Iraq’s Turkmens call for independent province

[Sally]

What a mess -- different ethnicities, different religions all wanting a piece of the pie

Iraqi Shiite Turkmen families, fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrive at Kanaan, Diyala province, Iraq, July 24, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Stringer)

Iraq’s Turkmens call for independent province
BAGHDAD — Iraqi Turkmens, who are citizens of Iraq with Turkish origins, have been calling for their own independent province in the Tal Afar district west of Mosul, located in the center of the Ninevah province. The Turkmens’ demands coincide with calls for the establishment of other new provinces in Ninevah, such as the Ninevah Plain province for Christians and Sinjar province for the Yazidis.

Summary⎙ Print Turkmens and other Ninevah minorities are demanding their own provinces once the Islamic State is forced out of Ninevah, which some fear may divide the country further, causing new conflicts in the region.
Author Wassim BassemPosted October 14, 2016
TranslatorSahar Ghoussoub
All of these projects are based on religious or ethnic division, whether among Turkmens, Kurds, Arabs, Sunnis or Shiites. Some see these proposals as the solution to the sectarian, religious and ethnic diversity problems that have caused so much killing and displacement of minorities since the Islamic State (IS) took over the areas in June 2014.

But others fear the proposals would further divide the country into regional fiefdoms, fending off peace and causing new conflicts for power and influence.



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Iraq’s Turkmens call for independent province.

 

[cnm]

What a mess -- different ethnicities, different religions all wanting a piece of the pie

Pity there isn't a strong man to weld the factions into some sort of secular unity.

 

[Onyx]

Pity there isn't a strong man to weld the factions into some sort of secular unity.

 

[Sally]

What a mess -- different ethnicities, different religions all wanting a piece of the pie

Pity there isn't a strong man to weld the factions into some sort of secular unity.

The trouble is that strong men over in that region usually turn into dictators. I was thinking that it is a shame it couldn't be more like the U.S. where there are so many different ethnic groups and so many different religions, and yet basically people do get along regardless of these differences.

 

[cnm]

The trouble is that strong men over in that region usually turn into dictators.

Yeah right, that was much worse.

 

[cnm]

I was thinking that it is a shame it couldn't be more like the U.S. where there are so many different ethnic groups and so many different religions, and yet basically people do get along regardless of these differences.

Hoho, they just drone and invade everyone else.

 

[Onyx]

This is the false dilemma statists put mankind through.

You can choose between being ruled by violent gangs or you can embrace the oligarchy. Talk about giving both of them the finger and everyone loses their mind.

 

[Onyx]

It should be noted that many of these groups peacefully coexisted for centuries.

All these different ethnic groups and religious sects did not develop over night. Conflict seems to have coincided with the introduction of liberalized western ideals.

 

[Sally]

I was thinking that it is a shame it couldn't be more like the U.S. where there are so many different ethnic groups and so many different religions, and yet basically people do get along regardless of these differences.

Hoho, they just drone and invade everyone else.

Ho ho, yourself. I was talking about how people basically get along with each other here regardless of their differences. I see it in my own neighborhood.

 

[Onyx]

Ho ho, yourself. I was talking about how people basically get along with each other here regardless of their differences. I see it in my own neighborhood.

Maybe where you live. For the most part where I live too.

The gangs and the ghetto still keep people segregated by race though.

 

[cnm]

All these different ethnic groups and religious sects did not develop over night. Conflict seems to have coincided with the introduction of liberalized western ideals.

Well, the introduction of western demand for commodities and strategic localities perhaps.

 

[cnm]

Ho ho, yourself. I was talking about how people basically get along with each other here regardless of their differences. I see it in my own neighborhood.

Funnily enough, Iraqis were basically getting along with each other.

 

[IsaacNewton]

There is a Turkey, why don't they do to Turkey if they are Turkmen?

 

[cnm]

There is a Turkey, why don't they do to Turkey if they are Turkmen?

They won't get anything like the support they can expect from Turkey if they go to Turkey rather than establish an 'independent' buffer state on Turkey's border.

 

[IsaacNewton]

There is a Turkey, why don't they do to Turkey if they are Turkmen?

They won't get anything like the support they can expect from Turkey if they go to Turkey rather than establish an 'independent' buffer state on Turkey's border.

Yeah but everyone doesn't get what they want. Turkmen already have a homeland, you don't have to take someone else's ground. It never ends.

 

[cnm]

Yeah but everyone doesn't get what they want. Turkmen already have a homeland, you don't have to take someone else's ground. It never ends.

The destruction of Iraq has given them this opportunity. They would say it's their own ground. I can't imagine they'd have much allegiance to the government in Baghdad considering the history of discriminations against them and massacres of them by the Iraqi government.

Hard to glue the pottery back together once it's been broken.