Turkmen Political Council Chairman: Federal Court's Ruling is not Against Us

PUKMEDIA

Abdulbasit Khalid, the Chairman of the Turkmen Political Council

Abdulbasit Khalid, the Chairman of the Turkmen Political Council in Erbil, stated in an exclusive interview with PUKMEDIA that the Turkmen support the Federal Court's ruling and do not see it as being detrimental to the Turkmen community. "I hope the court's decision will establish peace, unity, and affection among the Turkmen, Kurds, and all communities," he stated.

He further added: "We are no different from other communities, but we have been degraded by a particular political party, and political parties should not express insincere sympathy for communities."

The following is the full interview:

Q: Was the decision of the Federal Court against the Turkmen?

The Federal Court's decision to remove quota seats for communities in the Kurdistan Parliament is legitimate, and we support it. The decision seeks to eliminate the quota seats and is not directed at the Turkmen community. The Federal Court's decision has revealed numerous insights for us and the public. I hope that the decision will serve as the foundation for peace, unity, and affection between Turkmen, Kurds, and all other communities. 

Q: How do you evaluate the political performance of the communities in parliament? 

The Kurdistan Turkmen Political Council is critical of the communities' political actions, which we believe are deceptive and intended to tarnish the Turkmen nation's reputation. We are an ancient nation. I cannot be unfaithful to my nation. Political parties should not show insincere sympathy for communities. 

Q: How will communities fight for their rights in the upcoming elections?

As we approach the next parliamentary election, communities can form coalitions to win more seats. However, the communities were previously supporting a specific party, and financial support was provided to them, causing them to lose sight of the nation's circumstances. We will not allow any political party to violate our rights any longer.

There is a parliament and a government here, and the communities may gain rights in the same way that our Kurdish brothers in Baghdad claim to be Iraq's second nation and are gaining rights. Nobody should be able to impose their will on our nation; we must elect our own representatives. If Turkmen form a unified coalition and compete in the upcoming parliamentary elections without quota seats, they are likely to win more seats than before and truly represent the Turkmen people, as opposed to being dominated by a single party as in the past. 

Q: Do the Turkmen need community seats?

The Kurds, Iraq's second largest nation, do not require quota seats in the Iraqi parliament, and neither do we in the Kurdistan Region. Those requesting quota seats in the Turkmen name do not represent the Turkmen community and are primarily concerned with their own personal and political interests. 

I also opposed the quota because we are a community, and we are no different from other communities, but we have been marginalised by a particular political party. If we want a right, we can set a good example by negotiating, but what happened was that quota holders acted solely for their own benefit. We need to concentrate on other projects, so let the quota expire. 


PUKMEDIA