Turkmens to Protest in Kerkuk

Yaycili said the ITC would request that U.S. troops to provide security for the protest. "We will not take our own security measures so as not to provoke an incident"

Yaycili stressed the need for either a census or elections in Kirkuk as soon as possible. He said the oppression against the Turkmens was continuing and that Kirkuk would not be a democratic city if the peshmergas — armed Kurds — did not disarm. He added: "We would like the Turkmens to reach the higher levels they deserve. A total of 65 percent of the people [in Kirkuk] are Turkmens. We would like the Turkmens to be represented at the level they deserve."

aa / Kerkuk (Kirkuk) / IRAQ