ANKARA - The Representation of Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) in Turkey has reacted to the temporary draft of Iraqi constitution saying, ''they want to crush Turkmen people slyly.''
Releasing a statement on Tuesday, the ITC said that a new draft including ''sly changes'', had been published in Arab press for the last two days after Iraqi Governing Council member Adnan Pacaci prepared the ''Administration Law for Iraqi State in the Transition Period'' and submitted it to the Governing Council to be put into practice till February 28, 2004.
The statement said that according to the 70-article draft submitted by Pacaci, federation would be founded on geographical basis; the region of Kurdistan including Suleymaniyah, Dohuk and Irbil would be recognized; a decision would be taken later about Kirkuk; Arabic would be the valid language in the whole country while Kurdish would be valid in the region of Kurdistan; other Iraqi people would be allowed to receive education in their own languages; and all citizens would be equal in front of law without making any discrimination of race, nationality and religious belief.
Noting that the draft, which had been published in the Arab press for the last two days, included ''sly changes'', and that it was observed that articles in the draft were changed against Turkmen people before being debated at the Governing Council, the statement said, ''although there was not any right given to Turkmen people in the first draft, it did not ignore them either.''
The statement listed articles in the new draft that was published in Arab press as follows:
A. Iraq is a federal republic. Sovereignty will be shared among the central administration, regions (Kurdistan region is implied), provinces and municipalities.
B. The region of Kurdistan including the old green line passing from the cities of Mosul, Dohuk, Irbil, Kirkuk, Suleymaniyah and Diyala, and its government will be recognized.
C. Administrative borders of the cities of Kirkuk and Irbil will be drawn as it was before 1968.
D. Future of controversial cities like Kirkuk will be decided after general census. Cities and towns having a population of mostly Kurdish people will be included in the region of Kurdistan.
Article 7: Arabic is the official language of the country while Kurdish is the official language of the region of Kurdistan. Arabic and Kurdish are two official languages of the country. The other ethnic groups can use their own languages in education and in cultural activities in regions where they constitute a majority.
Article 13: Arabs and Kurds are the two main nationalities in Iraq. Turkmens, Assyrians and Keldanis constitute other nationalities. They are all brothers in federal and united Iraq.
ITC said in its statement, ''as it was seen, they want to crush Turkmens slyly. Their attitude against Turkmen people is extremely heinous. Peace, democracy and justice cannot be settled in Iraq by ignoring Turkmen people and destroying their rights. Such unfair attitudes will play havoc with the social consensus in the country. Any nation cannot become eternal by ignoring the others.''
The statement called on all sides and countries expending efforts to put an end to such an unfair attitude against Turkmen people and to settle a fair, democratic and pluralist order in Iraq, to take action before the draft is enacted.
(UK-AÖ) 17.02.2004