WORLD MAP BEING REDRAWN

Researcher, writer and public figure Semseddin Kuzeci represents the position of Iraqi Turkmen in international conferences and forums. The Counselor for the Press of the Turkmeneli Foundation Culture Center, he worked as a press secretary of the well-known Iraqi-Turkmen Front and is considered a respected expert on integration of the Turkic world. Therefore, his analytical perspective on the problems of the Middle East is of great interest.

- What do you see the future of the Turkic world like?

- Personally, I am optimistic about the future of the Turkic world. The Turkic nation is hard working, loyal, honest and noble. Whatever internal contradictions it may have, it always defends its cause in the international arena. In this the context, the creation of the Turkic Union will strengthen the Turkic world economically, politically and culturally.

Of course, there will be those who will try to prevent the strengthening of the Turkic states, but it is possible to confront them together. The main thing in this regard is the leadership which Turkey and Azerbaijan can assume. They can create different organizations in other areas similar to TURKSOY, which operates in the area of culture. I want to say that in international relations it is very important to follow a clear and sequenced "roadmap". If the implementers of this strategy carry out their fundamental and basic ideas by the principle of Gasprinskiy - "Unity in

language, thought and deed", then, of course, everything will go successfully.

- Do you see Azerbaijan as one of the most influential states of the Turkic world?

- Of course. Azerbaijan is an important country among Turkic states. Considering Azerbaijan's development and prosperity in recent years, the deep and fundamental Turkic cultural heritage, the tremendous progress that has been made in state building and the rapidly developing economy, we can say that Azerbaijan can become the center of the Turkic world in the next five years. This is explained by the absence of ethnic, sectarian, religious and linguistic differences in Azerbaijan. The indivisible Azerbaijan, as we see it today, is a leader in the region.

- How can Azerbaijan contribute to the strengthening of the Union of Turkic states?

- Azerbaijan can play an important part in this direction, as it has the experience of conducting important Turkic-speaking events, political conferences, congresses, festivals and other events in the area of arts and culture.

- You are originally from Kirkuk. The controversy about the history of Kirkuk has lasted for years. Who does it belong to - the Turks, Kurds or Arabs?

- If we look at the history of Iraq, we can see that in 674 the army of Ubeydullah bin Ziyad sent into Khorasan by Caliph Mu'awiya had 2,000 Turkic troops from Central Asia and Azerbaijan who later settled in Basra. The Seljuks, Jelairs, Garagoyunlu, Aggoyunlu and the Ottomans founded six Turkic states on the territory of Iraq. Iraq, which was ruled by the Ottoman Empire until 1918, was under the influence of Turkic culture and civilization for almost 400 years. During the Ottoman Empire Iraq had three provinces: Baghdad, Basra and Mosul. Kirkuk was a sanjak (administrative unit - author) within the province of Mosul. The British, having conquered Iraq in 1917, ruled the country for four years. In 1921, the Kingdom of Iraq was founded. In 1932, Iraq, as a member of the League of Nations, became independent. But the Turkish language dominated Iraq for many years. All the newspapers and magazines were published in Turkish and Arabic. In 1958, there was a revolution which led to the establishment of the republic. Then the Baath regime came to power. So let me ask the readers: what was the influence of the Kurds in Iraq and Kirkuk in the last 500 years? In Kirkuk, 27 out of 30 districts were Turkmen, two Kurdish and one Arab. In the 1980s, Saddam Hussein tried to Arabize Kirkuk when 10,000 Arabs were resettled to Kirkuk from the south. By giving them apartments and cars and appointing them to senior posts, he tried to maintain his influence, but did not succeed. Now, after 2003, if our Kurdish brothers put forward claims to Kirkuk, it will be very embarrassing. Have we ever laid claim to Suleymaniye or Dohuk? No, because they are Kurdish regions. We, the Turkmen, want to live in Kirkuk in brotherhood with the Arabs, Kurds and Christians.

- It is often said that Iraqi  are actually Azerbaijanis. What do you think?

- As I said earlier, Iraqi Turks migrated from Central Asia and Azerbaijan to Basra. It is not me saying this, but history. I would also like to recall the words of Azerbaijan's nationwide leader, the late Heydar Aliyev: "While studying history, I saw that our brothers from both the northern Azerbaijan and from the South Azerbaijan and Iraq are part of one whole." I believe there is no-one who wouldn't know these words. In this context, we consider ourselves to true Azerbaijanis with common roots and language. Azerbaijan is our second home.

- Is it possible to say that the toppling of Saddam Hussein has brought democracy to Iraq?

- Yes, we can say that the regime that controlled the country for 35 years has ceased to exist. But the governments created in Iraq after 2003 do not live up to people's expectations. The differences between political factions, the tensions, the attempts by some neighboring countries to establish dominance over Iraq, the US withdrawal from the position of a savior to the one of a conqueror, the mentality of the forces occupying Iraq under the pretext of granting freedom and democracy have brought about sectarian conflicts, fear and death. Sometimes people even want to go back to the days of Saddam. And it is very sad.

- What is going on today? Does the country belong to the Iraqis or does the US control still hamper national independence?

- Iraq is not the same. Currently, Iraq is ruled by the United States and Iran. Iraq is currently a field of struggle between the USA and Iran. There is a conflict between the Shiites and Sunnis (and  between them) because the Kurds rule their own region. And there is no such region in which the  could proclaim their own federal entity or autonomous region. The  live in Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni regions. There is only the Telafer region with a population of 500,000 people, which is of strategic importance because it is located between Turkey, Syria and Iraq. But unfortunately, the Sunni-Shiite confrontation affects the brotherhood of our peoples. No-one knows where Iraq's oil is going, who controls our wealth or who runs the country. Bitter as it is, it is true ...

- During the Saddam regime only 11,800 Kurds were resettled from Kirkuk, but after it fell many times more Kurdish families returned there. Why is that?

- I have partly answered this question. They are trying to turn Kirkuk into a Kurdish city. Otherwise, what else can the resettlement of 700,000 Kurds to Kirkuk mean? Of course, it is a substitution of identity. Just imagine pregnant women from Erbil and Suleymaniye being brought to Kirkuk to give birth. Or it means the distribution of money among those who do not want

to leave the seized homes and government facilities in Kirkuk. This is what is behind all this. This is definitely an attempt to turn Kirkuk into a Kurdish city and reunite it with the northern region of the country.

- Under the Constitution of Iraq, there should have been a referendum on the future of Kirkuk. Why was it never held?

- According to the Constitution of Iraq, the population of each district can establish a province together with three other districts. But this is only possible through a referendum, especially on a disputed territory. What is a disputed territory? Those deported in Saddam's time have got the right to return to their homeland, those whose houses, land and other property were taken away can now get them back. Such districts are now called disputed. To deal with property disputes,

Article 140 was introduced to the Constitution. It was to be implemented in three phases: first to return people to their homes and resolve property issues, then to conduct a population census and, finally, to hold a referendum. That was when Kirkuk, a disputed territory, attracted much attention. At the time of Saddam hundreds of Turkmen and Kurds were deported from here. Agricultural lands were taken away from the Turkmen and passed on to the Arabs. A total of 41,000 lawsuits were filed with appropriate authorities to investigate the issues. The Commission could resolve only 6,000 of them. Applications for the eviction of 700,000 Kurds settled in Kirkuk after 2003 were never considered. The deadline for the "normalization" process has expired, but 35,000 cases still remain open.

Thus, it has been impossible to conduct a census of the population because it was not clear who will go and who will stay in Kirkuk. And since there was no census, it was impossible to conduct the referendum. Thus, this paragraph of the Constitution was born dead.

- Is the establishment of a state of Kurdistan on the territory of Iraq possible?

- At the moment, Kurdistan exists as an informal state. There are all the components of a state: president, prime minister, parliament, ministers and the central bank. But the official declaration could lead to difficulties in the region. The Middle East is not ready for such a state.

- What can you say about the situation in Syria? Where can we expect another wave of similar events? What are your predictions in relation to Syria's neighbors - Iran and Turkey?

- With regard to Syria, we can say that the Assad regime is over with. If the prime minister, ministers, the army and the entire state system of a country have collapsed, it is impossible for the state itself to stand on its feet. We will see a new Syria before 2013. After Iraq, the USA was hinting at Syria. We, the Iraqis, had anticipated this. As an expert on the region I can say that Iran is next in turn - there is a redistribution of the Middle East. We can say that the map of the world is being redrawn.