Turkmen Front leader warns of individual steps

Deputy Head of the Turkmen Front Hassan Toran said that they give priority to liberate Iraq’s province of Kirkuk from the grip of ISIS extremist group, saying that the establishment of Kirkuk region needs a dialogue between the different components.

He added, in an interview with “Arabs Today”, that the situation in the Iraqi province is sensitive due to the diversity of components there, saying that the matter needs serious dialogue during the coming period between the different components of the region in participation with the United Nations.

He added that the priority should be for the liberation of the province from the extremist group, stressing that they would work then to return the residents to their areas. He called for amending Article (140) of Iraqi constitution, saying that the article raised a state of controversy among the conflicting parties for years.

He blamed Kirkuk’s provincial council for its recent decision to hold referendum, saying that such a decision violates the laws and constitution. He added that the council took a number of individual decisions during the recent period, warning that such decisions could lead to destabilizing the region.

He added that the central government is preoccupied in its fight against ISIS in Nineveh, while it has not forgotten the issue of Kirkuk. He added that the only solution to turn the province into an independent province is to provide it with the sources. He warned that if Kirkuk took individual steps, it would lead the province’s residents to disasters

He blamed the consecutive Iraqi government for their political approach against the Kurds during the recent years, saying that they faced persecution and marginalization since 2003. He added that they faced genocide and excessive use of chemical weapons against their districts.

He added that the government of Kurdistan was aspiring to build a new Iraq based on democracy, diversity and serious partnership, while the Iraqi government failed to achieve any of these objectives.

He revealed that they discussed the issue of separation with Iraq's Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi, and the leaders of International Coalition led by the U.S, stressing their keenness to protect the Iraqi borders. They expressed their optimism over the results of these negotiations.