Tension grows in Iraq's Kirkuk

BAGHDAD August 06, 2005 8:11:49 PM IST

Tension was rising Saturday in the oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk as residents say they fear an outbreak of civil war among the Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen.
Local officials in the northern city said a crisis erupted when hundreds of Kurds, accompanied by National Guards, began distributing residential lands to ethnic Kurds who were allegedly expelled from the area under the former regime of Saddam Hussein.
Turkmen sources in Kirkuk said these lands belonged to their own ethnic people before the former regime pushed them out or executed their members, after which the lands were excavated with bulldozers.
The issue of the city remains the main obstacle to reaching a consensus on the new Iraqi constitution being drawn up by a special commission, as Kurds insist that all their people who were deported to return to the city.
Some commission members are seeking a delay in discussing Kirkuk until after the general elections due at the end of this year.
The Kurds are trying to bring Kirkuk into what they call Kurdistan, but Arab Shiites and Sunnis say they are seeking co-existence among all the ethnic and sectarian groups.(UPI)

Oil-rich nation to ration fuel to ease chronic shortages

T. Christian Miller, Ashraf Khalil, Los Angeles Times
Tuesday, August 2, 2005
These issues include the extent of autonomy granted to the Kurdish north of the country, the status of the disputed northern oil center of Kirkuk and the extent to which Islamic Shariah law will hold sway.

Issues Blocking Deal on Iraq Constitution

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, August 2, 2005
(08-02) 01:05 PDT BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) --
Issues blocking agreement on a new constitution are critical to the future of Iraq, and compromise will require more than a little statesmanship among leaders with vastly different visions for the country's new direction.

Turkey urges closure of PKK-linked office in N.Iraq

03 Aug 2005 12:49:23 GMTSource: Reuters
ANKARA, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Turkey urged the United States and Iraq on Wednesday to shut down an office in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk it says is linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a banned Turkish Kurdish guerrilla group.

Turkmen Insist on 3 Issues

By M. Alihan Hasanoglu Published: Friday, July 22, 2005 zaman.com
Turkmen have insisted on three issues to be included in the new Iraqi Constitution. They demand Turkmen to be accepted as the main component, the Turkmen language be accepted as the official language and Kerkuk (Kirkuk) be given a special status. Turkmen said they will boycott the constitution if their demands are not fulfilled.

Iraqi Kurds Register in Kirkuk

YAHYA BARZANJIAssociated Press WriterAugust 2, 2005, 9:34 PM EDT
KIRKUK, Iraq -- Thousands of Kurds displaced from this northern city by Saddam Hussein began formally registering Tuesday as residents of Kirkuk in a bid to make themselves the majority in the province and bolster their claims to this oil-rich region. The move came as Iraqi officials are trying to draft the country's new constitution that is widely expected to turn Iraq into a federal state. Kurds would like to incorporate the Kirkuk area into their self-ruled region -- a move opposed by Arabs, Turkomen and the Turkish government in Ankara.

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Thousands of Kurds Register in Kirkuk
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 zaman.com
Thousands of Kurds have reportedly registered in the Kerkuk (Kirkuk) city of Iraq.
Strikingly, the Kurds registering in the region claim that they were displaced from the city during the Saddam Hussein regime coincides with a time when studies for a new constitution continue, which will introduce a federal structure into Iraq.
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=hotnews&alt=&trh=20050803&hn=22579

High Expectations of Independence

High Expectations of Independence
For Many Kurds in Iraqi North, Autonomy Is Just a Means to an End
By Ellen KnickmeyerWashington Post Foreign Service
Monday, August 1, 2005; Page A10
...."I don't like Iraq -- Arabic Iraq. I'm a Kurd and I'm in Kurdistan," Muhammed insisted, then volunteered, "I'm ready to fight.".........
Already, assassinations of Arab officials in Kirkuk are frequent. Kurds in the security forces have also been accused of kidnapping hundreds of Arabs and ethnic Turkmens from Kirkuk, according to U.S. and Kurdish officials and the family members of the alleged victims.Many Kurds fear those security forces as well. They freeze and fall silent when asked in public about Barzani's administration, as Iraqis did in Hussein's time in Baghdad.......

Turkmen blame Kurdish groups for conflict in Kirkuk

Turkmen blame Kurdish groups for conflict in Kirkuk
NTV 14.07.2005
The Iraqi Turkmen said they support the continuity of special status for Iraq and added that the control of Kirkuk should be given to them. Ongoing violence in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk has been prompted by the actions of Kurdish groups, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Turkmen Front.The statement from Iraqi Turkmen Front's representative in Ankara said that the organisation was saddened by the terror and violence in the region. "The rebellions, whom we do not approve at all, are trying to make use of the Turkmen," the statement said.Iraq's Turkmen community has repeatedly said that the country's Kurdish groups are trying to drive them out of Kirkuk and gain control of the oil rich region. Ankara has also expressed its deep concern over attempts to change the demography of the region.

Protest Meeting in Kirkuk

Protest Meeting in Kirkuk
On 4th July.2005, thousands of Turkmen participated in a protest meeting in the festival stadium of Kerkuk city under the following topic slogans: The United States of America celebrates today the anniversary of its national sovereignty and liberation day, but violates the simplest rights of the Iraqi people and particularly the rights of the Turkmen. - Turkmen want a free, united and democratic Iraq - Stop violation of Turkmen Human Rights - Stop marginalization of Turkmen - Justice and compensation for forcedly displaced Turkmen under former regime Illegal arrests by the Kurdish militants (Pashmarga) - No to illegal and abusive arrests and deportation of Turkmen by Kurds - Release the Turkmen prisoners in the Kurdish jails. - The head of police should resign - Release all Turkmen detainees from Kurdish prisons Interference of United Nations - United Nations should interfere and open a bureau in Kerkuk - Turkmen request peace keeping forces in Kerkuk - UN were have you been? - United Nations wake up!!! - United Nations: Hear our voice! - Turkmen demand urgent UN implication in Kerkuk to ensure respect of their rights Kurdification - Kerkuk can never be handed to the Kurds - Stop Kurdification of Turkmen regions - Kerkuk is the Turkmen's capital city and must remain so - We will fight against the Kurdification of Turkmen regions. - Kerkuk is a Turkmen city - all Pashmarga out - Kerkuk belongs to Turkmeneli, land of our ancestors
- No to US-backed Kurdish hegemony in Kerkuk city - We will never give up Kerkuk, capital of Turkmeneli \r\n- Stop ethnic cleansing of Turkmen in Kerkuk & north of Iraq! - No to abusive demographic changes in Turkmen region by US-supported Kurds - No to unlimited U.S support for Kurds, - Yes for Iraqi Kerkuk - No to Kurdification \r\n- No to Kurdish hegemony in Kerkuk, capital of Turkmeneli - No to Kurdish hegemony in Turkmeneli Election - The Election was a conspiracy - Kerkuk council is illegal - By manipulation in the election they handed Kerkuk to the Kurds \r\n- Preceding election serves the occupation authorities and the Kurdish parties - The Kurdish administration should be prevented from interfering in the election and census processes in the north of Irak - Security should no longer be exclusively in the hands of the Kurds and Americans \r\n- Upcoming election or census should be done by the United Nations Constitution - In the new constitution, the 13% of the Iraqi Turkmen should have the same rights as the 17% of the Iraqi Kurds. \r\n- No democracy without equality in the constitution - Turkmeneli must be under Turkmen administration - Full rights for the Turkmen in the new Iraqi constitution - Turkmen have the same rights in Iraq as Arabs and Kurds \r\n- Turkmen must be the third official language in Iraq Occupation - End illegal occupation and impose respect of Turkmen rights in Iraq - We demand end of foreign occupation of Iraq and full rights for Turkmen in the new Iraqi constitution equal to those of Arabs and Kurds \r\n-- mvh.ITKF+45 2215 8747 \r\n\r\n",0]
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- No to US-backed Kurdish hegemony in Kerkuk city - We will never give up Kerkuk, capital of Turkmeneli - Stop ethnic cleansing of Turkmen in Kerkuk & north of Iraq! - No to abusive demographic changes in Turkmen region by US-supported Kurds - No to unlimited U.S support for Kurds, - Yes for Iraqi Kerkuk - No to Kurdification - No to Kurdish hegemony in Kerkuk, capital of Turkmeneli - No to Kurdish hegemony in Turkmeneli Election - The Election was a conspiracy - Kerkuk council is illegal - By manipulation in the election they handed Kerkuk to the Kurds - Preceding election serves the occupation authorities and the Kurdish parties - The Kurdish administration should be prevented from interfering in the election and census processes in the north of Irak - Security should no longer be exclusively in the hands of the Kurds and Americans - Upcoming election or census should be done by the United Nations Constitution - In the new constitution, the 13% of the Iraqi Turkmen should have the same rights as the 17% of the Iraqi Kurds. - No democracy without equality in the constitution - Turkmeneli must be under Turkmen administration - Full rights for the Turkmen in the new Iraqi constitution - Turkmen have the same rights in Iraq as Arabs and Kurds - Turkmen must be the third official language in Iraq Occupation - End illegal occupation and impose respect of Turkmen rights in Iraq - We demand end of foreign occupation of Iraq and full rights for Turkmen in the new Iraqi constitution equal to those of Arabs and Kurds .

Furore Over Kirkuk Police Sacking "Order"

Furore Over Kirkuk Police Sacking "Order"
Apparently bogus interior ministry directive to dismiss thousands of Kurdish policemen seen as an attempt to destabilse the city.
By Sirwan Ghareeb in Kirkuk (ICR No. 129, 22-Jun-05)
The interior ministry has sought to distance itself from an apparent order to fire 2,500 Kurdish police officers working in Kirkuk, after protests from city law enforcement officials.
Kirkuk police claim that they received an order from the interior ministry two weeks ago to fire the Kurdish police officers.
The officers in question had once been expelled from Kirkuk as part of Saddam Hussein's Arabisation policy - which had forced Kurds to leave the oil-rich city – and rehired after the fall of the regime.
Interior ministry spokesman Colonel Adnan al-Asadi said that officials there were unaware of the directive, while Lateef Haji Faraj, representative of President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, in the ministry, said it had been drawn up long ago but was no longer valid.

Letter to The Luxembourg presidency of the European Union

• IRAQ TURKMEN ASSOSIATION-DENMARK
  Copenhagen
  Itkfdk@gmail.com
  To: The Luxembourg presidency of the European Union
  international conference on Iraq of the European Union
  22 june 2005 Brussels
  
  As an ethnic group of Iraq, we appreciate the great effort for rebuilding Iraq and its democratisation process.
  We aim to maintain the cooperation with both the other groups of Iraq and also foreign countries in this historical process. Despite the difficulties in administrative and security issues, we hope for a free and peaceful future in Iraq where there is a substantial progress in the last two years.
  Turkmens will avoid the bad experiences of nationalist, assimilation, pressure, cruel and discrimination policies formerly will avoid these policies not be repeated in the future.
  
  What is being criticized of the regulations and the implementations violating the human rights and equality due to the concerns of those bad experiences might repeat, should not be interpreted as they are against the new order.
  
  The negligence of these kind of contrary regulations and implementations will distress and effect the stability in the future.
  
  We support and respect the other ethnic groups acquiring their rights.
  
  In this context, the points stated below should be taken into consideration immediately:
  
  .Providing the legal and practical oportunity to each religious/denomination group to live up to their beliefs.
  .Making the necessary legal arrangements for the ethnic groups to receive education in their own language and use as formal language where the ethnic groups are densely populated in particular.
  .Strengthening the audit of the implementations of the regulations made for preventing the possible pressure of any group on another and applying punitive sanctions to the violations.
  .Monitoring Iraq for a reasonable period by an international commission consisting as well from neutral countries and organizations such as UN, EU, USA, NATO etc.
  
  Best regards
  Savas Noredin
  savasn@gmail.com

US concerned over Kurdish abductions, Turkey monitors situation

US concerned over Kurdish abductions, Turkey monitors situation
Friday, June 17, 2005ANKARA - TDN with wire dispatches
The United States has "serious and credible" reports from Iraq of Kurdish mistreatment of Arabs and Turkmens in the country's north, the U.S. State Department said, while Turkey said it was closely monitoring the situation.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Namık Tan said in a statement that Ankara was closely following the situation in the northern Iraqi city and that inquiries were being carried out with U.S. and Iraqi officials.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Wednesday the United States had expressed "serious concern" over the reported conduct of the Kurds, who The Washington Post said had abducted hundreds of Arabs and Turkmens in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk and hauled them off to prisons.
McCormack would not go into the details of the report but rejected the Post's suggestion that the U.S. military backed the raids and mass detentions.
"We have had serious and credible information about allegations of extra-judicial conduct, both arrests and detentions of individuals in the northern areas of Iraq," McCormack said.
"These allegations and these reports are a very serious concern to us, and we have raised our concerns in a forthright manner with the authorities involved or who we believe to be involved," he said.
The Post said Kurdish security forces had transported hundreds of Arabs and Turkmens to prisons in the Kurdish cities of Arbil and Sulaimaniya with the backing of the U.S. military.

U.S. Examining Reports of Abuses in Iraq

U.S. Examining Reports of Abuses in Iraq
By BARRY SCHWEIDThe Associated PressWednesday, June 15, 2005; 2:13 PM
WASHINGTON -- The State Department is investigating "serious and credible" reports that minorities in Kurdish-held areas of northern Iraq have been wrongly arrested and detained, spokesman Sean McCormack said Wednesday.
The U.S. government has conveyed its insistence on the rule of law and its support for minority rights to Iraqi security authorities, McCormack saidThe Washington Post reported Wednesday that police and security forces led by Kurdish political parties, and backed by the U.S. military, abducted hundreds of minority Arabs and Turkmens in Kurdish areas. The newspaper said the abductions began more than a year ago and accelerated after the Jan. 30 election.
McCormack declined to identify the Kurds as being responsible for the abductions, or the Turkmens and Arabs as victims. "I don't want to single out anybody," the spokesman said.

Kurdish Officials Sanction Abductions in Kirkuk

Kurdish Officials Sanction Abductions in Kirkuk
U.S. Memo Says Arabs, Turkmens Secretly Sent to the North
By Steve Fainaru and Anthony ShadidWashington Post Foreign ServiceWednesday, June 15, 2005; Page A01
KIRKUK, Iraq -- Police and security units, forces led by Kurdish political parties and backed by the U.S. military, have abducted hundreds of minority Arabs and Turkmens in this intensely volatile city and spirited them to prisons in Kurdish-held northern Iraq, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials, government documents and families of the victims.
Seized off the streets of Kirkuk or in joint U.S.-Iraqi raids, the men have been transferred secretly and in violation of Iraqi law to prisons in the Kurdish cities of Irbil and Sulaymaniyah, sometimes with the knowledge of U.S. forces. The detainees, including merchants, members of tribal families and soldiers, have often remained missing for months; some have been tortured, according to released prisoners and the Kirkuk police chief.