Nationalist leader Bahçeli: Kirkuk will remain ‘Turkish’ forever
The Turkish government has abandoned the Turkmen minority in Kirkuk for the sake of energy deals with Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), but the city will remain Turkish forever, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said today.
While noting that the Turkish government’s relations with the Iraqi Kurdish administration had improved in recent years, Bahçeli accused “the Peshmarga administration” of conducting secret operations against Turkmen people and called on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to take rapid action in order to protect Turkmens’ rights. Read the rest of this entry »
Turkey concerned on Iraqi Turkmens’ status
Foreign Minister Davutoğlu condems the attack on Iraqi Turkmens and expresses Turkey’s concerns, after meeting with Kurdish leader Barzani, echoing Iraqi Turkmen leaders’ complaint
Turkey has expressed sorrow over the bomb attack staged in Tuz Khormato, near Kirkuk, during a meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) leader Massoud Barzani and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu late Jan. 23 in Davos.
Davutoğlu told Barzani that Ankara did not pursue a policy based on ethnic and religious bases, adding that Turkey would continue dialogue with Iraqi politicians who have a similar policy as Ankara, diplomatic sources told Hürriyet Daily News.
Turkey attached great importance to the prosperity and stability of Iraq, the minister said, continuing that they would initiate measures to bring injured Turkmens to Turkey for treatment. Barzani also thanked Davutoğlu for Turkey’s help in treating wounded Turkmens after the previous attack in Kirkuk. Read the rest of this entry »
Turkish FM Receives Iraqi Turkmen Leader
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Tuesday received Iraqi Turkmen Front Chairman and Kirkuk Deputy Ersad Salihi, and an accompanying delegation in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
The meeting at Davutoglu’s office was held closed to news media.
Turkish diplomatic sources close to the meeting said Davutoglu had pledged continued support and aid for Iraq’s Turkmens, thanking for the warm welcome he received during his visit to Kirkuk last week. Read the rest of this entry »
Turkish minister’s Kirkuk visit infuriates Iraq
Davutoglu made the side-trip to Kirkuk while on a visit to Iraqi Kurdistan, whose leaders have long called for the incorporation of the ethnically divided oil city in their autonomous region in the north, against strong opposition from Baghdad.
Kirkuk province is part of a swathe of disputed territory in northern Iraq that along with oil contracts are the two main points of contention between Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government in Arbil.
The Iraqi foreign ministry issued a statement saying that “it is not in the interest of Turkey or any other party to underestimate the national sovereignty and violate the rules of international relations and not comply with the most basic regulations in the relations of states and officials. Read the rest of this entry »
Turkmens should work for unity: Gül
Iraq’s Turkmens should not only work to protect the rights of their community but also for the unity of Iraq, Turkish President Abdullah Gül has said.
Gül met yesterday with Erşat Salihi, the leader of the Turkmen Front party, expressing Turkey’s desire to maintain close ties with all ethnic and religious groups in Iraq.
“I believe that while defending the rights of the Turkmens in the best possible way, [Salihi] will make contributions also to the fraternity and peaceful co-habitation in Iraq between Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, Turkmens and Arabs,” Gül said. Read the rest of this entry »
President Gul receives Iraqi Turkmen official
Turkish President Abdullah Gul received the new chair of the Iraqi Turkmen Front Arshad Salihi and an accompanying delegation in Ankara.
Speaking to reporters prior to his meeting with Salihi behind closed doors, President Gul said that Salihi was recently elected the chair of the Iraqi Turkmen Front and was a deputy from Kirkuk at the Iraqi Parliament. Read the rest of this entry »
Iraqi Parliamentarians Representing Various Minority Communities Attend Meeting at EU Parliament
On 5 October 2011, Fourteen Iraqi Parliamentarians representing the Chaldeo-Assyrian, Shabak, Yezidi and Mandaean-Sabean communities attended a meeting with the EU Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq.
The Iraqi delegation was composed of: Mr Younadam Kenna, Mr Amin Farhan, MissAmeena Said, Miss Vian Dakhil, Mr Hussain Nermo, Mr Meham Khaleel, MissBasma Pitrus, Mr Luis Gaor, Mr Qasim Birgis, Mr Sharif Sulayman, Mr Khalid Roomi, Mr Kaliss Eisho, Mr Imad Yako, and Mr Mohammed Jamsheed. Read the rest of this entry »
Turkmen form special security force in Kirkuk
The Turkmen community in Kirkuk will form a special security force to protect the Turkmen citizens of the disputed city.
Najat Hassan, representative of the Turkmen in Kirkuk, announced the new unit with 100-150 armed men Thursday. Read the rest of this entry »
Iraqi doctor shot in battle over Kirkuk
Gunmen shot dead an Iraqi neurologist and his brother in the northern disputed city of Kirkuk on Monday, police said, while five people were wounded by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Police said that Dr. Yalderin Abbas al-Damarchi, a 48-year-old Shiite Turkmen father of four, was killed by gunmen along with his brother, Zein al-Abdeen, while driving after he left his clinic in central Kirkuk. Read the rest of this entry »
Iraqi Bektashis demand their rights in Iraq
“We want our educational, cultural and religious rights to be recognized by the central government in Baghdad,” says Abbas Beyetli, a spokesman for the Iraqi Bektashi community.
In an interview with Today’s Zaman, Beyetli said the Iraqi Bektashis are facing difficult challenges in Iraq. “We want the Iraqi government to officially recognize the Bektashis of Iraq, and we want to establish our own federation with a budget from the Iraqi government,” he stated. Read the rest of this entry »