ITC LEADER: IRAQ STILL UNDER US OCCUPATION
Ilnur Cevik – The New Anatolian – Erbil
New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 20 2007
A leading Turkmen official in Erbil says Iraq remains under U.S.
occupation and the Americans have the final say in all security
matters.
Pointing to how U.S. forces recently arrested Iranian officials in
the heart of Erbil at 2 a.m. much to the opposition of the Kurdish
leadership, Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) Erbil Provincial Chairman
Nezhet Abdulgani said, "This proves we are still under American
occupation. The decisions taken by local officials in a country under
occupation are null and void."
Abdulgani said the situation in Iraq is growing worse as political
groups fail to reach a common understanding and the country is
being divided along sectarian lines. "The people don’t trust the
administration in Baghdad," he explained. "Each state minister is
linked to a sectarian group and serves their interests and thus there’s
no harmony. The Shiite state ministers control ministries dealing
with security and they’re accused of leading death squads against the
Sunnis. So the security establishment can’t exert its authority. We
need to have the Interior Ministry run by an independent figure."
The Turkmen official said Turkmens have to accept the reality that
Iraq does indeed have a constitution and despite the controversies
surrounding it, everyone has to abide by the rules.
He stressed that the ITC isn’t against anyone in the Kurdish region.
"We respect everyone and we want to be respected. However, we see
that the administration doesn’t accept us as a counterpart."
He said other Turkmens got into the Kurdistan Regional Parliament but
the ITC did not. "We see today that the Turkmen deputies who entered
the Kurdish regional assembly haven’t achieved much," he observed.
"We see that Turkmens didn’t get the rights they deserve in the new
draft constitution for the region. Even the Assyrians are represented
by five deputies in the regional parliament, while the Turkmens,
who are the second-largest population in the region, have only four
seats. Turkmens didn’t benefit from entering the Parliament. We were
criticized, Turkey was criticized, but we see that the Turkmen deputies
who are now in Parliament haven’t achieved much."
He said the region has tough financial problems. "There are fuel
and electricity shortages. This region can’t survive without money,
fuel and electricity from Baghdad. The people are facing serious
economic hardship."
Asked who is behind the violence and recent bombings in Kirkuk,
he said, "Some accuse the Arabs, some accuse the Kurds and others
accuse the Turkmens for the explosions. I feel this violence is a
mini-extension of the violence that has gripped Baghdad."
On the prospects of the Kirkuk referendum being held later this year,
he said, "We don’t oppose the referendum. We feel if the referendum
is to be held then it should be under United Nations supervision. But
of course it remains to be seen if a referendum can be held there as
there is a poor security situation in the area."
"Another problem regarding the Kirkuk referendum is the population.
We see inflated Kurdish figures. According to official figures the
number of Kurds who were forced out of the city was around 10,800,
while the Kurds who returned to the city number more than 300,000.
Where did they come from?"
He said a passport scandal in Switzerland may shed light into some
of the controversies. "The Iraqi embassy in Switzerland issued 26,000
passports to people who are not Iraqi citizens," he stated. "A Swiss
state minister was implicated. This is now under investigation by
the Swiss authorities."
The Turkmen official said there are other issues in Article 140 of
the Iraqi constitution that covers Kirkuk which are being overlooked.
"What happens to Al Najaf, according to Article 140? If this article
is to be implemented, Duhok should be given back to the governorate
of Mosul."
He said that besides all this the Americans still set the rules in
Iraq as the occupation force and thus the rules set by the Iraqis
don’t mean much.
"We have deep respect for Turkey but we also feel it’s wrong to expect
everything from Turkey. Turkey has its own problems with the European
Union and on the Armenian issue. So we shouldn’t expect Turkey to do
things on our behalf. If we do, then we will be branded as agents of
Turkey in this region."
Abdulgani said the reality is that the Americans are the supreme
power in Iraq and if it were not for them Turkey would have entered
Iraqi soil and moved all the way down to Kirkuk. "Turkey doesn’t have
a political presence in the (Kurdish) region. I also feel that the
Turkish Foreign Ministry is ineffective here."
The Turkmen official said the policy of the Kurdish leaders should be
evaluated as taking place in two phases. "The period before 2003 was
when the Kurds only had the Turkish border gate as an outlet, and it
was a period when Turkey was giving them arms and material support to
fight the PKK," he said. "But the reason they never finished off the
PKK was to keep a trump card to be used in the future. The Kurds have
other border gates as outlets and they could afford to turn their
backs on Turkey now that the Americans are helping them and the PKK
trump card remains in their hands."
Asked about the lack of dialogue between Ankara and the Iraqi Kurds,
he said, "We want this dialogue. As a result of such a dialogue they
may not become friends but at least they may not turn into enemies."
"As I said before, the American presence here is a reality and I feel
the U.S. role in this dialogue could be fruitful. So if people see
that the Turks and Kurds are talking, then potential enmities could
be set aside," he concluded.