The Turkmen and the Establishment of the Republic in Iraq 1958

Abstract

The Turkmen are considered one of the principal components of Iraqi society, as their presence has been linked to Iraq’s political, social, and cultural history for many centuries. They have formed an active part of the demographic structure in several provinces and cities of Iraq, particularly Kirkuk, Mosul, Erbil, Tal Afar, Khanaqin, Kifri, Tuz Khurmatu, Mandali, and other cities. Their geographical location, extending between central and northern Iraq, has granted them political, social, and economic importance, in addition to their role in cultural, administrative, military, and artistic life throughout the historical stages Iraq has passed through.

The Turkmen presence was not limited to the demographic aspect alone; they also had a significant influence in administrative, commercial, educational, and cultural fields. They preserved their national and linguistic identity within the framework of Iraqi national belonging. Their political and social conditions were affected by the transformations Iraq witnessed during the Ottoman, monarchical, and republican eras, making the Turkmen issue one of the important questions tied to the nature of ethnic, political, and social balances in the modern Iraqi state.