Turkman nominate Mohammed al-Bayati for VP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s Turkman National Bloc, a member of the Iraqi National Alliance, has nominated its candidate Mohammed Mahdi al-Bayati for the post of Iraq’s Vice-President, to represent the Turkomen in the country, according to a statement issued by the Bloc on Wednesday. “Our Bloc nominates Mohammed Mahdi al-Bayati for the post of Vice-President, to represent the Turkomen, due to his efficiency, high potentials and support by the majority of the Turkman parties and organizations,” the statement, copy of which was received by IraqiNews.com news agency said. The Turkman Legislature in al-Iraqiya Bloc, Arshad al-Salehy, has stated earlier that the Tukomen have demanded one of the State’s leading posts, along with two service ministries in the new cabinet, whilst the Tukoman Front demanded the post of the Parliament’s Speaker, before it was occupied by Usama al-Nujeifi. The Turkomen Bloc consider Bayati as “one of the leading personalities to occupy the post,” expressing gratitude “for all parties, organizations and personalities that stood by the side of the Turkomen, the third leading nationality in the country, and their demands to grant the post for the Turkomen, being a nationalist right.” The Turkomen are based in Ninewa, Kirkuk, Diala and Baghdad, forming the third nationality after the Arabs and the Kurds. The most outstanding Turkoman political parties are the Iraqi Turkoman Front, the Islamic Union of Iraq’s Turkomen, the Turkoman Justice Party, the Loyalty Movement for Iraq’s Turkomen, the Turkoman Islamic Movement, the Turkman Eli Party and others. SKH/SR 1