ERBIL, Iraq – The turmoil in Iraq has left the Turkmen community squeezed. On top of Turkey’s new policy that encourages them to side with the Kurds, the peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have assumed defense of a number of Turkmen settlements. While Sunni Turkmen criticize Ankara for abandoning its red lines, their Shiite kin blame it for the insurgency led by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and Sunni tribes.
The Shiite arguments point to the logistical support ISIS receives at the Turkish-Syrian border and Turkey’s protection against extradition of Tariq al-Hashemi, a former Iraqi vice president who is supportive of the Sunni rebellion. The Sunni Turkmen, for their part, believe that Turkey has forsaken the Turkmen community to avoid damaging its developing strategic ties with the KRG.
