Jun 26, 2014

Press Release Regarding The Recent Attack On Iraqi Turkmen Leader In Kirkuk-Iraq


Representation of Iraq/Turkmen Front in London published a press release regarding the recent attack on Iraqi Turkmen leader Munir Kafili and other attacks on the Turkmens, who have no power or equipment to protect themselves from the ongoing worrisome violence in the region. 

 

The series of attacks on Iraqi Turkmens continues. Iraqi Turkmen Front executive committee member Munir Kafili and head of Kirkuk was assassinated on Tuesday 24th June when an unidentified gunman attacked his vehicle in Kirkuk.

Munir Kafili spent 20 years in prison for ‘political crimes’ during the Baath Party regime. He was released in 2003 and returned to politics, he was currently the head of Kirkuk council. He was killed on the day we were commemorating the anniversary of the death of Ali Hasim Muhtaroglu (former Iraqi Turkmen Front deputy chairman) and Ahmed Koca another Turkmen leader, who were both killed in terror acts on 25thJune 2013.

On the same day another Turkmen business man Muhemmed Fatih Shukr, a member of Turkmen Tribes in Iraqi was killed and burnt in his house. Many Turkmen families received threatening letters to leave the city or pay ransom, as result they decided to leave Iraq for good. Meanwhile a young Turkmen man, Ercan Camci, was kidnapped in front of his house in Kirkuk.

While the Kurdish Peshmerga are controlling the security in the Kirkuk, Iraqi Turkmen are caught up in the middle of conflict between Kurdish Peshmerga, Iraqi forces and Militants. All these groups are well equipped and fully armed; however the Iraqi Turkmen have no force and are not equipped to protect themselves, as even their personal weapons have been taken away from them by Kurdish Peshmerga, making them a very easy target.

After the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) took control of Mosul, the group has also mobilized to capture many Turkmen (Iraqi Turkmen) dominated regions in the areas Tel afer, Beshier, Birowci, Kara Naz villages and Towns that resulted in many casualties (within Turkmen civilians). More than 220 thousand people have been forced out of their homes and have fled to neighbouring regions, also many Turkmen people were killed including women and children. ISIL is targeting Turkmen towns and villages, forcing them to leave their territories in order to eliminate them from these areas. This is beginning to divide Iraq into three separate entities (Sunni, Shia and Kurds).

We condemn the recent attacks on the Turkmens in Iraq and we affirm that despite the reference in the Constitution to the rights of Turkmen, we continue to be plagued by ethnic sectarian violence.Turkmen in Iraq are suffering from ethnic cleansing, they are exposed to daily violation of their human rights, their security is absent and there is no initiative from the government (local and central) to take an action to protect them.

These incidents should be investigated properly to find out why Turkmens are being targeted on a daily basis. The International Community and the United Kingdom in particular should take up their responsibility for maintaining international peace and security and must take actions according to the UN Charter to protect the Turkmens from ethnic cleansing in Iraq.

 

 

Ms. Sundus Saqi

Iraqi Turkmen Front Representative UK

 

To download to press release, please click here