Turkey condemns killing of Iraqi Turkmen leader
Turkey on Monday condemned the killing of an Iraqi Turkmen leader in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, demanding the perpetrators be brought to justice.
“We strongly condemn this terrorist attack,” which killed Yavuz Efendioğlu at his home on Sunday, a foreign ministry statement said. The ministry called for the perpetrators of the “cowardly” attack to be found as soon as possible and brought to justice.
Efendioğlu, provincial chairman of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, was shot dead by gunmen in a speeding car in front of his house on Sunday in eastern Mosul, 390 km north of Baghdad. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu called relatives of Efendioğlu and the leader of the Iraqi Turkmen Front to offer his condolences.
“It is important for efforts to ensure tranquility and stability in Iraq. Turkey will continue mobilizing all its capabilities to assist the Iraqi people in this critical process,” the ministry said.
Iraq’s Turkish-speaking Turkmen community is made up of about 500,000 people living mostly in Mosul, Kirkuk and Tal Afar. They have been the targets of a number of deadly attacks, blamed by local authorities on al-Qaeda.
The Turkmen population and Arabs of northern Iraq are in open conflict with the Kurdish community, which wants the oil town of Kirkuk and several other areas to join its semi-autonomous region.
Compiled from AA and AFP stories by the Daily News staff.
Source: Hurriyet
URL: www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-condemns-killing-of-iraqi-turkmen-leader-2009-11-23