Iraqi Turkmen Front: Creation Of First And Second Class Citizens In Iraq Should Not Be Allowed

LONDON - Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) leader Faruk Abdullah Abdurrahman said on Thursday that creation of first and second class citizens in Iraq should not be allowed.
Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Abdurrahman said that they had come to Britain upon invitation of the British Foreign Office officials and they had been holding meetings in London since the beginning of the week.
Stressing that Turkmens had been encountering injustice even after collapse of the Saddam regime in Iraq, Abdurrahman said that Turkmens were exposed to discrimination in politics, education, state institutions, police and army.
Recalling that ITC had the position of representing the majority of Turkmens with participation of four parties, Abdurrahman said that they felt concern over attempts to keep Turkmens away from political decision making mechanisms.
Noting that Turkmens served as a cement between Arabs and Kurds within the structure in Iraq, Abdurrahman said, ''we will be an important element of peace in Iraq also in the future. And oil resources in this region can be operated peacefully.''
Stating that they had explained the pressure on them to the British officials and their interlocutors had promised to help them, Abdurrahman said that not only Turkmens but also Kurds in Iraq felt uneasy about attitudes and approaches of chauvinist Kurdish elements in Iraq. Abdurrahman said that they had no problem with Kurds and everybody's target was to develop Iraq.
Noting that they had also gotten promise out of British officials for protection of Iraq's territorial integrity, Abdurrahman said that they had made a series of requests including equal representation of Turkmens in all state institutions and prevention of assimilation in Kirkuk, stressing that they expected support of not only the Britain and United States but also Turkey, countries in the region and the United Nations.
Stressing that creation of first and second class citizens should not be allowed in Iraq, Abdurrahman described holding of elections in Iraq under U.N. supervision was a ''sine qua non'' factor.
Stating that they expected Turkey, as a neighboring and Muslim country, to follow an active policy about the issue, Abdurrahman said they also expected Turkey to exert efforts to have Turkmens take the place they deserved in the new state structure of Iraq. Abdurrahman defended that Turkey should not remain silent against attempts to assimilate Turkmens.
(MS-AY) 04.03.2004