TURKMEN INTELLECTUALS MEETINGS IN ORSAM

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The first of ORSAM's Turkmen Intellectuals Meetings series was carried out on February 18th 2009. Many Turkmen intellectuals and representatives of various Turkmen organizations from different cities of Turkey participated in the meeting themed, “Iraqi Constitution and the Turkmen”. Informing about the studies carried out within ORSAM at the beginning of the meeting, ORSAM Director Hasan Kanbolat mentioned they would make effort to make the Iraqi Turkmen heard more in the region and across the world. Kanbolat laid emphasis on the importance of  increasing the interaction within the Turkmen society, and also underlined the importance of the Turkmen intellectuals' taking more active roles.       

 The former President of Iraqi Council of State Ismet Abdulmecid, who made a presentation during the meeting, informed about the constitution making processes in Iraq and made certain evaluations related to the situation of the Turkmen. In the question/answer session of the meeting, Erşat Hürmüzlü,  Chief Advisor to the President of Turkey in the Middle Eastern Affairs, drew attention to the fact that none of the constitutions in Iraq could gain a permanent status after 1925, and he addressed the question, “Could it be argued if it is necessary to turn back to 1925 Constitution in present conditions?”. And Ismet Abdulmecid answered this question as, “I also believe that the best Constitution is the 1925 Constitution. Because people were considered equally.       

 Stating that the developments taking place in Iraq after 2003 could be qualified as positive in terms of the Turkmen in certain ways, Habib Hürmüzlü, moderator of the meeting, summarized these developments as follows: Explicit expression of the name of Turkmen in New Constitution, not considering the Turkmen as minority, beginning to official education in Turkmen language for the first time after 1937 despite all the problems, from engineers to men of letters many occupational groups' creating non-governmental organizations, and the recognition of these organizations by Kurds and Arabs, passing to new Turkish in 90 per cent of broadcasts in Turkmen society, effective functioning of television and radio channels, not putting Article 140 of the Constitution in action. Hürmüzlü warned against the fact that this would be meaningless if these gains cannot be fulfilled.          

 Other subjects, on which the participants expressed their opinions during the meeting, were as follows:

 – An effort should be paid for Turkmen language to be spoken in regions outside Kirkuk, for instance in Telafer and Tuzhurmatu, as official language; and pressure should be applied on relevant authorities to this end; 

 – Necessary initiatives should be made in order to be efficiently involved in the process in Iraq, where a curriculum is not found, within the framework of World Curriculum Association within UNESCO;

 – To carry out an effective lobbying activity in countries, where Turkmen diaspora is found, and the importance of carrying out works to establish strong relations with Turkmen society in Turkey;

 – It is necessary to take precautions to increase success levels of Turkmen students at schools in Turkey;

 – It will be useful to encourage the Turkmen to speak in Turkish, and to increase the function of media organs to this end;  

 Furthermore, the slide show, prepared by Dr. Ferit Müftü, who recently took artistic photographs related to daily life in Arbil and Kirkuk, was presented during the meeting.

 At the end of the programme, lots of demands came from the participants for the continuity of meetings at regular basis. Thus, suggestions of the participants for the meeting dates were taken, and discussion subjects were detected for forthcoming meetings