10 December 2016•Update: 11 December 2016
By Ali Mukarrem Garip
KIRKUK, Iraq
Chairman of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, Arshad al-Salihi, praised Turkey’s support to Turkmen and urged other neighboring countries to adopt the same approach.
Al-Salihi’s remarks came within a press conference held by the Turkmen Tribes Council in Kirkuk.
Speaking about his recent visit to Turkey where he met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, al-Salihi said “Our visit was important amid the tensions of the Iraqi-Turkish relations.”
“As Turkmen, we want to undertake the mission of maintaining a strong and solid bridge between Iraq and Turkey,” the Turkmen official said.
Al-Salihi stressed the president Erdogan attaches importance to the unity of the Iraqi lands as well as Turkey’s support to Iraqis against Daesh terrorist group and other extremists and readiness to help with reconstructions of areas freed from Daesh.
“We sought Turkey’s help in matters of reconstruction of our regions after Daesh and helping our refugees return to their homes,” al-Salihi said.
He went on wishing that other neighbor countries take Turkey as an example.
“Turkey stood beside us all the time. Not only Turkey, we want all the neighbor countries to stand beside us,” al-Salihi said.
The Turkmen official asserted that the visit to Turkey was positive and emphasized the importance of maintaining strong relations between Iraq and the region’s countries.
About the Turkmen refugees from Tal Afar who sought refuge in Syria’s Azaz area, al-Salihi said, “only Turkey helped 2,000-3,000 Turkmen from Tal Afar who escaped Daesh to save their lives.”
He asserted that no humanitarian or international organizations provided aid to the thousands of Turkmen in Azaz citing that women, elderly and children are suffering the most.
“We are waiting for the support of international human rights organizations,” al-Salihi said. “Otherwise the peoples’ lives will be endangered.”
