The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.

Iraqi Turkmen
Total population
222,000 - 2,500,000 Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Image File history File links Iraqi_Turkmen_UNPO_flag. ...
Regions with significant populations
Iraq
Language(s)
a form of South Azerbaijani (spoken language), standard Turkish (written language)
Religion(s)
Shia and Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Other Turkic peoples, Oghuz Turks, Syrian Turkmen

The Iraqi Turkmen (also spelled Turkomen, Turcoman, and Turkman) (Turkish:Irak Türkmenleri) are a distinct Turkic ethnic group living in Iraq, notably in the cities of Arbil, Tal Afar, Kirkuk, and Mosul. Like the Assyrians, they claim to be the third largest ethnic group in the country (following the Arabs and the Kurds). However, estimates of their numbers vary dramatically, from 222,000^[1] to 2,500,000.^[2] Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ... The Azerbaijani language, also called Azeri, Azari, Azeri Turkish, or Azerbaijani Turkish, is the official language of the Republic of Azerbaijan. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... This article is about the various peoples speaking one of the Turkic languages. ... A Seljuk Prince. ... Syrian Turkmen or Syrian Turkomen[1] are Syrian citizens of Oghuz Turkish descent, who had been living in the Syrian province of the Ottoman Empire before its dissolution and continue to live in the modern country of Syria. ... This article is about the various peoples speaking one of the Turkic languages. ... Arbil (also written Erbil or Irbil; BGN: ArbÄ«l; Arabic: , ArbÄ«l; Kurdish: , Hewlêr; Syriac: ܐܪܒܝܠ, Arbela, Turkish: Erbil) is believed by many to be one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world and is one of the larger cities in Iraq [1] [2] [3]. The city lies... Tal Afar (also Tal Afar, Tall Afar, Tell Afar, Tel Afar) (in Arabic: تل عفر, in Kurdish: Telehfer) (also تلعفر) is a city in northern Iraq, about 30 miles west of Mosul. ... Kirkuk (also spelled Karkuk or Kerkuk; Arabic: كركوك, KirkÅ«k; Kurdish: كه‌ركووك, Kerkûk; Syriac: ܐܪܦܗܐ, Arrapha; Persian: کرکوک; Turkish: Kerkük) is a city in northern Iraq and capital of Taamim Governorate. ... Mosul (Arabic: , Kurdish: موصل Mûsil, Syriac: NînÄ›wâ, Turkish: Musul) is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate. ... Language(s) Aramaic Religion(s) Syriac Christianity Related ethnic groups Other peoples from the Fertile Crescent. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Languages Kurdish Religions Predominantly Sunni Muslim also some Shia, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Iranian peoples (Talysh Baluch Gilak Bakhtiari Persians) The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts...

The Turkmen of Iraq are not to be confused with the Turkmen of Central Asia who reside primarily in Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Iran. Iraqi Turkmen form a distinct group within the Oghuz Turk classification, which includes Ottoman Turks, modern Turks and Azeris.^[3] The Turkmen (Türkmen or Түркмен, plural Türkmenler or Түркменлер) are a Turkic people found primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan and in northeastern Iran. ... A Seljuk Prince. ... The Ottoman Turks were the ethnic subdivision of the Turkish people who dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. ... This article is about the Azerbaijani ethnic group. ...

Language

The Iraqi Turkmen speak a dialect of Turkish that is heavily influenced by Arabic and Ottoman Turkish.^{[citation needed]} Ethnologue and Linguasphere classify their spoken language as a form of South Azerbaijani, thus making them linguistically closer of the Azeris of Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. For their written language, they use the standard Turkish language and Latin-based Turkish alphabet.^[3] Arabic redirects here. ... Ottoman Turkish (Turkish: or , Ottoman Turkish: ‎ ) was the variant of the Turkish language that was used as the administrative and literary language of the Ottoman Empire. ... Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics), a Christian linguistic service organization which studies lesser-known languages primarily to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language. ... The Linguasphere Observatory is a language research network. ... The Azerbaijani language, also called Azeri, Azari, Azeri Turkish, or Azerbaijani Turkish, is the official language of the Republic of Azerbaijan. ... This article is about the Azerbaijani ethnic group. ... Turkish ( IPA ) is a language spoken by 65–73 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. ... The Turkish alphabet is a variant of the Latin alphabet used for writing the Turkish language, consisting of 29 letters, a certain number of which (Ç, Ğ, I, İ, Ö, Ş, and Ü) have been adapted or modified for the phonetic requirements of the language. ...

Religion

Some sources state that they are evenly split between Sunni and Shia Islam by faith.^[4] According to Talip Büyük, Shiites make 65% of the population and Sunnis make the rest.^[5] Juan Cole says that they practice a ghulat form of Shiism (cf. Turkey's Alevis). ^[6] Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Ghulat (Arabic: غلاة extremists) is the adjectival form of Ghuluww (Arabic: غلو exagerators). ... Alevis or Alevi-Bektashis (Kurdish: Alevi, Turkish: Aleviler or Alevilik) are a religious community in Turkey, and they make up some 20% of the population of the country. ...

History

The origin of the Iraqi Turkmen dates back to the Al-Ma'mun and Al-Mu'tasim rules of Abbasid in 9^th century. Most of the Turkmen living in the region settled in northern Iraq during the early Seljuk Empire period, when Turks migrated from Central Asia (Turkestan) to Anatolia, Iran and Iraq. A recent addition to this population stock was by the Ottoman Empire who brought some Turks from Anatolia to the region to secure and transport mail from Baghdad to Istanbul and vice versa in the 18th century. Others were sent to the region by the Ottomans to repel tribal raids.^[7] These groups settled at the entrances of the valleys that gave them access to Kurdish-dominated areas. This historic role of pacification has led to the development of strained relations between the Turkmen and the Kurds.^[1] With the rise of Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath domination over Iraq, a policy of Arabization was imposed on the Turkmen and the rest of Iraq's non-Arab minorities. It was declared in the constitution that schools were prohibited from using the Turkish language and banned Turkish-language media in Iraq. In the 1980s, Saddam prohibited the public use of the Turkish language completely. Abu Jafar al-Mamun ibn Harun (also spelled Almanon and el-Mâmoûn) (786 – October 10, 833) (المأمون) was an Abbasid caliph who reigned from 813 until his death in 833. ... Abu Ishaq al-Mutasim ibn Harun (أبو إسحاق المعتصم بن هارون , 794 – January 5, 842) was an Abbasid caliph (833 - 842). ... Mashriq Dynasties  Maghrib Dynasties  The Abbasid Caliphate Abbasid (Arabic: , ) is the dynastic name generally given to the caliph of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Arab Empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ... The Seljuk Turks (Turkish: Selçuk; Arabic: سلجوق Saljūq, السلاجقة al-Salājiqa; Persian: سلجوقيان Saljūqiyān; also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuq) were a major branch of... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about two nested areas of Turkey, a plateau region within a peninsula. ... Ottoman redirects here. ... This article is about two nested areas of Turkey, a plateau region within a peninsula. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: , historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ... Bath Party flag The Arab Socialist Bath Party (also spelled Baath or Baath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي) was founded in 1945 as a left-wing, secular Arab nationalist political party. ... Arabization is the gradual transformation of an area into one that speaks Arabic and is part of the Arab culture. ...

Distribution of Religious and Ethnic Groups in Iraq

Image File history File links Iraq_demography. ... Image File history File links Iraq_demography. ...

Present status

Although some have been able to preserve their language, the Iraqi Turkmen today are being rapidly assimilated into the general population and are no longer tribally organized.^[1] With the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003, tensions between the Kurds and the Turkmen grew substantially. As a result, Kirkuk soon became the only violent non-Arab city in Iraq during the Iraq War. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...

Iraqi Turkmen have also emerged as a key political force in the controversy over the future status of northern Iraq and the Kurdish Autonomous Region. The government of Turkey has helped fund such political organizations as the Iraqi Turkmen Front, which opposes Iraqi federalism and in particular the proposed annexation of Kirkuk to the Kurdistan Regional Government.^[8] See also Southern (or Iraqi) Kurdistan The Kurdish Autonomous Region is a political entity established in 1970 following the agreement of an Autonomy Accord between the government of Iraq and leaders of the Iraqi Kurdish community. ... The Iraqi Turkmen Front (Turkmen: Irak Türkmen Cephesi) is a political movement founded in 1995 which seeks to represent the Turkmen people of Iraq. ... Official languages: Kurdish and Arabic Capital: Erbil Prime Minister: Nechervan Idris Barzani Area about 80 000 km² Population  - Total (2005):  - Density: perhaps 5,750,000 40/km² Currency: Iraqi dinar Time zone: UTC+3 National anthem: Ey Reqîb The Kurdish Autonomous Region is a political entity established in 1970...

Tensions between the two groups over Kirkuk, however, have slowly died out and on January 30, 2006, the President of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, said that the "Kurds are working on a plan to give Iraqi Turkmen autonomy in areas where they are a majority in the new constitution they're drafting for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq."^[9] However, it never happened and the policies of Kurdification by KDP and PUK after 2003 (with non-Kurds being pressures to move) have prompted serious inter-ethnic problems.^[10] Jalal Talabani (Kurdish: / Celal Talebanî / Jelal Talebaní Arabic: , ) (born 1933), is an Iraqi politician, who was elected State President of Iraq on April 6, 2005, (sworn in the next day, April 7, and once again on April 22, 2006, by the Iraqi National Assembly). ... Kurdification is a term used to describe a cultural change in which something ethnically non-Kurdish is made to become Kurdish. ... The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is a Kurdish political party led by Massoud Barzani. ... The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK or Yaketi Nishtimani Kurdistan in Kurdish) is an Iraqi Kurdish political party led by Jalal Talabani, based in the Kurdish governate of As Sulaymaniyah, in north eastern Iraq. ...

Between ten and twelve Turkmen individuals were elected to the transitional National Assembly of Iraq in January 2005, including five on the United Iraqi Alliance list, three from the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF), and either two or four from the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan.^{[11] [12]} Iraqi police officers hold up their index fingers marked with purple indelible ink, a security measure to prevent double voting. ... The Iraqi National Assembly is the unicameral parliament of Iraq which meets in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. ... The United Iraqi Alliance (Arabic: الائتلاف العراقي الموحد; transliterated: al-Itilāf al-`Irāqī al-Muwaḥḥad) is the electoral coalition that achieved the most votes in the December 15, 2005, National Assembly election in Iraq. ... The Iraqi Turkmen Front (Turkmen: Irak Türkmen Cephesi) is a political movement founded in 1995 which seeks to represent the Turkmen people of Iraq. ... The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan is the name of the electoral coalition first presented as a united Kurdish list in the January 2005 election in Iraq. ...

In the December 2005 elections, between five and seven Turkmen candidates were elected to the Council of Representatives. This included one candidate from the ITF (its leader Sadettin Ergec), two or four from the United Iraqi Alliance, one from the Iraqi Accord Front and one from the Kurdistani Alliance. ^[13][12] Iraqis in the predominantly Sunni city of Husaybah, wait in lines to vote, during the national election, December 15. ... Sadettin Ergeç is an Iraqi Turkmen politician and the leader of the Iraqi Turkmen Front political party. ... The United Iraqi Alliance (Arabic: الائتلاف العراقي الموحد; transliterated: al-Itilāf al-`Irāqī al-Muwaḥḥad) is the electoral coalition that achieved the most votes in the December 15, 2005, National Assembly election in Iraq. ... The Iraqi Accord Front is an Iraqi political coalition created on October 26, 2005 in order to run in the December 15, 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election. ... The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan is the name of the electoral coalition first presented as a united Kurdish list in the January 2005 election in Iraq. ...

See also

• Minority politics in Iraq
• Demographics of Iraq

Minority politics in Iraq are represented by its various ethnic groups. ... Distribution of Religious and Ethnic Groups in Iraq Iraq was known in ancient times as Mesopotamia. ...

References