Iraqi Turkmen have decided to act differently in the referendum that will be held for the newly prepared Iraqi constitution draft.

Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) indicating that the new Iraqi constitution draft disregarded Turkmen's demands announced that they would say "no" to the constitution in the referendum.

The ITF made the statement after the Turkmen Party and the Turkmen Islamic Union announced they would support the constitution in the referendum on October 15. Having the draft examined by a committee of experts, the ITF stressed that the constitution was "unacceptable" in its current form and amendments should be made on the draft text.

The ITF administrators claiming the new supreme law of the country that envisions a federal Iraq would cause fragmentation, and noted that the implementation of Turkmen's rights were subjected to indefinite preconditions, and left to the initiative of "hegemonic powers" in the region.

The ITF statement complained basic rights and liberties were distributed on an unequal basis in the constitution and there were articles damaging the equality among the Iraqi people.

The Front warned that Turkmen would not support the proposed constitution in the referendum to prevent Iraqi disintegration if the necessary amendments were not made.

Turkmen demand recognition as a main element of Iraqi society, the Turkmen language to be accepted as an official language, and Kerkuk ( Kirkuk) to be ascribed special status in the new Iraqi constitution.

Meanwhile, Kurdish politicians came together with Sunni leaders on Wednesday evening and discussed possible changes to the constitution such as federalism, the official language, and Iraq's recognition as an Arab country.

Sunni members had told Kurdish leaders they would only support federalism in northern Iraq if Kurdish was used as the official language only in Bagdat (Baghdad) and northern Iraq.

By M. Alihan Hasanoglu
www.zaman.com