Muhtaroglu: UN didn't condemn massacre of Turkmens

Ali Hasim Muhtaroglu, the deputy leader of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF), has said the United Nations (UN) was too passive in Iraq and the UN did not condemn the massacre of Turkmens. In ITF Ankara office, Anadolu Agency reporters interviewed Muhtaroglu who evaluated all recent developments in Iraq that affected Iraqi Turkmens. For the role of the UN in the region, Muhtaroglu said, "Unfortunately, Iraqi representative of the United Nations is too passive in all matters related with Iraq. In various cities in Iraq, tens of thousands people were on the streets in recent months. What did the UN do so far?" Muhtaroglu pointed out mass killings had been taking place everywhere in Iraq especially against Turkmens. "Has the UN condemned the massacre of Turkmens in Iraq? No it has not. The Iraq representative gives report to the UN. But, there is no serious study. The UN is too weak and incapable of doing anything for this matter," Muhtaroglu said. Muhtaroglu also said, "for a long time, Turkmens have been the targets of terrorists especially in recent months after the start of the tension between Iraq's central government and regional administration in north of Iraq." Muhtaroglu said he did not feel uncomfortable about the close relationship between Turkey and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP led by Massaud Barzani, the head of the regional administration in north of Iraq). He also stated KDP behaved warmly to Turkmens and expressed hope that Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leaders would also show same attitude after visiting Turkey. About Turkmen education in Iraq, Muhtaroglu said, "We also came a long way for the schools for Turkmens. Turkmen language in As-Salahaddin is among the official languages. In Irbil, Mosul, As-Salahaddin, Kirkuk and Diyala, there are many schools that teach Turkmen language." Muhtaroglu said Turkmens were the group who suffered the most in Iraq and till now Turkmens paid the price due to the conflict that had been occurring between northern administration and Baghdad government. Regarding the bombing of a Turkmen mosque and kidnapping of Turkmen businessmen, the ITF deputy head indicated that those events were all politically motivated. "It was to the benefit of everyone except Turkmens in Iraq. Basically, Turkmens have been forced to migrate." As the reason of being a target in the region, Muhtaroglu also indicated, "The main issue is geopolitical. The region has rich lands and underground resources. Turkmens live on these lands but Turkmens are weak. They do not have police forces, security forces or guns. Hence, these facts make Turkmens an easy target." Regarding the attitude of Iraq's prime minister against his ministers and the resignations of some al-Iraqiya ministers, Muhtaroglu said, "the prime minister's goal is to take these ministers out from the cabinet one by one. Nowhere in the world, a prime minister makes an effort to blame his ministers and looks for something to judge and externalize them." Muhtaroglu also pointed out the ministers in Iraq did not have any authorities. "Whether these ministers stay on duty or step down are the same. I think their resignations would be a better result." "Tuz Khormato has been surrounded by Peshmergas in the east, Iraqi army in the west and the north, on the other hand in the city center by Iraqi local federal police. Still incidents like bombing, assassinations have been occurring in the region." ITF 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 including Kirkuk, Tel Afar, Irbil, Mandali, Mosul, and Tuz Khormato.