NIQASH: But don’t you think creating a special region for Turkmen is going to cause trouble between Sunni Muslim Turkmen and Shiite Muslim Turkmen?
Mahdi: There are both Sunnis and Shiites involved in the leadership of the Turkmen Front and of the Kirkuk provincial council. We live side by side and when we competed in the elections, we included both sects. But there are certainly parties in this country that would like to see sectarian conflicts break out between the Turkmen, the same kinds of conflicts that have led Iraq into the current dangerous situation it is in.
NIQASH: In fact, as a disputed territory where Kirkuk belongs should be decided by Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, which says that a referendum should be held so that the local population can decide whether they want to be part of Iraqi Kurdistan or not. But nobody has ever made Article 140 work. Whose fault is that, in your opinion?
Mahdi: All of us - regardless of our ethnic or religious affiliations – are responsible for that. I believe that if Article 140 was used, the decision would benefit the Turkmen and the Kurds here. However, our Kurdish brothers seem to believe that Article 140 should only serve their interests.
NIQASH: When the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim visited Iraq recently, the Turkmen Front met with him. What was the reason for the meeting?
Mahdi: There is no denying that, more than all other groups in Iraq, the Turkmen are supported by Turkey. We are part of the Turkish people. And we have always called upon them to play a role in developments taking place here. We asked Turkey to assist us in the same way that they have assisted in Erbil [the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan]. Before 2003, Erbil was not the same place it is today. Now it has seen prosperity and development, with Turkey’s support. That was the substance of the meeting.
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