Turkey underscores importance of reaching solution to Kurdish rebels'' issue

Regarding Kirkuk, Erdogan described the situation in the majority-Turkmen city as a "timed bomb" following the changing of its demographic structure, calling for giving this city an exceptional status while taking into account its historic past. (end) tb. >>>>

Turkmens to Boycott Kirkuk Referendum if Conditions Worsen

A Turkmen group said they were determined not to participate in a critical referendum in Kirkuk. With tense ethnic divisions and a Kurdish strategic national interest in the city, Kirkuk has the potential to be a major battlefield >>>>

Open Letter To The president of The United States Of America

Turkmen Komitê

Mr. George W. Bush

The president of The United States Of America

We as Turkmen living outside Iraq would like to express our appreciation regarding the ISG report.We find the ISG report realistic and a new hope for the future of Iraq and the region. Since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Kurdish forces in northern Iraq have rallied to reverse what they claim to be an Arabization policy by Saddam Hussein, which purged Kirkuk and other oil-rich areas of Kurds and replaced them with Arab settlers. Thousands of Kurdish settlers from northern Iraq have flooded into Kirkuk and organized by the Kurdish administration, colonizing the city's desert outskirts. We believe the influx is a bid to change the city's ethnic balance ahead of a 2007 census and referendum that aims to decide whether Kirkuk will be annexed to Iraqi Kurdish region. Earlier this year as Turkmen politicians reported manipulations and irregularities conducted during the Iraqi Elections has created a falls administrative and representative composition especially in Kirkuk.We also mean that the Turkmens are not a minority ethnic group as mentioned in the report. n the map of report, The Turkmen people listed under Minority Groups. The word Turkmen means a an racial ethnic folk and not a religious sect as Shi'aa or Sunni or Yazidi. We request recurrence in this matter. We fully agree on the issue of delaying the 2007 referendum issued under recommendation 30 and willing to cooperate on all the issues for the purpose of democratisation of Iraq.

Sincerely,

Savas Nurettin

The Secretary General of Turkmen Komitê
turkmenkomite@gmail.com

Sunnis, Shiites, Turcoman and Kurds have sat together

Arms remain silent for a football game

No exploding bombs, no drawn guns, no suicide attacks. A football game has done what Iraqi politicians couldn't do for years. Sunnis, Shiites, Turcoman and Kurds have sat together to support their national football team encountering Qatar in the Asian Games.

Qatar's capital city Doha is hosting the 15th Asian Games organization this year. The final game of the organization was between Iraq and the host team Qatar. This 90 minute game has united all enemies of Iraqi origin. Sunnis, Shiites, Turcoman and Kurds have sat together to watch the final game which ended with Qatar National Team's victory. Iraqis have supported their team with cheers and slogans until the 63rd minute when Iraqi goalkeeper conceded a goal. When the game was over, they have united once more, this time to share the disappointment of the defeat.