Word: turkomen
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...include some smaller parties in their governing coalitions and on their electoral lists, especially those composed of ethnic and religious minorities, such as Assyrians Christians and Turkomen. But established opposition parties say that these small parties have either been bought off or wholly invented by the ruling parties, in order to give the appearance of diversity and broad support. "It's the old Middle Eastern mentality - that it's not enough just to win an election, they want to win by 99%," says Salim Kako, an official with the Assyrian Democratic Party. "Everyone has to agree. You are not allowed...
...flashpoint, of course, comes in cities where Kurds and Arabs (and in some cases Turkmen) compete for control, none more so than Kirkuk - the mainstream Kurdish parties are claiming as their own a city forcibly "Arabized" by Saddam Hussein, setting up a clash not only with resident Arabs and Turkomen but also with neighboring Turkey which is alarmed by any manifestation of Kurdish nationalism on its border. And right now, it's difficult to see how a new government, whose makeup is not yet determined, can stop tensions in Kirkuk from boiling over in scramble for post-election power...
...hope to extend Kurdish control to the city of Kirkuk, and reverse the effects of Saddam's expulsion of Kurds and settlement of Arabs in the city. And they want control over substantial oil revenues generated in their bailiwick. Those demands are rejected not only by the Arab and Turkomen minorities living in Kirkuk and Mosul, but also by the Shi'ite religious leadership which opposes minority vetoes and the dismembering of Iraq. The interim constitution brokered by the U.S. allows them to maintain their de facto autonomy and grants them a veto over any future Iraqi constitution...