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.
With this article, I complete the publication of the insightful document that highlights only a part of the gravely problematic aspects of the colonial construction Iraq. In the document´s last sections are to be found details about the Discussion and Comments, and the Appendix (Conference Concept Note,
Pre-Conference Press Release, Post-Conference Press Release, and Acknowledgements).
Kerkuk Problem and Article 140: Defining Alternatives - The Views of Kerkuk´s Turkmen and Arabs
Conference Report
23 June 2008 - European Parliament, Brussels
The Iraqi Turkmen Human Rights Research Foundation (SOITM)
The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
With assistance from:
The office of Ms. Ana Maria Gomes, Member of European Parliament
Discussion and Comments
The conference greatly benefited from the fruitful discussion and debate initiated by attendees, media and participants. Highlights of this commentary can be found below:
Ms. Pervine Jamil, Chairwoman of the Kurdish Bureau for Liaison and Information in Belgium, noted her keen support of holding a referendum as indicated in Article 140, asserting a referendum to be a highly democratic policy-setting tool.
Dr. Ayoub Bazzaz, Chairman of the Iraqi Turkmen Rights Advocating Committee (ITRAC) – UK, urged all parties to focus on the roots of the Kerkuk dilemma, including the vast geopolitical and demographic changes the region has experienced in the last decades. Furthermore he stressed if the referendum were to be held under the current conditions in Kerkuk an unfair outcome favouring the Kurds would be extremely likely.
Iraq would be safer, more stabilized and considerably more unified if the rights of all Iraqis are granted asserted Mr. Hassan Aydinli, Iraqi Turkmen Front representative to Europe. Drawing an astute comparison to the federal system in Belgium, Mr. Aydinli noted that Belgium consists of three communities: Flemish, Walloons and German-speaking Belgians. He emphasized that the latter group, who only make up less than 1 percent of the total population in Belgium, are granted the same rights as the other two groups including the right to their own region and government. In order to instate true democracy in Iraq Mr. Aydinli encouraged decision-makers to look to Belgium as an example of how to avoid the marginalization and discrimination of a nation´s various populations.
A member of the international press raised the important issue of securing support from all affected parties, including the Kurds, when defining alternatives to the Kerkuk problem, as well as the importance of considering the practical feasibility of implementing such policies. A Kerkuk district which is not part of the Kurdish region but is presided over by the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government was further suggested for the consideration of all parties.
Appendix
Conference Concept Note
Name of Conference:
“Kerkuk Problem and Article 140: Defining Alternatives - The views of Kerkuk´s Turkmen and Arabs”
Organizers: Organized by the Iraqi Turkmen Human Rights Research Foundation (SOITM) in partnership with Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) with the assistance of the office of Ms. Ana Maria Gomes, Member of the European Parliament
Location: European Parliament, Brussels, ASP 5G2
Date: 23 June 2008, 01:00pm – 04:30pm
Topics: Kerkuk is a city rich in both oil and history. Home to Turkmen, Kurds, Arabs, Chaldea-Assyrians, and other indigenous communities, Kurdish claim of the city is at present subject to both conflict and controversy. The Turkmen and Arab leaders, citing their historic presence in the city, have expressed opposition in particular to its proposed inclusion in the nearby Kurdish region. Selecting from article 58 of the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) for Iraq, article 140 of the Iraqi constitution was extracted to mandate a resolution of this dispute through a process of normalization and a census, followed by a referendum to be held no later than 31 December 2007. This mechanism had however proved largely ineffectual and was not realized. The referendum appears as a consequence potentially set to deliver yet further instability and volatility.
The shortcomings of the process so far stem in part from a failure to define adequately a number of the key provisions outlined in article 140; the link between the components of normalization, census, and referendum; eligibility to vote; the threshold needed for a decision; and the boundaries of voting districts. Most crucially however, there has been little discussion of what options are to be presented to voters in an eventual referendum. This, in particular, has resulted in discussions reducing to a simple dispute between those who would see Kerkuk included in the Kurdish region and those who oppose this. There has consequently been little room for constructive compromise.
Acknowledging that the prevailing status-quo serves none of its citizens, Iraqi Turkmen participants opposed to the city´s inclusion in the Kurdistan region will be invited to present a proposal by which Kerkuk might be administered as a distinct Governorate or federal region within Iraq. This is already the solution preferred for Baghdad, as well as many other disputed cities around the world.
Iraqi Turkmen have remained marginalized during the process of reconstructing the Iraqi state after 2003, arguing that relatively little has been achieved with respect to correcting the past injustices they have suffered. The recent waves of disproportionate Kurdish immigration into Kerkuk raises suspicions of the role this might play in the imminent referendum on the city´s future status.
The conference would aim therefore to begin a process of rephrasing the discussion of Kerkuk´s future status in more constructive terms, principally by offering an alternative picture of its final status.
This conference aims to convene representatives of Iraq´s new institutions with European policy makers with an interest and opportunity to influence the reconstruction of the Iraqi state. The concerns of the Kerkuk´s Turkmen and Arabs will be presented by some of their most prominent figures in an effort to ensure that the next crucial steps in the reconstruction process proceed in a manner consistent with the principles of democracy, human rights, and the genuine inclusion of all affected not-ruling communities (minorities) in the region These are principles without which a stable Iraq will inevitably remain illusive.
Invited contributors:
Ana Maria Gomez, MEP, Parliament´s Rapporteur on Iraq
Ali M. Sadeq, member of Kerkuk City Council
Marino Busdachin, UNPO General Secretary
Mohammed Kh. Nasef, Member of Kerkuk City Council, member of article 140 committee
Mohammed Mahdi Ameen, Member of the Iraqi Parliament
Muzaffer Arslan, Advisor on Turkmen Affairs to the President of Iraq H.E. Jalal Talabani
Rakan S. Ali, member of Kerkuk City Council
Sheth Jerjis, SOITM Chairman
Tahsin Mohammed Ali Wali, Member of Kerkuk City Council, member of article 140 committee
Yako Michael Jajjo, Foundation Assyria
Pre-Conference Press Release
“Kerkuk Problem and Article 140: Defining Alternatives - The views of Kerkuk´s Turkmen and Arabs”
European Parliament, 23 June 2008 (ASP 5G2)
Iraq is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, home to numerous cultures and communities. Northern Iraq in particular is highly mixed, making it difficult to draw any boundaries on the basis of ethnicity. Even Erbil, which has now been made the Capital of the Kurdish region, is a highly mixed Turkmen-Kurdish-Assyrian city, whereas it was an almost purely Turkmen city in the turn of 20th century. The one million mainly Arabic Mosul and the geopolitically important Kerkuk region are now claimed and controlled mainly by the Kurdish political authorities. Institutions of ethnically based demarcation in this region are highly hazardous and threaten the future of the Iraqi state and the regional peace.
The huge casualties and the catastrophic tragedies since the occupation of Iraq demand significant awareness when attempting to solve problems. No doubt that the Kerkuk case is considered one of the major problems. A fair solution of the Kerkuk problem is important as well in the context of the equity, human rights and the principles of democracy, which are requested to be instituted in the Middle East. Durable solutions, which carry long lasting stability in the volatile region as the Middle East, should also be considered when the Kerkuk problem is investigated.
Little consensus has however emerged by the Iraqi constitution´s “normalization”, “census” and “referendum” to solve the problem, which instead has further complicated the democratic processes aimed at safeguarding future stability.
The complexity of the Kerkuk case has increasingly become more evident, particularly when the referendum, which is stated in the Iraqi constitution, could not be realized at the requested date - end 2007. In early 2008, the case was given to the United Nations, which still could not map the way of a solution. The European Union can be considered an important arbitrator of a solution.
Kerkuk is a city rich with both oil and history. The Iraqi Turkmen, in particular stand opposed to the city´s inclusion in a Kurdish region, drawing attention to the Turkmen nature of the city. Kerkuk Arabs, who constitutes a considerable community, are strongly against the changes which took place in Kerkuk after occupation. Both groups fear however that their input into the normalization process has been marginalized. This is reflected in what they view as primarily Kurdish immigration and voter registration in anticipation of the crucial referendum, as well as a catalogue of unresolved land claims following confiscation during the Ba´ath era. They both support the options that either Kerkuk province is annexed to Baghdad or made an independent province.
With participation from:
Ana Maria Gomez, MEP, Parliament´s Rapporteur on Iraq
Ali M. Sadeq, member of Kerkuk City Council
Marino Busdachin, UNPO General Secretary
Mohammed Kh. Nasef, Member of Kerkuk City Council, member of article 140 committee
Mohammed Mahdi Ameen, Member of the Iraqi Parliament
Muzaffer Arslan, Advisor on Turkmen Affairs to the President of Iraq H.E. Jalal Talabani
Rakan S. Ali, member of Kerkuk City Council
Sheth Jerjis, SOITM Chairman
Tahsin Mohammed Ali Wali, Member of Kerkuk City Council, member of article 140 committee
Yako Michael Jajjo, Foundation Assyria
Note to the Editor
The Conference will be held at 23 June in Room ASP 5G2 of the European Parliament, Rue Wiertz, 1047, Brussels, from 01.00pm until 04.30pm.
For more information, queries, or registration, please contact the SOITM Secretariat, by telephone: +31(0) 24 844 1414, or by e-mail: kc@turkmen.nl.
Post-Conference Press Release
“Kerkuk´s Turkmen and Arabs present their views on Kerkuk to European Policy Makers”
Conference organized by the Iraqi Turkmen Human Rights Research Foundation (SOITM) in partnership with Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) with the assistance of the office of Ms. Ana Maria Gomes, Member of the European Parliament
Brussels, 23 June 2008: The European Parliament in Brussels played host to a lively conference this week on the Kerkuk issue. The event was convened to discuss alternative strategies for the future of Kerkuk. It brought together senior Iraqi Turkmen authorities, Kerkuk council officials and representatives of the ethnic groups in Northern Iraq to discuss the issues at stake and to try and elaborate on possible solutions to the situation as it stands.
Opening the conference, Dr. Sheth Jerjis, Chairman of the SOITM, introduced participants to the background of the Kerkuk problems, outlining the decades of marginalization which had been measured out to the Turkmen of Iraq under successive regimes since the country achieved independence in 1932. Many of Dr. Jerjis’ historical illustrations were revisited in later comments by panelists, demonstrating the continuing crucial role of history in influencing the region’s political, cultural, and social interactions.
Ms. Ana Maria Gomes MEP, speaking after visiting Iraq earlier in 2008, emphasized the need for all parties to show a level of pragmatism when examining possible solutions to the problems of Kerkuk’s governance, urging “all the parties in this dispute to accept the UN resolution….[and not to]…endanger this sensitive process” when “a possible breakthrough seems to be close”.
Mr. Marino Busdachin, General Secretary of UNPO, posited the need for a regional solution similar to that found in Catalonia or the South Tirol which has been shown to be effective. The European Union moreover had shown itself to be an important interlocutor which could draw on the own experience to make a valuable contribution to the resolution of the Kerkuk crisis. This proved to a point taken up by Mr. Muzaffer Arslan, Advisor on Turkmen Affairs to the President of Iraq H.E. Jalal Talabani, in his appeal to the European Union institutions to place greater pressure on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to end their claims to Kerkuk and the presence of Kurdish militias in the city and the surrounding area.
Further participants included Ali M. Sadeq, member of Kerkuk City Council; Yako Michael Jajjo, Foundation Assyria; Mohammed Kh. Nasef, Member of Kerkuk City Council, member of article 140 committee; Mohammed Mahdi Ameen, Member of the Iraqi Parliament (represented by Mohammed Koja); Rakan S. Ali, member of Kerkuk City Council; (represented by Akram al-Ubaidi); and Tahsin Mohammed Ali Wali, Member of Kerkuk City Council, member of article 140 committee.
Opening the debate to the floor revealed the wide opinion roused by the questions of Kerkuk’s status, with the history of the city a constant in the deeply held convictions expressed. Attention was paid however to the need to look beyond the proposed and twice delayed referendum, and concentrate on finding other solutions to the problems at hand. The need to avoid blind nationalism was also a point which was raised and that won widespread support from the gathered audience.
For more information please see www.turkmen.nl, or write to soitm@turkmen.nl
Acknowledgements
A great number of individuals and organisations were crucial to the success of the Conference.
The organisers are appreciative for the valuable assistance of the office of Ms. Ana Maria Gomes MEP for facilitating this event at the European Parliament in Brussels - home to not only to a number of influential policy makers but also many of the principles of democracy and human rights central to discussions.
The attention and dedicated work of the translators Ms. Nisreen Barakat and Mr. Jaafar Amari were central achieving a successful event.
The Belgian Government and its Embassies demonstrated both patience and goodwill with respect to the challenging task of securing the participation of individuals from within Iraq.
The speakers themselves are also not to be forgotten, many of whom travelled great distances with high personal expenses to provide the event with their insightful and provoking contributions.
Finally, the countless journalists, academics, and activists who attend the conference, offered participants an informed and engaged forum within which to present their thoughts, and also moved discussion forward through insightful and engaging questioning should be recognized.
Source: www.americanchronicle.com/articles/79010