Iraqi Turkmen
Encyclopedia
The Iraqi Turkmen are an ethnic group who mainly reside in northern Iraq
. Estimates of their numbers vary dramatically, in accordance with Iraq's assimilation policies no realistic and independent census results have been revealed regarding the Iraqi Turkmen population. According to most western sources, Turkmen population varies from 222,000(less than %2 of all) to 300,000. On the other hand, for other sources(mostly Turkey
backed), the population is between 2,000,000 to 3,000,000.
The Iraqi Turkmen form a distinct group within the Oghuz Turk
classification, which includes the Seljuk Turks, Ottoman Turks
, modern Turkish people
, Azeris
, and the Turkmens of Central Asia
. The language spoken by the Iraqi Turkmens is South Azeri, not the Turkmen language
spoken in Turkmenistan
.
Acording to a Turkish magazine, the word of Turkmen comes from two Arabic word: "terk" (تركيا) and "iman" (إمان). When Turks left their old religion, Arabs called them terk-i iman. Terk-i iman means out of religion and later developed to Turkman.
in the seventh century, as soldiers recruited in the Muslim army. Approximately 1,000 Turkic soldiers were brought to Iraq by Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad
, who was a governor of Iraq. However, it was the wider migration of the Oghuz Turks
towards Anatolia
which took place at the end of the ninth century that established a substantial Iraqi Turkmen presence. Successive waves of immigration continued under the rule of the Seljuk Turks who assumed positions of military and administrative responsibilities in the empire. Furthermore, with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire
, the conquest of Iraq by Suleiman the Magnificent
in 1535, followed by Murad IV
’s capture of Baghdad
in 1638, resulted in another influx of Turks settling in Iraq.
who was the second ruler of the Seljuk dynasty. The Seljuks placed large Turkmen communities along the most valuable routes of Iraq, especially Tel Afar, Arbil
, Kirkuk
, and Mandali
, which is now identified by the modern community as Turkmeneli
.
in 1535, Kirkuk
came firmly under Ottoman Turkish
control and was referred to as "Gökyurt". The Ottoman rule led to further migration occurring mainly into northern Iraq. It is this period in history whereby modern Iraqi Turkmen claim association with Anatolia
and the Turkish state
. More Turks arrived with the army of Sultan Murad IV
in 1638 following the capture of Baghdad
; whilst others came even later with other notable Ottoman figures.
Region of Turkmeneli
The Iraqi Turkmen are considered to be the third largest ethnic group in Iraq. However, due to the undemocratic environment, their number has always been underestimated. It was fixed at 2% of the total Iraqi population during the negotiations of the Mosul issue in the establishment of the Iraqi State after the World War I
. However, according to the last Iraqi census which was conducted in 1957, the Turkmens numbered 567,000 out of a population of 6.3 million.
The population of the community within the entire Iraqi society has long been a point of controversy. The figure mostly referred to by Kurdish groups and Western scholars is approximately 300,000. However, Iraqi Turks claim to have a population of nearly 2 million.
The community stretches from Talafar in the Northwest to Badra
and al-Aziziyya in the al-Kut province in mid eastern Iraq. However, their strongest presence is in Northern Iraq, near Kirkuk
, Mosul
and Arbil
. The 1957 census determined that the Turkmens made up 37,6%-40% of the population in Kirkuk. Also, Kirkuk is regarded by Turkmens and Turkey as the heart of the community.
According to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
, at least 180,000 Turkmen live in the city of Kirkuk
.
However, the Diyala Province and Kifri
which were once mainly Turkoman cities have been heavily Kurdified
and Arabified
.
followed by Germany
, Denmark
, and Sweden
. Smaller communities have been formed in Canada
, the United States
and Australia
.
.
. Historically, some Iraqi Turkmen of the intelligentsia adopted the formal Ottoman Language as their written language during their rule by the Ottoman Empire
.
. The Muslims are divided into two branches
: Sunnis
and Shi'ites. Furthermore, the Sunni segment is divided in Hanafi
and Shāfi‘ī. The Sunni and Shi'ite Turks share the same culture and intermarriage is very common. There is also an insignificant Christian
minority of Turkmens.
.
During the British and monarchy era, despite 1925 constitution and 1932 League of Nations declaration, cultural rights were gradually taken away, activists were sent to exile.
policies, particularly because of the Ba'ath regime. Arabization has been a process which has been inherently tied to the need to ensure that the oil fields of Kirkuk
were firmly under the control of the central government. According to the Iraqi census taken in 1957, Iraqi Turkmen were the majority in Kirkuk. However, many Arab families from central and south of Iraq have moved into Kirkuk to dominate the region. Thus, ethnic cleansing has been a strong factor of the Ba’thist policy aimed at reducing the influence of Iraqi Turkmen in Kirkuk. For those who have remained in Kirkuk, they have been subject to assimilation policies.
Arab tribes were settled west of Kirkuk
. During the early republican era, Communist and Kurdish separatist groups committed the Kirkuk Massacre of July 14, 1959 which aimed at terrorizing and ethnically cleansing the Turkmen from the city.
During the Baathist era, the Iraqi administration granted some cultural rights to the Turkmen on January 24, 1970, including education in the Turkmen language in primary schools, daily radio broadcasting for two hours and TV broadcasting for half an hour in the Turkmen language, these rights were gradually taken away by the authorities and by 1972, all Turkmen schools were closed.
The assimilation of the Turkmen already became a state policy in 1971 when the General Assembly of the Baath Party decided to complete the Arabization of Kirkuk by 1980. Administrative boundaries were changed in 1974 to divide Turkmen concentrations. Since the mid 70s, Arabs enjoyed special incentives and rights encouraging them to move to historically Turkmen areas including the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. In the latter half of the 1970s, the names of several villages and places were changed.
. Following the formation of the Kurdistan Region in 1991, some Iraqi Turkmen feel that their identity is being compromised. The Kurds have claimed de facto
sovereignty over land also claimed by the Turkmen. Tensions increased as the KDP
and the PUK
were institutionalised as the political hegemons of the region, as both parties have traditionally claimed Kirkuk as Kurdish
The Turkmen language is recognised by the Kurdistan regional government which paves the way to Turkmens learning their native language at school.
Iraqi Turkmen have also emerged as a key political force in the controversy over the future status of northern Iraq and the Kurdish Autonomous Region. The government of Turkey has helped fund such political organizations as the Iraqi Turkmen Front
, which opposes Iraqi federalism and in particular the proposed annexation of Kirkuk to the Kurdistan Regional Government
.
Turkmen Democratic Movement is a political party in Iraq that is headed by Kalkhi Najmaddin Noureddin. It plays as an opposition to the main Iraqi Turkmen party, the Iraqi Turkmen Front. The party was created by ex-Front members in 2004, who believe the interference of Turkey in its affairs was not helping the community. It supports the annexation of Kirkuk to the Iraqi Kurdistan region. The party currently has 3 seats in the Kurdistan National Assembly. The party received 18,500 votes in the Kurdish elections, while the ITF only received 7000.
Tensions between the two groups over Kirkuk, however, have slowly died out and on January 30, 2006, the President of Iraq, Jalal Talabani
, said that the "Kurds are working on a plan to give Iraqi Turkmen autonomy in areas where they are a majority in the new constitution they're drafting for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq."
However, it never happened and the policies of Kurdification
by KDP
and PUK
after 2003 (with non-Kurds being pressures to move) have prompted serious inter-ethnic problems.
Between ten and twelve Turkmen individuals were elected
to the transitional National Assembly of Iraq
in January 2005, including five on the United Iraqi Alliance
list, three from the Iraqi Turkmen Front
(ITF), and either two or four from the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan
.
In the December 2005 elections
, between five and seven Turkmen candidates were elected to the Council of Representatives. This included one candidate from the ITF (its leader Sadettin Ergec
), two or four from the United Iraqi Alliance
, one from the Iraqi Accord Front
and one from the Kurdistani Alliance.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Estimates of their numbers vary dramatically, in accordance with Iraq's assimilation policies no realistic and independent census results have been revealed regarding the Iraqi Turkmen population. According to most western sources, Turkmen population varies from 222,000(less than %2 of all) to 300,000. On the other hand, for other sources(mostly Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
backed), the population is between 2,000,000 to 3,000,000.
The Iraqi Turkmen form a distinct group within the Oghuz Turk
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
classification, which includes the Seljuk Turks, Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
, modern Turkish people
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
, Azeris
Azerbaijani people
The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic-speaking people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as in the neighbourhood states, Georgia, Russia and formerly Armenia. Commonly referred to as Azeris or Azerbaijani Turks , they also live in a wider area from the Caucasus to...
, and the Turkmens of Central Asia
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
. The language spoken by the Iraqi Turkmens is South Azeri, not the Turkmen language
Turkmen language
Turkmen is the national language of Turkmenistan...
spoken in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
.
Etymology
The name Turkmen can be divided into two words, "Turk" and "men". The word "Turk" is used as a synonym to the word "Turkic" and the word "men" means "I". Accordingly, the word "Turkmen" translates to "I am a Turkish man".Acording to a Turkish magazine, the word of Turkmen comes from two Arabic word: "terk" (تركيا) and "iman" (إمان). When Turks left their old religion, Arabs called them terk-i iman. Terk-i iman means out of religion and later developed to Turkman.
History
The Iraqi Turkmen first came to IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in the seventh century, as soldiers recruited in the Muslim army. Approximately 1,000 Turkic soldiers were brought to Iraq by Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad
Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad
Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad was a son of Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan after whose death in 673 he became the Governor of Kufa and Basra and later Khurasan.He also minted coinage, which survives to this day...
, who was a governor of Iraq. However, it was the wider migration of the Oghuz Turks
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
towards Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
which took place at the end of the ninth century that established a substantial Iraqi Turkmen presence. Successive waves of immigration continued under the rule of the Seljuk Turks who assumed positions of military and administrative responsibilities in the empire. Furthermore, with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, the conquest of Iraq by Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
in 1535, followed by Murad IV
Murad IV
Murad IV Ghazi was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640, known both for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of his methods...
’s capture of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
in 1638, resulted in another influx of Turks settling in Iraq.
Seljuk era
Large scale migration of the Turks in Iraq was with the invasion of ToğrülTogrül
Tughril, Toghril or Tugrul was the second ruler of the Seljuq dynasty...
who was the second ruler of the Seljuk dynasty. The Seljuks placed large Turkmen communities along the most valuable routes of Iraq, especially Tel Afar, Arbil
Arbil
Arbil / Hewlêr is the fourth largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, Basra and Mosul...
, Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
, and Mandali
Mandali
Mandali from the Sanskrit mandala meaning circle, connection, community, is a term that Meher Baba used for his closest disciples.-Inner circle:...
, which is now identified by the modern community as Turkmeneli
Turkmeneli
Turkmeneli is the territory claimed as homeland by the Iraqi Turkmen Front.Turkmeneli includes within its boundaries Kirkuk, Tel Afar, Erbil, Madali, Mosul, and Tuz Khormato.-External links:...
.
Ottoman era
Following the conquest of Iraq by Suleiman the MagnificentSuleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
in 1535, Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
came firmly under Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
control and was referred to as "Gökyurt". The Ottoman rule led to further migration occurring mainly into northern Iraq. It is this period in history whereby modern Iraqi Turkmen claim association with Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
and the Turkish state
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. More Turks arrived with the army of Sultan Murad IV
Murad IV
Murad IV Ghazi was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640, known both for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of his methods...
in 1638 following the capture of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
; whilst others came even later with other notable Ottoman figures.
Region of TurkmeneliTurkmeneliTurkmeneli is the territory claimed as homeland by the Iraqi Turkmen Front.Turkmeneli includes within its boundaries Kirkuk, Tel Afar, Erbil, Madali, Mosul, and Tuz Khormato.-External links:...
The Iraqi Turkmen are considered to be the third largest ethnic group in Iraq. However, due to the undemocratic environment, their number has always been underestimated. It was fixed at 2% of the total Iraqi population during the negotiations of the Mosul issue in the establishment of the Iraqi State after the World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. However, according to the last Iraqi census which was conducted in 1957, the Turkmens numbered 567,000 out of a population of 6.3 million.
The population of the community within the entire Iraqi society has long been a point of controversy. The figure mostly referred to by Kurdish groups and Western scholars is approximately 300,000. However, Iraqi Turks claim to have a population of nearly 2 million.
The community stretches from Talafar in the Northwest to Badra
Badra, Iraq
Badra is a town in south eastern Iraq near the Iraqi-Iranian borders in Wasit Governorate. Its population is a mixture of Arabs, Arabized Kurds and Faili Kurds....
and al-Aziziyya in the al-Kut province in mid eastern Iraq. However, their strongest presence is in Northern Iraq, near Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
, Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
and Arbil
Arbil
Arbil / Hewlêr is the fourth largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, Basra and Mosul...
. The 1957 census determined that the Turkmens made up 37,6%-40% of the population in Kirkuk. Also, Kirkuk is regarded by Turkmens and Turkey as the heart of the community.
According to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization , formed in 11 February 1991, in The Hague, is an international organization of political organisations and governments representing self-proclaimed "indigenous peoples, minorities, and unrecognised or occupied territories". The organization...
, at least 180,000 Turkmen live in the city of Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
.
However, the Diyala Province and Kifri
Kifri
Kifri is a town in Iraq and a seat of Kifri District. The district population was estimated at 42,010 in 2003 . Kurds form the majority of the population both in this town and in the District, which is currently part of Diyala Governorate...
which were once mainly Turkoman cities have been heavily Kurdified
Kurdification
Kurdification is a term used to describe a cultural change in which something ethnically non-Kurdish is made to become Kurdish, usually in contexts of post-Saddam Iraq, in particular in relation to Assyrian Christians, Shabaks and Iraqi Turkmen.- See also :...
and Arabified
Arabization
Arabization or Arabisation describes a growing cultural influence on a non-Arab area that gradually changes into one that speaks Arabic and/or incorporates Arab culture...
.
Diaspora
Most Iraqi Turkmen migrate to TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
followed by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Smaller communities have been formed in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Culture
Iraqi Turkmen are most known for folk songs, especially the "qoyrats", long songs with nearly twenty different melodious voices forming rich literary texts are typical Turkmen musical works, and make up an important part of Turkish music. The songs often are protest-like, expressing sorrow and resentment over injustice. Hoyrats are a form of uzun hava built on quatrains which often contain allusions and plays on words. They are sung throughout Eastern Anatolia, Southeast Anatolia and TurkmeneliTurkmeneli
Turkmeneli is the territory claimed as homeland by the Iraqi Turkmen Front.Turkmeneli includes within its boundaries Kirkuk, Tel Afar, Erbil, Madali, Mosul, and Tuz Khormato.-External links:...
.
Language
Iraqi Turkmen speak a Turkic language that is one of the official languages of the Kirkuk region. It is closest to the languages spoken in AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. Historically, some Iraqi Turkmen of the intelligentsia adopted the formal Ottoman Language as their written language during their rule by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Religion
The majority of the Iraqi Turkmen community adhere to IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. The Muslims are divided into two branches
Islamic schools and branches
Muslims are basically divided in two major factions, Sunnis and Shias, that are further divided into various Schools of Jurisprudence and orders of Imamate. All other movements within such as Salafi, Modernists, the Mystical Sufi Orders, Deobandi and Barelvi are either Sunni or Shia or both...
: Sunnis
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
and Shi'ites. Furthermore, the Sunni segment is divided in Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
and Shāfi‘ī. The Sunni and Shi'ite Turks share the same culture and intermarriage is very common. There is also an insignificant Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
minority of Turkmens.
Assimilation Campaigns
Iraqi Turkmen suffered from various degrees of suppression and assimilation that ranged from political persecution and exile to terror, massacres and ethnic cleansingEthnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
.
During the British and monarchy era, despite 1925 constitution and 1932 League of Nations declaration, cultural rights were gradually taken away, activists were sent to exile.
Arabization
The Iraqi Turkmen community have been affected greatly by ArabizationArabization
Arabization or Arabisation describes a growing cultural influence on a non-Arab area that gradually changes into one that speaks Arabic and/or incorporates Arab culture...
policies, particularly because of the Ba'ath regime. Arabization has been a process which has been inherently tied to the need to ensure that the oil fields of Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
were firmly under the control of the central government. According to the Iraqi census taken in 1957, Iraqi Turkmen were the majority in Kirkuk. However, many Arab families from central and south of Iraq have moved into Kirkuk to dominate the region. Thus, ethnic cleansing has been a strong factor of the Ba’thist policy aimed at reducing the influence of Iraqi Turkmen in Kirkuk. For those who have remained in Kirkuk, they have been subject to assimilation policies.
Arab tribes were settled west of Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
. During the early republican era, Communist and Kurdish separatist groups committed the Kirkuk Massacre of July 14, 1959 which aimed at terrorizing and ethnically cleansing the Turkmen from the city.
During the Baathist era, the Iraqi administration granted some cultural rights to the Turkmen on January 24, 1970, including education in the Turkmen language in primary schools, daily radio broadcasting for two hours and TV broadcasting for half an hour in the Turkmen language, these rights were gradually taken away by the authorities and by 1972, all Turkmen schools were closed.
The assimilation of the Turkmen already became a state policy in 1971 when the General Assembly of the Baath Party decided to complete the Arabization of Kirkuk by 1980. Administrative boundaries were changed in 1974 to divide Turkmen concentrations. Since the mid 70s, Arabs enjoyed special incentives and rights encouraging them to move to historically Turkmen areas including the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. In the latter half of the 1970s, the names of several villages and places were changed.
Kurdification
Since 1991, the Iraqi Turkmen have increasingly been subject to KurdificationKurdification
Kurdification is a term used to describe a cultural change in which something ethnically non-Kurdish is made to become Kurdish, usually in contexts of post-Saddam Iraq, in particular in relation to Assyrian Christians, Shabaks and Iraqi Turkmen.- See also :...
. Following the formation of the Kurdistan Region in 1991, some Iraqi Turkmen feel that their identity is being compromised. The Kurds have claimed de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
sovereignty over land also claimed by the Turkmen. Tensions increased as the KDP
KDP
KDP may refer to:*Kurdistan Democratic Party of South Kurdistan*Kurdistan Democratic Party of East Kurdistan*Korea Democratic Party*Khmer Democratic Party*Communist Party of Germany *Kappa Delta Pi...
and the PUK
PUK
PUK may stand for:* Patriotic Union of Kurdistan * Partia e Unitetit Kombėtar * Pin Unlock Key used in GSM mobile phones* Prefectural University of KumamotoPuk may refer to:...
were institutionalised as the political hegemons of the region, as both parties have traditionally claimed Kirkuk as Kurdish
The Turkmen language is recognised by the Kurdistan regional government which paves the way to Turkmens learning their native language at school.
Present status
Although some have been able to preserve their language, the Iraqi Turkmen today are being rapidly assimilated into the general population and are no longer tribally organizedIraqi Turkmen have also emerged as a key political force in the controversy over the future status of northern Iraq and the Kurdish Autonomous Region. The government of Turkey has helped fund such political organizations as the Iraqi Turkmen Front
Iraqi Turkmen Front
The Iraqi Turkmen Front is a political movement founded in 1995 which seeks to represent the Turkmen people of Iraq. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the ITF has contested control of Kirkuk and other areas of northern Iraq....
, which opposes Iraqi federalism and in particular the proposed annexation of Kirkuk to the Kurdistan Regional Government
Kurdistan Regional Government
The Kurdistan Regional Government , , is the official ruling body of the predominantly Kurds-populated Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq...
.
Turkmen Democratic Movement is a political party in Iraq that is headed by Kalkhi Najmaddin Noureddin. It plays as an opposition to the main Iraqi Turkmen party, the Iraqi Turkmen Front. The party was created by ex-Front members in 2004, who believe the interference of Turkey in its affairs was not helping the community. It supports the annexation of Kirkuk to the Iraqi Kurdistan region. The party currently has 3 seats in the Kurdistan National Assembly. The party received 18,500 votes in the Kurdish elections, while the ITF only received 7000.
Tensions between the two groups over Kirkuk, however, have slowly died out and on January 30, 2006, the President of Iraq, Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani is the sixth and current President of Iraq, a leading Kurdish politician. He is the first non-Arab president of Iraq, although Abdul Kareem Qasim was half Kurdish....
, said that the "Kurds are working on a plan to give Iraqi Turkmen autonomy in areas where they are a majority in the new constitution they're drafting for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq."
However, it never happened and the policies of Kurdification
Kurdification
Kurdification is a term used to describe a cultural change in which something ethnically non-Kurdish is made to become Kurdish, usually in contexts of post-Saddam Iraq, in particular in relation to Assyrian Christians, Shabaks and Iraqi Turkmen.- See also :...
by KDP
KDP
KDP may refer to:*Kurdistan Democratic Party of South Kurdistan*Kurdistan Democratic Party of East Kurdistan*Korea Democratic Party*Khmer Democratic Party*Communist Party of Germany *Kappa Delta Pi...
and PUK
PUK
PUK may stand for:* Patriotic Union of Kurdistan * Partia e Unitetit Kombėtar * Pin Unlock Key used in GSM mobile phones* Prefectural University of KumamotoPuk may refer to:...
after 2003 (with non-Kurds being pressures to move) have prompted serious inter-ethnic problems.
Between ten and twelve Turkmen individuals were elected
Iraqi legislative election, January 2005
Elections for the National Assembly of Iraq were held on January 30, 2005 in Iraq. The 275-member National Assembly was a parliament created under the Transitional Law during the Occupation of Iraq...
to the transitional National Assembly of Iraq
National Assembly of Iraq
The Council of Representatives of Iraq is the main elected body of representatives in Iraq. It is currently composed of 325 seats and meets in Baghdad inside the International Zone . It is governed by bylaws that can be found -The monarchy:...
in January 2005, including five on the United Iraqi Alliance
United Iraqi Alliance
The National Iraqi Alliance , also known as the Watani List, is an Iraqi electoral coalition that contested the Iraqi legislative election, 2010. The Alliance is mainly composed of Shi'a Islamist parties...
list, three from the Iraqi Turkmen Front
Iraqi Turkmen Front
The Iraqi Turkmen Front is a political movement founded in 1995 which seeks to represent the Turkmen people of Iraq. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the ITF has contested control of Kirkuk and other areas of northern Iraq....
(ITF), and either two or four from the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan
Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan
The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan sometimes referred to simply as the Kurdistan Alliance is the name of the electoral coalition first presented as a united Kurdish list in the January 2005 election in Iraq. Elections were held simultaneously for the assembly of the Kurdistan Regional...
.
In the December 2005 elections
Iraqi legislative election, December 2005
Following the ratification of the Constitution of Iraq on 15 October 2005, a general election was held on 15 December to elect a permanent 275-member Iraqi Council of Representatives....
, between five and seven Turkmen candidates were elected to the Council of Representatives. This included one candidate from the ITF (its leader Sadettin Ergec
Sadettin Ergeç
Sadettin Ergeç is an Iraqi Turkmen politician and the leader of the Iraqi Turkmen Front political party. In December 2005, he was elected as the sole member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives on the ITF list...
), two or four from the United Iraqi Alliance
United Iraqi Alliance
The National Iraqi Alliance , also known as the Watani List, is an Iraqi electoral coalition that contested the Iraqi legislative election, 2010. The Alliance is mainly composed of Shi'a Islamist parties...
, one from the Iraqi Accord Front
Iraqi Accord Front
The Iraqi Accord Front or Iraqi Accordance Front also known as Tawafuq is an Iraqi Sunni-Islamist political coalition created on October 26, 2005 by the Iraqi Islamic Party to contest the December 2005 general election...
and one from the Kurdistani Alliance.
Notable Iraqi Turkmen
- İhsan DoğramacıIhsan DogramaciProfessor İhsan Doğramacı was a Turkish paediatrician, entrepreneur, philanthropist, educationalist and college administrator of Iraqi Turkmen descent born in Arbil, Iraq, then Ottoman Empire....
, Pediatric physician, academic and honarary member of notable organisations such as WHOWhoWho may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
and UNICEF. - Abdurrahman Kızılay, Famous composer and interpreter of popular Kirkuk songs.
- Abdülvahab Barğaş, popularly known as "Haba" very famous interpreter of Northern Iraqi songs.
- Mehmet Ali ErbilMehmet Ali ErbilMehmet Ali Erbil is a Turkish comedian, actor and talk show host.-Biography:Mehmet Ali was born in Istanbul, Turkey, as the son of Saadettin Erbil, a theatre and film actor, in 1957. He is the grandson of Mehmed Efendi and the great-grandson of Mehmed Esad Erbilî.He completed his primary and...
, Turkish comedian, actor and talk show host - Reha MuhtarReha MuhtarReha Muhtar is a Turkish television personality . He was first seen on TV as TRT's reporter from Athens, Greece. Later he started hosting a debate program "Ateş Hattı" for the same channel. Later, on private channel Show TV as an anchorman, he gained national fame...
, Turkish television personality - Hijri DedeHijri DedeHijri Dede was a poet from Kirkuk, Iraq. His poems were written mainly in the Turkish language but he also composed works in Persian and Kurdish. He was believed to belong to the kurdish Gurani community in Kirkuk....
poet - Sinan ErbilSinan ErbilSinan Erbil is an Iraqi Turkmen singer. He is fluent in Iraqi Turkmen , Turkish , Arabic and English...
singer - Princess Fahrelnissa ZeidPrincess Fahrelnissa ZeidPrincess Fahrelnissa Zeid or Fakhr un-nisa was a Turkish artist whose work blended the elements of Islamic and Byzantine art from the East with abstract and other influences from the West...
, Turkish painter - Mehmet TürkmehmetMehmet TürkmehmetMehmet Türkmehmet is an Iraqi Turkmen professional football midfielder.He currently plays for Sanliurfaspor in the TFF Second League.-External links:*...
, midfielder for DiyarbakirsporDiyarbakirsporDiyarbakırspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Diyarbakır. Formed in 1968, Diyarbakırspor are nicknamed Diyar...
See also
- Minority politics in IraqMinority politics in IraqMinorities in Iraq include various ethnic and religious groups. The Kurds , Assyrians , and Iraqi Turkmen represent the three largest non-Arab minorities in the country. Other smaller ethnic groups include Armenians, Roma, Shabak, Yezidi, Mandeans, Mhallami, Circassians and Persians...
- Demographics of IraqDemographics of IraqThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Iraq, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
- Iraqi Turkmen FrontIraqi Turkmen FrontThe Iraqi Turkmen Front is a political movement founded in 1995 which seeks to represent the Turkmen people of Iraq. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the ITF has contested control of Kirkuk and other areas of northern Iraq....
- TurkmeneliTurkmeneliTurkmeneli is the territory claimed as homeland by the Iraqi Turkmen Front.Turkmeneli includes within its boundaries Kirkuk, Tel Afar, Erbil, Madali, Mosul, and Tuz Khormato.-External links:...
- Iraqi-Turkish relationsIraqi-Turkish relationsIraqi–Turkish relations are foreign relations between Iraq and Turkey. Relations between the two countries have undergone both times of closeness and times of strained turbulence....