‘Iraq Will never Find Peace Unless We get out Rights’

Abdurrahman explained yesterday that Turkmen are opposed to a federation based upon ethnicity in Iraq. He said that it was his dream to establish a Turkmen state.

The ITF President, visiting Ankara for a series of meetings, spoke to ZAMAN about the latest events in the Iraq. He stressed that the rights given to Turkmen in the new Iraq are insufficient. "The injustices against Turkmen carried out by the Saddam regime continue, no matter how different things seem to be," said Abdurrahman.

Abdurrahman claims that the Iraqi Government Council sees the Turkmen as second class citizens and has looked down on them since the beginning. Abdurrahman stressed that Iraq will never find peace unless Turkmen are given their rights.

Abdurrahman reiterated that ITF opposes a federative structure based ethnicity in Iraq. He defended that such a structure would certainly cause Iraq to disintegrate. The Turkmen leader instead defended that an administrative federation of 18 counties would provide territorial integrity in the country.

"Our major aim is to save the territorial integrity of Iraq." Abdurrahman pointed out that many establishments have supported the offers and ideas proposed months ago, even Iraqi President Iyad Allawi. "We need help," conceded Abdurrahman.