The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and Turkish representation to the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) organized the "Altun Köprü Massacre 30th Anniversary Commemoration Program" in Ankara Tuesday.
On March 28, 1991, nearly 100 Iraqi Turkmens were killed in the massacre that took place in the town of Altun Köprü, a key crossing for the highway linking northern Iraqi cities of Kirkuk and Irbil on the Little Zab river. The massacre committed by forces loyal to dictator Saddam Hussein amid large scale uprisings in the north and south of the country in the aftermath of Gulf War.
The commemoration program was organized to remind and share the pain and suffering of Iraqi Turkmens.
'We share the pain of Iraqi Turkmens'
YTB President Abdullah Eren drew attention to the massacres that Iraqi Turkmens were subjected to.
He said they shared the pain of the Altun Köprü Turkmens, who were trapped between the Peshmerga fighters of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Baath regime and were massacred.
Eren added that they organized this program to not just commemorate but also understand what needs to be done to avoid such tragedies in the future.
He said the Turkmens in Iraq are a key factor in the country's territorial integrity. "Turkmens have not found the peace they deserve. Turkmens in Iraq continue their struggle to this day. Turkey has always stood by the struggle of the Iraqi Turkmens."
'Turkmens key main elements in Iraq'
ITF Turkey representative, Mehmet Tütüncü said the history of Iraqi Turkmens has seen some bloody days and suffered the pain of losing innocent lives. He added that the purpose of remembering pain is not to bear grudges or seek revenge, "We strive to prevent these massacres from happening again by sharing our pain with the world."
He explained that the Turkmens constitute one of the main elements in Iraq, after Arabs and Kurds. "Turkmens have always followed a policy in favor of the integrity and brotherhood of the country. As Turkmens, we have a proud history. Our ancestors fought for our land and watered every inch of it with their blood," Tütüncü said.
Reminding that the Turkmens were subjected to assimilation policies and ethnic cleansing, Tütüncü said, "We have not given up until today and we will continue to stand tall. This is a crime against humanity. It is our duty to inform all humanity about this massacre. We have been living in those lands for a thousand years and we will continue to stand on our feet."