special status for Kirkuk

Turkmen Front delegation in New York, wants special status for Kirkuk

29 June 2007, Friday

Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) Chairman Sadettin Ergec, also a Kirkuk deputy at the Iraqi Parliament, said on Friday that their struggle aimed to save Kirkuk as the capital of Iraqi Turkmens or at least earn it a special status.

Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) Chairman Sadettin Ergec, also a Kirkuk deputy at the Iraqi Parliament, said on Friday that their struggle aimed to save Kirkuk as the capital of Iraqi Turkmens or at least earn it a special status.
Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) Chairman Sadettin Ergec, also a Kirkuk deputy at the Iraqi Parliament, said on Friday that their struggle aimed to save Kirkuk as the capital of Iraqi Turkmens or at least earn it a special status.
Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) Chairman Sadettin Ergec, also a Kirkuk deputy at the Iraqi Parliament, said on Friday that their struggle aimed to save Kirkuk as the capital of Iraqi Turkmens or at least earn it a special status.
Ergec and the accompanying Turkmen delegation travelled to New York on Thursday after concluding talks in Washington D.C and got together with the Turkish-American community in New York at a meeting organised by the Assembly of Turkish-American Association and the New York Turkmen Institute.
Ergec delivered a speech at the meeting and briefed the audience about the situation of Turkmens in Kirkuk and the problems they faced, prior to the referendum scheduled to be held towards the end of the year.
Ergec underlined that the adoption of the Iraqi constitution was a mistake and said Iraqi Turkmens were not granted the rights they deserved. Ergec said the reason why they attached so much importance to the Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution was because it posed significant threats to Iraqi Turkmens.
"Kirkuk, a Turkmen city by all means, is under intense pressure and the efforts exerted to alter the demographic structure of the city aiming to effect the outcome of the referendum in favour of the Iraqi Kurds were successful", Ergec said.
Ergec said they would reject a census or a referendum to be held should the normalisation process be mishandled bearing injustice for Turkmens.
"We will use all the rights at our disposition and continue our struggle. Our primary goal is to save our capital Kirkuk. An unwanted outcome in Kirkuk will cause the Turkmen land to be divided and Turkmen community to collapse. Therefore our aim is to at least earn Kirkuk a special status," said Ergec.
Ergec said their talks with the U.S and UN officials in Washington D.C and New York took place in a positive atmosphere. Ergec indicated that they reiterated during talks that Kirkuk was a Turkmen city and received positive responses for the most part. The New Anatolian

Assembly of Turkish American Associations Honorable Dr. Sadettin Ergeç

ANNOUNCEMENT

Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA)

Public Outreach Committee
The ATAA Capitol Forum and National Speakers Circuit
Proudly Presents
Honorable Dr. Sadettin Ergeç,

Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Iraq,

Chairman of the Iraqi Turkmen Front
To Discuss
Iraqi Unity and Solidarity Based on Human Rights, Equitable Sharing of Resources, and Iraqi Territorial Integrity
As of this announcement, in Iraq U.S. casualties were 3526 and the numbers of U.S. wounded were 114,000; reported Iraqi civilian deaths were 68,000; and, Turkish civilian casualties were 170, twenty more than the British military in Iraq. In addition, deep in Iraq, Turkmens, Chaldean Christians, and other defenseless indigenous groups have been subject to massacres and forced from their homes in important cities such as Kirkuk, where Kurdish leaders have been Kurdifying towns and cities with Kurds from other regions of Iraq. Honorable Dr. Sadettin Ergeç, who recently survived a terrorist attack, will be with us to discuss the dire situation and provide recommendations. He will be joined by Dr. Hegran Ahmad, ITF External Relations Director; Ahmet Muratli, ITF Ankara Representative; Asif Ismail, ITF London Representative; Jamal Mehmed Ali Allahwerede, Co-Chairman of the Iraqi Turkmen Front; and, Hisam Mustafa Taha, Member of the Iraqi Turkmen Council.
Tuesday, June 26, 200711:30 am - 1:30 pm

United States Congress

Rayburn Building, Room B340

Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
Lunch Will be Served