Archive for October, 2008
Iraqi Turkmen Appeal to the European Union
American Chronicle
In a series of articles I expanded on the Turkmen of Iraq and their strife against ´Kurdish´ terrorism and evil colonial plans for the Mesopotamian north that promote the rise of a false ´Kurdish´ state – curse for all the indigenous populations.
I published a key document “Kerkuk Problem and Article 140: Defining Alternatives – The Views of Kerkuk´s Turkmen and Arabs”, which is a Conference Report submitted last June to the European Parliament by the Iraqi Turkmen Human Rights Research Foundation (SOITM) and he Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). For reference, I mention here the last of the series: ´Kerkuk – Homeland for Mesopotamia´s Turkmen´ (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/79010).
In this article, I will publish the entire text of the speech given by Muzaffer Arslan, Advisor on Turkmen Affairs to the President of Iraq, in the aforementioned Conference. In forthcoming articles, I will publish selected speeches given in the Conference. Read the rest of this entry »
Kerkuk – Homeland for Mesopotamia´s Turkmen
American Chronicle
In a previous article under the title ´Freedom for the Forgotten Turkomans (Turkmen) of Iraq´ (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/78315), I focused on the Turkoman Vision as presented in a major portal of the Turkmen of Iraq, www.kerkuk.net. In another article entitled ´Turkmen: Fighting for Freedom, National Independence, and Cultural Integrity in Occupied Iraq´ (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/78588), I presented a list of Turkmen organizations, cultural and political, in an effort to highlight the vibrant passion of the Iraqi Turkmen for national integrity and independence.
In three subsequent articles entitled ´Kerkuk and the Turkmen of Iraq´ (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/78509), ´Kerkuk belongs to Turkmen´ (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/78584) and ´Turkmen Kerkuk Says No to Arabization, and No to Kurdification´ ( http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/78733), I published several parts of a key document “Kerkuk Problem and Article 140: Defining Alternatives – The Views of Kerkuk´s Turkmen and Arabs”, a Conference Report that was submitted last June to the European Parliament by the Iraqi Turkmen Human Rights Research Foundation (SOITM) and he Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). The three articles comprise following parts of the report: Introduction, The Turkmen of Iraq, Human Rights Violations, Kerkuk – A Brewing Crisis – Key Iraqi Legal Documents – Extracts and Overviews of Contributions. Read the rest of this entry »
Iraqi Kurdish official says ready to share administration in Kirkuk
Hurriyet
The Kurdish regional administration in northern Iraq is ready to share the administration of Kirkuk with the other ethnic groups in the province, the local leader told Turkey’s state-run Anatolian Agency.
Nechirvan Barzani, the leader of the local administration in northern Iraq, said not only Kurds, but also Turkmen, Arabs and Assyrians were living in Kirkuk.
“The parties should not have concern over the matter,” Barzani said, adding the regional administration in northern Iraq wanted Kirkuk to be managed in a fair way as a Kurdish region.
Barzani said the problem in Kirkuk, an ancient city that once was part of the Ottoman Empire, stemmed from economic and administrative sharing of the city, adding natural resources of the city belonged to all Iraqis as it was stated in Iraq’s constitution. Read the rest of this entry »
The Turkmen of Erbil:Captives in their city
Turkmeneli Europe Friendship Blog
William R. Hay, an English political officer, ruled the Erbil region from 1918 to 1920. He commented on the population of the city as follows:1
“The only two Turkish speaking populations which concern us closely are Erbil and Altun Kopri”. “One mahalla or quarter of the town (Erbil) is purely Kurdish, and in the rest the lower classes resemble the Kurds in appearance and dress. All can speak Kurdish fluently, but the language of their homes is Turkish. In the upper town which contains 6000 inhabitants, the purest Turkish element is found” “Starting from with the Nebi Yunus on the bank of the Tigris opposite Mosul, and running down through Erbil, Altun Kopri, Kerkuk, Kifri and Kizil Rabat to Mendeli we find a line of towns with Turkmen speaking inhabitants” Read the rest of this entry »
Bad tidings in Iraqi Kurdistan
Asia Times
COLUMBIA, Missouri – Tensions between Iraqi Kurds and the government are on the rise, raising fears of ethnic clashes just as the country begins to recover from years of sectarian violence between Shi’ite and Sunni Arabs.
The Iraqi army last month deployed units to areas under Kurdish control in the volatile northern Diyala province, as part of its “Operation Good Tidings”, which has been launched to expand government authority over the area.
The centerpiece of the controversial move was Khanaqin, 140 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, a small, largely Kurdish town that has oil reserves and is close to the Iranian border. Kurdish security forces, known as the Peshmarga, left their bases in the nearby districts of Jalawla, Saadiya and Qara Tapa in northern
Diyala after receiving warnings from the Iraqi army. Read the rest of this entry »