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Tension in Kirkuk, tension in Ankara 24.1.2007
By Ilnur Cevik |
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January 24, 2007
Kirkuk is a hot potato these days not only in the
Turkish capital but also in Erbil, the capital of
the Kurdistan regional government of Iraq.
The Turkish Parliament discussed the future of
Kirkuk as well as the general situation in Iraq in a
secret session on Tuesday.
Parliament also discussed the issue last Thursday in
a general debate that showed how some people in
Turkey do not know the realities of Iraq as well as
displaying the chauvinist nationalist sentiments
that have gripped our society these days.
The opposition clearly showed it knows nothing about
the realities of Iraq or the Kurdish north and is
being misled by a disinformation campaign based on
exaggerations on Kirkuk.
In Erbil, meanwhile, the Kurds have held a series of
meetings on Turkey's attitude on Kirkuk and the
rising tensions with Ankara. The Kurdish regional
parliament, which is now on recess, will meet in an
extraordinary session today to discuss what they
call "Turkish interference in the internal affairs
of Iraq."
Turkey feels it has a duty to defend the rights of
the Turkmen minority in Iraq. It is unfortunate that
the Turkmens have been marginalized in Iraq because
of internal divisions.
In Erbil and Kirkuk they are a huge minority who can
demand rights and privileges. If the Turkmens played
their cards right they could command a leading role
not only in the Kurdish political process but also
in Baghdad. But unfortunately they are bitterly
divided because of the mistaken policies of past
Turkish governments and thus they are suffering from
divisions and discord.
They have been seriously weakened and thus have been
sidelined in the Iraqi political process, which is
extremely unhealthy.
You simply cannot write them off and disregard their
rights even if conditions have marginalized their
position in Iraq.
The Turkmens are a reality and their rights have to
be respected not only as a minority but as partners
in the Kurdish political process as well as in
Baghdad. If this is done then the solution to the
Kirkuk issue can be facilitated.
The Turkmens do not have a strong voice in Iraq. It
is unfortunate that some Turkmens are trying to win
Turkey's backing by exaggerating their plight. They
are making some false claims of Kurdish
intransigence which is only creating deeper tensions
between them and the Kurds.
Last week a Turkmen political party leader appeared
on Turkish TV and claimed the Kurds had banned the
use of the Turkmen language in Erbil. This is
absolutely false and yet many people in Turkey
believed this claim, which only deepened Turkish
anger against the Kurds… The Turkmens have to
realize that such exaggerated claims are only
hurting their cause and their real hardships and
sufferings are being shadowed by these claims.
Let everyone talk about the realities and the truth.
Kirkuk is a province where Kurds are a majority.
Turkmens of the province are also a sizeable
minority who should be the partners of the Kurds.
Any solution that does not appease the Turkmens and
the Kurds is no solution…
Instead of sowing new tensions on Kirkuk we should
seek ways to defuse the explosive atmosphere between
Turkey and the region. This cannot be done when
Ankara and Erbil are trading accusations and
counter-accusations.
thenewanatolian com
**
The former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein forced more than 250,000
Kurdish residents to give up their homes to Arabs in
the 1970s, to "Arabize" the city and the region's
oil industry.
Kirkuk city is a Kurdistani city and it lies just south border of the Kurdistan
autonomous region and it is not under the full
control of Kurdistan Regional Government
administration.
A referendum is to be held in late 2007 to decide
whether the oil-rich Kurdish province should be
annexed to the safe semiautonomous Kurdistan region
in Iraq's north.
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