A Kirkuk wake-up call for Kurds

Kurdishaspect.com - by Eamad J. Mazouri

This should be a wake-up call for all the Kurds, their friends and sympathizers around the world and especially in the United States of America.

Throughout their modern history, Kurds have been divided, denied their very existence, oppressed, massacred and even subjected to genocide. The regional governments have always conspired against their very basic human rights. While the same situation is still continuing in most parts of Kurdistan, Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan have made major strides towards gaining self-determination within the framework of a democratic federal Iraq as the Kurdistan regional government has envisioned, secured and guaranteed in the permanent Iraqi constitution of 2005, that the majority of Iraqi people have voted on and was ratified by Iraqi parliament.

Article 140 provides that by the end of 2007 a referendum to be held by the people of Kirkuk to decide whether they would like to rejoin Iraqi Kurdistan region or not. Regrettably, Turkey has repeatedly stated her wishes to intervene in Iraqi internal affairs by voicing outright objection to the implementation of this article of the Iraqi constitution.

Turkey that has until recently denied the very existence of over 20 million Kurds inside her borders, does not recognize them until now as such, does not believe in a peaceful solution to her Kurdish problem, has spearheaded an evil effort recently, depending solely on her fifth column embodied in ITF inside Iraq in a campaign of lies and deception directed at American public opinion to misguide them about the facts on Kirkuk issue.

A Turkish delegation led by Turkish PM of ruling party Mr. Turan Comez is touring U.S. cities and universities to spread their unsubstantiated claims that have started surfing the internet lately. Not only has that, their efforts been coupled with hiring some pens as well who are unjustly attacking Kurdish people and their government.

The whole campaign is focused on Kirkuk, in an attempt to perpetuate the crime dictator Saddam committed against Kurds. Therefore, I deem it as a duty for every Kurd and their true friends to stand up firmly and aggressively against this unjust campaign waged by Turkish government who the Kurds have always held an olive branch towards them.

Their baseless accusations must be answered by facts concerning the real situation in Kirkuk; how and when Arabization occurred? Who was the real target? How those evacuated are still living in camps in Arbil and Sulaymania unable to return home or recover their properties even after Saddam is gone? How Turkmen in Kurdistan for the first time are granted their full rights and are enjoying them along with the rest of Kurdistan mosaic population of religions and ethnicities? How Kurds have succeeded to build something new in the region in the middle of the ongoing chaos against all odds, based on tolerance a concept that is totally unfamiliar or unrecognized by the countries of the region?