Iraq’s Turkomen Front says Turkomen did not celebrate Eid al-Adha holidays due to fear from aggressive attacks

KIRKUK / IraqiNews.com: The Chairman of the Iraqi Turkomen Front and Member of al-Iraqiya Coalition, Arshad al-Salehy, has said on Thursday that Iraq‘s Turkomen, especially in northern Iraq‘s oil-rich city of Kirkuk, have not celebrated Eid al-Adha Holidays, due to the deteriorated security situation and the continuation of aggressive attacks against them. “We are cornered by silence by both government and Parliament sides, and would like to ask for the reason why Iraqi Turkomen are being targets for killings and abduction,” Salehy told IraqiNews.com news agency, adding that the “Iraqi Society has began to be divided between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, whilst the Turkomen are still linked to their ‘Iraqism’, territory and homeland.” Salehy charged the Iraqi government and Parliament with “being silent towards the abduction and killing of Turkomen, as well as their scientific and medical symbols and businessmen.” “We have also demanded a tribual support for our positions during our recent visit for a number of tribes, especially in southern Iraq‘s Hilla Province,” he said. The Turkoman leader has also expressed fear “from the close US Army withdrawal from Iraq, especially areas of Turkomen, who suffer from huge problems,” warning against “a possible agreement with certain political and party forces in Kirkuk,” which he did not name. The Strategic Agreement, signed between Iraq and the United States in 2008, the American troops were scheduled to leave Iraq entirely by the end of December next. Kirkuk Province is 250 kms to the north of Baghdad, and is one of the areas-in-conflict between the Central Government in Baghdad and northern Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s government. SKH (ST) Number of Reads:341