Iraq broken

AL-AHRAM-1 - 7 September 2005Issue No. 758
...The secular Kurds were hoping to constitutionally annex Kirkuk (an oil rich city, mainly populated by Turkomen), in order to declare their independence in the future.

Iraq divided along ethnic, religious lines in constitution debate

By Alaa Al Baldawy and Tom LasseterKnight Ridder Newspapers
Akran Mohammed, a Shiite Kurd married to an Arab, said he supports Islam as the law of the land. Umm Rani al-Tai, a Turkmen Sunni woman married to a Shiite, said including Islamic law in the constitution rolls back women's rights.

The War on Iraq: a Historical Middle East Perspective

by Maher Osseiran August 30, 2005 GlobalResearch.ca
The Kurds’ territorial over-reaching through their claims on Kirkuk, contested by both indigenous Arabs and Turkmen, and despised by the rest of Iraq has put the new constitution at risk.

Danish Paper Politiken Draws Attention On Turkmens

The paper Politiken is bringing the issue of the Iraqi Turkmen first time ever in Danish media.
The article by the talented writer Vibeke Sperling (politiken dated 29 aug. 2005, sektion 1, side 2 ) tells about Turkmen standpoint in Iraqi counstitution draft and the situation regarding the region Turkmeneli/North Irak. The article includes international sources as International Herald Tribune and underlines the Turkmen claims on the Kurdish asimilation policies in new Iraq.

Turkmen participates in referendum

The Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) calling Turkmen to register to participate in the referendum that will be held on October 15 has not announced its preference yet. ITF leader Sadettin Ergec summarized his perspective on the Iraqi constitution for the Turkmeneli Television Channel: “The constitution provides us some rights such as the Turkmen nation being a main element of Iraq and our language officially being recognized in the regions where we live; however, it also includes some expressions that may divide the Turkmen region and throw our national existence into danger. We have to be very careful. This article means to erase Turkmen existence in Iraq and draw its fate according to the demands of others, It is not based on the national self-determination principle. Nobody will be able to divide the Turkmen region.”

Turkmen Crisis in the Iraqi Constitution on the Way

No place for Turkmen in the new Iraqi constitution
When we collect all the significant data, we see that Turkmen voluntarily respect Iraqi territorial integrity, and are far from racist and fanatic or aggressive in their views; but are a democratic society that is peaceful, cultivated, having no dispute with anyone. In this case, Turkmen may be perceived as a plaster that may bond Arabs and Kurds, smothering their extreme activities and fill the emptiness and gaps between them. As they did in their former regions, Turkmen may take the political role of a strong, impartial and just bridge between the two societies. Turkmen may be accepted as a good balancing element; moreover, they may arbitrate in some ways to the controversial issues since half Turkmen are Shiites and the other half are Sunni. The differences of the sects never divided the Turkmen.

Kirkuk's ethnic divide laid bare

By TINI TRAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
KIRKUK, Iraq -- Sworn into office after January's historic elections in Iraq, the new members of the local provincial council were expected to usher the ethnically mixed northern city of Kirkuk into a new era of political cooperation.