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Once Again Turkey is Inciting Against Iraqi Kurds

July 21, 2004

By: Dr. Nazhad Khasraw Hawramany

The relentless barrage of interferences by Turkish state in Iraqi Kurdistan doesn't seem to have limits, the shear hatred for anything  called Kurdish or Kurdistani even outside the current boundaries of Turkey (Kurdophobia), in this case, Iraqi Kurdistan, is beyond the wildest imagination. The Turkish state which is sinking gradually in successive economical, political and image crisis, suddenly putting all those problems aside, und making the fate of the Kurdistani city of Kirkuk its top political and conspiratorial priority, the feverish shuttle diplomacy between the representatives of regimes of Syria, Iran and Turkey in the recent days is unbelievable, and the tone of the Turkish threats against Iraqi Kurds is getting louder by the day, with unprecedented intimidation of Kurds and an ugly incitement of the remnants of Saddam Hussein and the stooges of Turkish intelligence represented , the so called Turkmen Front, which in any case represents only a minority of Turkmen in Kirkuk, to commit acts of violence and murder against Kurdish citizens and Kurdish officials in Kirkuk. The recent spade of assassinations and attacks on Kurds in Kirkuk is undoubtedly instigated and encouraged by the elements of Turkish intelligence supported by the anti-coalition and anti-Kurdish forces mentioned earlier.These Turkish cries about the Kurdish returnees changing the demographic nature of Kirkuk, ignores the simple truth that those Kurds are the genuine original inhabitants of Kirkuk, who were deported from Kirkuk under the Arabization policy of Baath Party and Saddam Hussein, and that it's their undisputed natural right to go back to their city of birth after years of deportation and destitute in miserable collective camps on the outskirts of Sulaimani and Arbil or the south of Iraq. The Iraqi Kurds are going to negotiate this issue with their Iraqi Arab counterparts, and will not allow greedy outsiders to intervene in this very sensitive and vital issues for Kurds and Iraqis. Turkey is interested in the oil wealth of Kirkuk, and not the well being or rights of the minority Turkmen in Kirkuk. During the Baath regime of Saddam Hussein the Turkmen were also subjected to deportation and suppression, but Turkey didn't raise one finger of objection to the Baath regime, instead they were busy making illegal lucrative business with Saddam Hussein to rob the wealth of Iraqi people, this wealth which was used to buy the corrupt regimes of Turkey, Iran , Syria, Jordan...etc, at a time when Iraqi children were dying because of hunger and lack of medicine in the very city of Kirkuk, which is supposed to be the wealthiest city on the surface of this planet.

The Iraqi Kurds must take the neceesary steps to foil the conspiracies of Turkey, Syria and Iran:

1.Internationally we should not spare any effort to expose the evil intentions of this Middle East  axis of evil. The Kurds in the diaspora must organise demonstrations and rallies to condemn this flagrant interference in the internal affairs of Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. The Kurdish diplomacy must take active steps to explain the Kurdish position and the indecent Turkish threats. Those neighboring states are adamant on destabilisation and interference in the Iraqi internal affairs., because a democracy in action in Iraq is a serious threat to their corrupt   regimes.

2.On Iraqi level we must continue our dialogue with our Arab brothers to solve the issues of federalism and reintegration of Kirkuk into Iraqi Kurdistan in accordance with Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), and to reverse the ill effects of ethnic cleansing and Arabization in Kirkuk , Khanaquin, Shangal, Makhmour, Mandali..etc without further delay. This is an Iraqi issue, all Iraqi parties must not allow neighboring countries interfering in Iraqi affairs and endangering stability and unity of Iraq.Iraqi democratic forces must support the Kurds , just watching and remaining silent will undermine their credibility and their intentions.

3. On Kurdistani level, all the kurdish political forces, the Kurdish intellegentsia, must coordinate their efforts to help the Kurdish and Turkmen deportees return to their homes and lands and demand that those Arabs brought to Kirkuk under Arabization policy must be given financial incentives and encouraged to go back to their original homes in central and southern Iraq. True that all Iraqi citizens must have the freedom to move and settle freely in the new Iraq, but only after that the evil policies of ethnic cleansing and Arabization are reversed , otherwise the seeds of conflict and turmoil will remain ready to be exploited by the enemies of Iraqis.The Kurds must keep cool heads and insist on their rights, they should avoid being drawn into the quagmire of ethnic strife in Kirkuk, the should open routes of dialogue with other ethnic groups in Kirkuk like Arabs, Turkmen and Chaldo-Assyrians uand reassure them that their rights are fully guaranteed in case Kirkuk joins the federal region of Iraqi Kurdistan. The experience of governance and the atmosphere of pluralism and respect of human rights in the last 13 years in Iraqi Kurdistan is only a proof of this fact.