BAGHDAD — In an interview with Al-Monitor, the Turkmen politician Torhan al-Mufti argued for the establishment of new provinces as the best solution for diminishing ethnic conflict in Iraq, particularly in those areas where diverse ethnic and religious communities reside, such as Ninevah, Basra and Kirkuk. Such a proposal, Mufti contends, should be viewed in light of the possibly imminent liberation of Ninevah province from the Islamic State (IS) by joint Arab and Kurdish forces in coordination with the United States.
Speaking at his home in Baghdad’s Green Zone, Mufti noted that Turkmen political awareness has evolved toward more effective participation in the political process, despite the influence of Turkey on them. The Turkmen have reaped benefits from political alliances entered into since the April 2014 parliamentary elections, particularly alliances with Shiite political movements, including the Islamic Dawa Party, the National Reform Trend (Islah), the Badr Organization and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.
