," Abadi told parliament on Monday.

"Fighting terrorism cannot happen without money, we need their help, at least to establish a fund for the reconstruction of areas that have been destroyed by terrorism."

Thanks in part to a campaign of air strikes led by the United States -- but in which nations such as France, Britain, Australia, Belgium and Denmark also play an active role -- the tide has begun to turn on jihadist expansion.

The advance of IS fighters has stalled in Syria, while pro-government forces in Iraq have notched up a string of victories that have shrunk the jihadist footprint.

The statement from Abadi's office said that during his meetings in Europe he would discuss "ways to expand international cooperation to respond to the threat of terrorism."

Observers have argued that Iraqi forces would struggle to defeat IS fighters without the help of foreign ground troops but Abadi and his Western allies have so far ruled that out.

VIDEO - Turkmen, Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian and Yazidi people of Iraq’s conference and signing of the common declaration at the European Parliament on 19th November 2014.

 Iraklı Türkmenler, Keldaniler, Süryaniler, Asuriler ve Kürt Yezidilerin ortak bildirgesi

Hükümi varlığı olmayan kadim Irak haklarına insan haklarının düzeltilmesi için çağrı

VIDEO

To watch excerpts of the Turkmen, Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian and Yazidi people of Iraq’s conference and signing of the common declaration in the European Parliament on 19^th November 2014

Please click on this link:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJL7ft_bXTI&list=UUvDkitqpZEqxBRX44T4Y-fg 

TD Konferans ESU Parlamento Urifi

With thanks to Suroyotvnews.

Please note that the speeches of Dr. Hassan Aydinli and Prof. Mahir Nakip were accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation showing maps and photos of Turkmen confiscated lands, internally displaced Turkmens and Turkmen martyrs.

The original written presentations of both Dr. Hassan Aydinli and Prof. Dr. Mahir Nakip had to be shortened during the conference because of lack of time as the conference had started later than expected.

IRAK TÜRKMEN CEPHESİ

Avrupa Birliği Temsilciliği

Brüksel-Belçika

******

 Iraklı Türkmenler, Keldaniler, Süryaniler, Asuriler ve Kürt Yezidilerin ortak bildirgesi

Hükümi varlığı olmayan kadim Irak haklarına insan haklarının düzeltilmesi için çağrı

Biz Irak halklarından Kaldaniler, Süryaniler, Asuriler, Türkmenler ve Yezidi Kürtler, bu ülkeye ait bireyler olarak bir araya geldik. Halklarımız, Irakta yaşayan milletimizi teşkil eden diğer halklar ile birlikte aynı haklara sahip, Irak’ın kadim yurttaşlarıdır.

Halklarımızın her biri, gerçekte mevcudiyetleri Irakta ve uluslararası toplumlarda yeterince tanınmamalarından dolayı, on yıllarca mağdur olmuşlardır. Bu etnik, kültür ve inançlarımızın yeterince tanınmaması hepimizi, ayırımcılık, aşırı derecede kötü muamele ve etnik ve kültürel yok etme ile karşı karşıya bırakmıştır.

Şimdi bizler, ISIS (IŞID)* denilen Şerir tarafından, Irakta ki yerleşkelerimizden sürülmüş durumdayız. Tahrip etmekten ve öldürmekten başka bir şey bilmeyen bu Şerir hayal edilemeyecek bir şekilde halklarımıza saldırmıştır. Çocuklar boğazlanmış, kadınlar tecavüze uğramış ve satılmış, erkekler katil ve işkence edilmişlerdir. IŞİD’e karşı savaş bir dinsel savaş değildir fakat temelde insanlık adına bir savaştır. 

Bu mevcut krizin ışığında, içinde halklarımızın her birinin ülkemizin bir parçası olarak tanınması ve etnik, kültür ve inanç kimliğimizin korunabilmesi yönünde çalışmak üzere ortak bir gelecek için bütünleştik.

Amacımız ülkemizin zengin çeşitliliğini sürdürmek ve katkıda bulunmak ve barış dolu ortak bir gelecek için aynı arzuları paylaşan komşu halkaların çabalarını desteklemektir.

Biz mağdurlar olarak işlem görmek istemiyoruz, biz Irak’ın eşit haklara sahip vatandaşları olarak tanınmak istiyoruz. 

 

Biz; tarihsel (ve hâlihazırda) yaşamakta olduğumuz topraklarımızda komşularımız için korkmadan ve kendi kimliğimizi gizlemeye gerek duymadan Türkmenler, Yezidi Kürtler ve Kaldaniler-Süryaniler-Asuriler kimliği ile Irak’ın eşit haklara sahip vatandaşları olarak tanınmaya ve kendi idari yönetimimize sahip olması gerektiği olduğu sonucuna vardık.

Biz Yezidi Kürtler Sinjar’a dönmek ve orada yaşamak istiyoruz, biz Türkmenler Irak’ta** ki kendi ana yurtlarımıza dönmek ve oralarda yaşamak istiyoruz ve biz Kaldaniler-Süryaniler-Asuriler Ninova yaylasına dönmek ve orada yaşamak istiyoruz. Biz hepimiz kendi yurtlarımızda dışlanmış azınlıklar değil fakat Irak yurttaşı ve Irak’ın kabullenilmiş halkları olarak yaşamak istiyoruz. Bu üzücü durumdur ki şimdi bizler karşı karşıya bırakılmaktayız.

Bu nedenledir ki bizim, hem Irak Kürdistan Bölgesi hükümeti hem de Irak Merkezi hükümeti ile uyumlu olan, yöresel bağımsızlığımızın ve kendi yönetimimizin olması gerekecektir.

Bu; Sinjar, Tal Afar, Tezehurmatu, Tuzhurmatu, Kifri ve Ninova bölgelerinde kendi meclisimizi seçecek ve bu meclislerin sorumluluğu altında kendi savunma gücümüzü oluşturacağız. Bu meclislerle biz kendi yönetimlerimizi kontrol edeceğiz***. Meclisler bu bölgelerde ki yaşayanlar söz sahibi olacaklar ve temsil edileceklerdir. Hepsi de eşit demokratik ve temel haklara sahip olacaklardır.

Bu bildirgede bahsedilen bölgelerde ki halklarımız**** ayırımcılık nedeniyle kendi gelişimlerinde geri kalmışlardır. Bu bölgeler için halklarımızın paylaşacağı Irak’ın varlıklarından özel yatırım fonuna ihtiyaç olacaktır. Daha fazlası, IŞİD’in sebep olduğu hasarlar ışığında AB’yi ve ABD’yi, bu bölgelerde gerektiğinde yeniden inşada kullanılmak için, kısa süreli ortak bir yeniden inşa fonu tahsis etmeye çağırıyoruz. Halklarımız bu fonlarla kendi topraklarını yeniden inşa etmek için çalışmayı dört gözle bekleyeceklerdir. Son olarak AB’den Irak’a tahsis edilen mevcut AB fonunu bizim halkımızın da paylaştığını gözlemesini talep ediyoruz. Bu yeni uygulamayı önerirken komşularımızdan izole edilmiş bir şekilde yaşamak istemiyoruz. Biz halklarımızın Iraklı Arap ve Kürt komşularımız birlikteliğimizi devam ettirmek istiyoruz. Dünyamızın muhteşem mozaiği, medeniyetler beşiği Ortadoğu’da, değişik halkların oluşturduğu emsalsiz birliktelikle yaşamak bizim en derin arzumuzdur.

AB’yi ve ABD’yi biz halklarımızla ve Kürt Bölgesel Yönetimiyle ve Irak Yönetimiyle birlikte çalışarak bu hedefleri gerçekleştirmeye davet ediyoruz. Kürt Bölgesel Yönetimini ve Irak Yönetimini, Irak’ın kültürel zenginliklerini muhafaza etmek ve başarıya ulaşmak için, bu sonuca ulaşmanın önemini idrak etmesini talep ediyoruz.

Federation of Ezidi Associations, Fikret Igrek – Head of Foreign Affairs: _____________________

Iraqi Turkmen Front, Dr. Hassan Aydinli – EU Representative: ________________________

European Syriac Union, Lahdo Hobil – President: ________________________________________

---

Dip notları :-

* Biz  Ninova Vilayetinde ki, Sinjar, Tal Afar ve Ninova Düzlüğünden; Kerkük vilayetinde ki, Türkmen alt idari bölgeleri Beşir ve Taze’den; Salahaddin Vilayetinde ki, Türkmen  alt idari bölgeleri Biravcili, Kara Naz, Çardağlı, Bastamlı ve Tuzhurmatu bölgesinde bulunan Türkmen Bayat kabilesine ait birçok köylerden; Diyala Vilayetinde ki, Kifri, Karatepe, Jalawla ve Salman Beg idari ve alt idari bölgelerinden sürüldük.

**Tal Afar, Beşir, Tazehurmatu, Biravcili, Amerli, Kara Naz, Kifri, Kara Tepe, Jalawla ve Salman Beg vb.

*** Türkmen halkı; Tal Afar’ın ve Tuzhurmatu’nun iki büyük idari bölgesinin Irak’ın 19ncu ve 20nci vilayetleri statüsüne yükseltilmesini ve Kerkük Eyalet anlaşmazlığının, Irak’ın 8 Mart 2004 tarihli Geçici İdari Kanununun 53 ncü Maddesi C. Fıkrasına göre (Kerkük’ün Özel Statüsü)  ve üç ana etnik toplum arasında eşit güç paylaşımı ile çözümlenmesi arzu ederler. Kaldani-Süryani-Asuri (CSA) halkları; Özerklik bölgesinin Ninova Düzlüğünün 3 idari bölgesinden ve Ninova Düzlüğünde ki Alqosh’tan başlayarak Musul Barajına, Fayda’dan Fishaboor dahil Simele’ye kadar olmasın arzu ederler.  Bu özerk bölge bahsedilen şartarla Irak Kürdistan’ının bir parçası olacaktır.  Birçok CSA halkı Kürdistan’nın Kanimasi (Berwari Bala coğrafyası),  Sanrsing (Wadi d’Sapna coğrafyası) ve Aqra (Nahla Düzlüğünde) idari bölgeleri ile birlikte, Erbil ayaletinde ( Shaklawa, Ankawa, Diyana ve Hawdiyan) ve Sülemaniye ayaletinde (Armota ve Köysancak) bölgelerinde yaşamaktadırlar.  CSA halkı bu bahsedilen bölgelerin kendi özerk idare ve kanunların altında olmasını arzu ederler. Bağdat, Basra, Kerkük ve Musul’da yaşayan CSA halkı bu özerkliğe sahip olacaktır. CSA halkı ve Yezidi Kürtler, Ninova Düzlüğünde (Shekhan idari bölgesi ve Lalesh) ki Yezidi çoğunluğun bulunduğu yerlerde mahdut ve eşit haklar sağlayan çözümlere erişmek için, birlikte çalışacaklardır. Yezidi Kürtler, bahsedilen şartlar altında, Sinjar’ın Irak Kürdistan’ına dâhil edilmesini arzu ederler. Ek olarak Akra idari bölgesinde Hanik’in ve Duhok vilayetinde Shariya’nın kendi özerk idare ve kanunların altında yaşamasını arzu ederler. 

**** Sinjar, Tal Afar ve Ninova Düzlüğü ; Kerkük vilayeti ve etrafında ki Türkmen idari bölgeleri ile birlikte; Salaheddin vilayetinde Tuzhurmatu idari bölgesi ve Diyala vilayetinde Kifri idari bölgesi.

                                  (Dip notları bu bildirgenin tamamlayıcı unsurlarıdır)