“These differences have caused the Turkmens a great deal of damage in all political aspects and have negatively affected their unity in the eyes of the Iraqi, regional and international public opinion," Yahya Shemsettin, a Turkmen journalist from Kirkuk, told Al-Monitor recently.
Unlike other factions in Iraq, Turkmens haven't had armed wings in recent years and failed to carve out a clear role in Kirkuk's security. Ali Mahdi, a Turkmen member of Kirkuk's provincial council, said in an Oct. 3 TV interview, “We have been calling since 2006 for the formation of a joint force of Turkmens, Kurds and Arabs to defend Kirkuk, but the Kurds have stood against this idea.”
When it comes to foreign support, Turkey often talks about supporting Turkmens in Iraq, but in reality it doesn't do much, especially after the rapprochement between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and KRG President Massoud Barzani.
For instance, Turkey has benefited from the Kurdistan Democratic Party forces' control of the most important oil wells in Kirkuk as well as oil exports through Turkish territory. The Turks signed a 50-year agreement with the Kurds in this regard despite objections by the Iraqi Turkmens. Most recently, the Iraqi Turkmen Coordination Council asked the central government in Baghdad on Sept. 26 to “impose full control over the oil wells in Kirkuk and give back the task of exporting oil [to Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization], as well as provide protection to oil wells by the federal police.”
Meanwhile, Turkmens point to past political understandings between Shiite and Kurdish parties. Tauran, the Turkmen lawmaker, said Oct. 2, “The Turkmens were victims of agreements between the central government and the KRG.”
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