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Although this is not related to Armenian issues, it is to give you information about my name and why maybe you will see some Turks on cyberspaces carrying this name.
The city of Kerkuk (or Kirkuk) (pronounce: Kuhhr-Kook) (Turks say Kerkük) lies today in modern Iraq. In the north.
According to early estimates, the population was overwhelmingly Kurdish. With also a sizeable Arabic population. It starts on the foot of the Zagros mountains. The mountainious area which is known for it's continious Kurdish inhabitance. Iraq has never been the indegnious place for Turkic people.
The Turkmens today living in Kerkuk, and generally in Iraq, are remnants and traders of the former Ottoman empire. Thus Turkmens were put in that region during the Ottoman Empire in the trade route from Baghdad to Mosul.
When there was oil found in the Kurdish north, most Turkmens were ordered from Ottoman generals to settle around the oil rich areas. To be good trademen for their Empire.
When the British conquered Iraq, they together with Arabs created the government and army.
Kurds and Turkmens weren't recognized and Iraq became a police state.
During the Saddam era, the city of Kerkuk was being heavily arabised. The Arabization campaign affected the Kurds mostly but also the Turkmens and Assyrians.
Kerkuk in the '70's, being some 60% Kurdish, was under Arabization. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes and families who refused to leave were executed in the minute. Kurdish sources estimate that at least 250.000 Kurds were expelled from their homes in the late '70s and early '80s. Also many Turkmens who were forced to leave and refused were executed. Thousands of Arabs from southern Iraq were settled in the city in order to crush future Kurdish claims on the city.
In 1991, during the popular Kurdish uprising against the Baathist government, the Kurds managed to liberate Kerkuk city on their national day, Newroz on 21st of March. Later Iraqi troops captured the city again and again thousands of Kurds were expelled.
Look at the picture: Kurds fleeing during the 1991 mass exodus, in the vicinity of Kirkuk
http://www.uga.edu/islam/iraq.html
Since then, Saddam has expelled daily Kurds from the city.
Look at this ethnic cleansing campaign in 1997 and 1998. The ancient citadel which is inhabited by Kurds.
Take a good look at the pictures.
http://www.fas.org/news/iraq/1999/09/photo3.htm
Kerkuk ethnic population: http://www.kirkukcenter.com/English/...nstitution.htm
Today there are Kurds returning to their homecity. They are living under poor conditions in football stadiums and tents:
http://www.conflictpics.co.uk/Kurdistan/Kurd1.htm
http://www.conflictpics.co.uk/Kurdistan/Kurd17.htm
http://www.conflictpics.co.uk/Kurdistan/Kurd18.htm
http://www.conflictpics.co.uk/Kurdistan/Kurd19.htm
All the time before Saddam and his atrocities against Turkmens, Turkey did not say anything about it!!!
Since Saddam was ousted in 2003, The Kurds are getting their city back. A city which has almost 6% of the planet's oil resources. Turkey is complaining about this happening and says that it is an Iraqi Turkmen city. Also it threatened to intervene if Kurds manage to control the city. Turkey is afraid that the resources will be enough and viable for a Kurdish state, which will eventually create separatism feelings for it's own longtime supressed Kurdish minority. The answer that Turkey is saying this city is Turkish is just simply answered. It didn't bother Turkey when Saddam killed many Turkmens, but when Kurds claim their own city. They suddenly do speak about them. There was never before the Iraq invasion of 2003 something said about a turkmen state in Iraq, or a Turkmen city, or Turkish cities. Only since Kurds are trying to get their city back.!!
Remember that literally tenthousands of Kurds have died for the struggle to get ther city back.
If you happen to surf some Turkmen Front sites and read their stories then I have something to say for you: This party claims that there are 4 million Turkmens in Iraq. A statistical comedy! Also it lost many votes during the second Iraqi elections.
Kurdish sites about this city are also in Turkish, but Turkmen Front sites never include Kurdish.
http://www.kerkuk-kurdistan.com/
My point is that this is a historical Kurdish city and that you will see many Turks trying to say that it's a "Turkish" city. Also, the majority of Turkmens do not want anything Turkish about this city.
Kurds have said to make the governor a Turkmen, there are many schools in Turkmen and more are planned. The Kurdish government has now 2 Turkmen ministers. Turkmens longtime joined Kurdish rebels.
This is again a Turkish tactic to crush any Kurdish political entity in the world.
In late 2007, there will be a referendum in the city which will eventually decide if it comes under Kurdish control or stay outside the Kurdistan Federation in Iraq.
Areas controlled by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters during 1991-2003:
The claim:
What do you think, is this city historical Kurdish, Turkish or Arabic? Vote please.
The city of Kerkuk (or Kirkuk) (pronounce: Kuhhr-Kook) (Turks say Kerkük) lies today in modern Iraq. In the north.
According to early estimates, the population was overwhelmingly Kurdish. With also a sizeable Arabic population. It starts on the foot of the Zagros mountains. The mountainious area which is known for it's continious Kurdish inhabitance. Iraq has never been the indegnious place for Turkic people.
The Turkmens today living in Kerkuk, and generally in Iraq, are remnants and traders of the former Ottoman empire. Thus Turkmens were put in that region during the Ottoman Empire in the trade route from Baghdad to Mosul.
When there was oil found in the Kurdish north, most Turkmens were ordered from Ottoman generals to settle around the oil rich areas. To be good trademen for their Empire.
When the British conquered Iraq, they together with Arabs created the government and army.
Kurds and Turkmens weren't recognized and Iraq became a police state.
During the Saddam era, the city of Kerkuk was being heavily arabised. The Arabization campaign affected the Kurds mostly but also the Turkmens and Assyrians.
Kerkuk in the '70's, being some 60% Kurdish, was under Arabization. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes and families who refused to leave were executed in the minute. Kurdish sources estimate that at least 250.000 Kurds were expelled from their homes in the late '70s and early '80s. Also many Turkmens who were forced to leave and refused were executed. Thousands of Arabs from southern Iraq were settled in the city in order to crush future Kurdish claims on the city.
In 1991, during the popular Kurdish uprising against the Baathist government, the Kurds managed to liberate Kerkuk city on their national day, Newroz on 21st of March. Later Iraqi troops captured the city again and again thousands of Kurds were expelled.
Look at the picture: Kurds fleeing during the 1991 mass exodus, in the vicinity of Kirkuk
http://www.uga.edu/islam/iraq.html
Since then, Saddam has expelled daily Kurds from the city.
Look at this ethnic cleansing campaign in 1997 and 1998. The ancient citadel which is inhabited by Kurds.
Take a good look at the pictures.
http://www.fas.org/news/iraq/1999/09/photo3.htm
Kerkuk ethnic population: http://www.kirkukcenter.com/English/...nstitution.htm
Today there are Kurds returning to their homecity. They are living under poor conditions in football stadiums and tents:
http://www.conflictpics.co.uk/Kurdistan/Kurd1.htm
http://www.conflictpics.co.uk/Kurdistan/Kurd17.htm
http://www.conflictpics.co.uk/Kurdistan/Kurd18.htm
http://www.conflictpics.co.uk/Kurdistan/Kurd19.htm
All the time before Saddam and his atrocities against Turkmens, Turkey did not say anything about it!!!
Since Saddam was ousted in 2003, The Kurds are getting their city back. A city which has almost 6% of the planet's oil resources. Turkey is complaining about this happening and says that it is an Iraqi Turkmen city. Also it threatened to intervene if Kurds manage to control the city. Turkey is afraid that the resources will be enough and viable for a Kurdish state, which will eventually create separatism feelings for it's own longtime supressed Kurdish minority. The answer that Turkey is saying this city is Turkish is just simply answered. It didn't bother Turkey when Saddam killed many Turkmens, but when Kurds claim their own city. They suddenly do speak about them. There was never before the Iraq invasion of 2003 something said about a turkmen state in Iraq, or a Turkmen city, or Turkish cities. Only since Kurds are trying to get their city back.!!
Remember that literally tenthousands of Kurds have died for the struggle to get ther city back.
If you happen to surf some Turkmen Front sites and read their stories then I have something to say for you: This party claims that there are 4 million Turkmens in Iraq. A statistical comedy! Also it lost many votes during the second Iraqi elections.
Kurdish sites about this city are also in Turkish, but Turkmen Front sites never include Kurdish.
http://www.kerkuk-kurdistan.com/
My point is that this is a historical Kurdish city and that you will see many Turks trying to say that it's a "Turkish" city. Also, the majority of Turkmens do not want anything Turkish about this city.
Kurds have said to make the governor a Turkmen, there are many schools in Turkmen and more are planned. The Kurdish government has now 2 Turkmen ministers. Turkmens longtime joined Kurdish rebels.
This is again a Turkish tactic to crush any Kurdish political entity in the world.
In late 2007, there will be a referendum in the city which will eventually decide if it comes under Kurdish control or stay outside the Kurdistan Federation in Iraq.
Areas controlled by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters during 1991-2003:
The claim:
What do you think, is this city historical Kurdish, Turkish or Arabic? Vote please.
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