Terrorist attack in Turkmen town Emirli

CNN Kurdish reporter mislead the viewers

 

 

Ibn Bayat

 

Emirli is a calm town located in the well known Turkmen Bayat region. The population number is about 12000, which is almost purely Turkmen. Shiite Turkmen constitute the majority in the region. It is well known that the sectarian hate is almost absent between Turkmen communities of Bayat region and intermarriage are common. The strong ethnical tie had further strengthened the relation between the sects in the region.

 

During the Arabification policy of Ba’ath regime, Emirli was detached from Kerkuk province at 1976 and annexed to Salah al-Din Province.

 

Being a Turkmen region was deliberately ignored by the Iraqi governments. The town is built up of a narrow long road, the shops are located on one side and the houses on the other side.

 

At 8:30 am, 7.7.2007, a big body-trapped Truck was exploded in the center of the market, which destroyed 35 houses and shops. This was the heaviest ever bombing attack in the region. Hundred fifty people were killed, more than 250 were wounded and 15 were missed. Several of Turkmen towns in this region were recently exposed to terrorist bombing attacks; Daquq, Yengice and Tuz Khurmatu.

 

The explosion caused a hole of 15 meters in diameter and 4 meters in depth, with complete destruction in a circle of 100 meter around.

 

The town did not get any support from the province government during the event. The main source of help reached from different political groups in the Turkmen district Tuz Khurmatu and Kerkuk province. The National Guards provided medical help only in the first day. The injured people were brought to Kerkuk hospital and the critically wounded are sent to Turkey for further treatment.  

 

The following factors expose Turkmen of Iraqi to continuous assaults:

-          Long period of marginalization of the Iraqi Turkmen, particularly after occupation.

-          Absence of armed Turkmen forces, while the Iraqi National Guards are constituted of militant groups and even the Arab tribes are armed.

-          Kurdification of police, security and military systems of Turkmen regions.

 

Note: To give the impression that there are Kurds in Emirli, the Kurdish reporter of CNN, Hala Gorani, stressed on the presence of wounded Kurds in the Emirli explosion. In fact, the region is devoid of the Kurds.