William Guthrie's Turcomania: the Correct Name for Inexistent Kurdistan

When a Western traveler at the end of the 18th century calls "Turcomania" the area that today the terrorist pseudo-Kurdish elites consider as nucleus of Kurdistan, we have to stop and examine the case better.

This is what Mofak Salman Kerkuklu, a Turkmen engineer and intellectual, did coming up with a wonderful book about Tuz Khurmatu a Turkmen city in Northern Iraq.

Mofak Salman Kerkuklu graduated in England with a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Oxford Brookes University and completed an MSc in Medical Electronics and Physics at London University and an MSc in Computing Science and Information Technology at South Bank University. He is also a Chartered Engineer from the Institution of Engineers of Ireland. Mr Mofak Salman is the author of Brief History of Iraqi Turkmen and Turkmen of Iraq. He is the Turkmeneli Party representative for both the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. He has had a large number of articles published in various newspapers and websites.

I will republish the book in several articles as it sheds light into parts of Northern Iraq that have been ignominiously ignored by the disreputable and totally controlled mass media of Europe and America, which do their ingenious best to promote Al Qaeda and the terrorist groups of the inexistent "Kurdish" nation.

The Turkmen historicity of many lands falsely claimed as "Kurdish" will be one of the obstacles to the evil plans of the Apostate Freemasonic Lodge to set up a bogus-state called Kurdistan that will be the Hell-on-Earth.

The Turkmen City of Tuz Khormatu
By Mofak Salman Kerkuklu

Purpose and Scope

This book was written with four clear purposes in mind: firstly, to make an assessment of the current position of Turkmen in the Tuz Khormatu district; secondly, to highlight the oppression of Turkmen after the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime; thirdly, to introduce a brief history of the Turkmen in Tuz Khormatu to the world; and finally, to draw the world's attention to the situation and oppression of Turkmen in Iraq.

I wish to reveal to the world the political situation and suffering of Iraqi Turkmen under the Iraqi regime and to expose Iraqi Kurdish bandits and reveal their premeditated plan to change the demography of the Turkmen populated area. I would like to dedicate this book to every Turkmen who has been detained in Iraqi prisons; to Turkmen who died under torture in Iraqi prisons; to all Turkmen whose sons and daughters were executed by the Iraqi regime; to all Turkmen who fought and died without seeing a free Turkmen homeland; and to the Turkmen city of Kirkuk, which is a bastion of cultural and political life for those Turkmen resisting the Kurdish occupation.

This book would not have been written without the support of Turkmen all over the world. Therefore, first and foremost, my sincere thanks are to Turkmen writer Mr Mohammed Koja (Holland), Mr Habib Hurmuzlu, of the Global Strategic Institute, Dr Mustafa Demirci (Austria), Mr Muslih Garib Riza (Sweden), David Hamill and Enda Costello (Ireland) and I would also like to extend and express my sincere thanks to Ayshan Salman.

I would also like to thank my family and last, but not least, my thanks go to my martyred brother, surgeon Dr Burhan Mohammed Salman Kerkuklu, who motivated and encouraged me from childhood to fight for the Turkmen cause in the Turkmeneli.

Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 The Turkmen in Iraq

The Turkmen[1] are concentrated mainly in the northern and central regions of Iraq . Originally from Central Asia, they began settling in Iraq thousands of years ago, in a migration that stretched over several hundred years. They have ruled the country six times since establishing their first state in northern Iraq in around 600 BC The Iraqi Turkmen, often confused with the Turkmen of Central Asia, predominantly live in an area that they call "Turkmenia" in Latin or "Turkmeneli" which means, "Land of the Turkmen. The British geographer William Guthrie referred to it as "Turcomania" in 1785. The Turkmen are the third largest ethnic group after the Arabs and Kurds in Iraq.

Turkmeneli is a diagonal strip of land stretching from the Syrian and Turkish borders and around Telafer in the north of Iraq, down to the town of Mendeli on the Iranian border in Central Iraq . The Turkmen of Iraq settled in Turkmeneli in three successive and constant migrations from Central Asia, thus increasing their numbers and enabling them to establish six states in Iraq.

The main cities where Turkmen live are Tel Afar, Mosul, Erbil, Altun Kopri, Kirkuk, Taze Khurmati, Tawuq, Tuz Khormatu, Kifri, Qara Teppe, Qizlarbat, Qaraghan, Khaniqin, Shahrabn, Mansuriyya, Baquba, Mandeli and Bedre. A substantial number of Turkmen also live in the north\east district of Baghdad of Athamiyya, as well as the Aziziyya neighbourhood, Kut and the Najaf and Karbala provinces. However, among those Turkish communities settled in countries outside Turkey, the Iraqi Turks, "Turkmen" are known as a community greatly attached to their national consciousness, tradition and religion. For centuries, the Turkmen territories were considered a buffer zone separating the Arabs from the Kurds. Cultural, social, religious, economic and political factors have considerably influenced the relations and distribution of the population of Turkmen in the area. The Turkmen of Iraq are mainly merchants and manual labourers and are related to today’s Turks, living in present\day Turkey; in fact, they are the Turks" ancestors.

Linguistically and culturally, the two peoples still strongly resemble one another.[2] The Turkmen of Iraq were a part of the wave of migrations from the area north of the Great Wall of China, which started more than two millennia ago. Over many centuries and the rise and fall of nomadic empires, the ancestors of the Turkmen were pushed farther west, eventually settling in the area around the southern part of the Caspian Sea and the mountainous areas where Iraq , Iran and Turkey come together.

1.2 Geographical location of Tuz Khormatu

The Tuz Khormatu district is one of the Turkmeneli districts; it is located on the highway between Baghdad and the strategic oil city of Kirkuk. It is approximately 210 kilometers (130 miles) north\east of Baghdad and 68 kilometers south of Kirkuk and has a wide network of surrounding villages. The city is located on the right side of the Ak Su River, which is the only river that goes through the district.[3]

Tuz Khormatu has a long history, extending from the middle of the third millennium BC, to the era when they were called Almetaniin (Christo), as mentioned in the annals, to become the cradle of ancient civilisations; Babylonian, Assyrian and Sumerian. The city has merged its history with the geography of production and the idea of acceptance of others; they embrace strangers, taking them in.

The district of Tuz Khormatu is bordered to the north by Shah Siwan and Albu Sabah, to the east by Murtada Ali Dagi "Murtada Ali Mountain", Karawel Dagi and Nefet Dagi, to the west by the Turkmen villages of Yenkaca and Cerdagli and to the south by the villages of Khasa Derali and Gokes as well as the Ak Su River.

The total area of the Tuz Khormatu district is approximately 5226 square kilometres. In the Ottoman era, until 1926, Tuz Khormatu was a part of the Salahiya (Kifri) district. However, the Tuz Khormatu district was then re\linked to another district named Geel and its centre was Koshak. Then, once more, Tuz Khormatu became linked to the district of Daqooq in 1950 to 1951.

Tuz Khormatu was changed from sub\district to district in 1952 and Mr Hamid Al_Alusi was the first councillor for Tuz Khormatu. Mr Hamid Al_Alusi was appointed the first municipality by the Iraqi government for the district; he was an Arab nationalist and anti Turkmen.[4] Mr Zaynal Abdin Qanber Cayir was appointed as the first director for the council. In 1953, the district of Tuz Khormatu was supplied with an electricity network, a wall around the Martha Ali Great Graveyard was built by the council and the Khani Gulu hospital was built in 1954¨C1955.[5]

However, owing to Arabisation policies by Saddam Hussein’s regime the district was annexed from Kirkuk City in 1974 and it is still attached to the city of Tikrit, which is the birthplace of Saddam Hussein. The city of Tikrit is 96 kilometres away from the Tuz Khormatu district.

The history of the district goes back to the time of Kara Koynlu (Black sheep), which is one of the six established Turkmen states in Iraq. The district is a meeting place for various Turkmen tribes, such as Kara Sakali, Muratli, Kar Yagdi, Owsat Eli, Basmanli, Dara Kazan and the overwhelming population in the district is mainly Turkmen.[6]

The historian Mohammed Hadi Al_Defter, in his book Al_Iraq Al_Shmali, stated that the name of Tuz Khormatu was derived from the Assyrian name Khir Matti. However, some historians have suggested that Tuz Khormatu was named by the Moguls when they had conquered Iraq. It is claimed that when the Moguls entered the sub\district of Taza Khormatu ¨C the "sub\district out of Kirkuk" ¨C they saw a large number of date trees and so they named the sub\district of Taza Khormatu. But when the Mogul went through Tuz Khormatu they saw a lot of salt accumulated in front of them and thus they called it Tuz Khormatu.

These historians have agreed that the name of Tuz Khormatu consists of three words. Tuz means salt in the Turkmen language; Khorma means dates in the Turkmen language and Tu has been shortened from the word of Tut, which means mulberry in the Turkmen language, so in other words Tuz Khorma Tu (Tuz Khormatu) means the city of salt, dates and mulberries.[7] As a matter of fact Tuz Khormatu is well known for its mulberries.

In addition, the Kurds have no historical link to the district at all, but the Kurdish presence in the district began during the seventies when the Kurds were forced to leave their homes in the mountains in the north of Iraq, to avoid the conflict between the Kurdish rebels and the Iraqi army forces.

The Tuz Khormatu district has been used for centuries as a resting point for cars are travelling to the north and to the south. Trains also run between Kirkuk and Baghdad, therefore, the city’s geographical location has always encouraged the Kurds to settle in the area.

Tuz Khormatu also has been used as a stopping point for travelers who are transferring goods from Iran to Iraq and vice versa. The stopping station shops are still present along the Buyuk Bazaar and Kucuk Bazaar. This was the merchandise centre between the different cities for the sale and distribution of wheat and barley.

The city is also well known for its Turkish baths, which are known locally as the Hammam. One of the most well known Hammams in the area is the Hammam Alkadim, which is known as Suleyman Hamami. The Hamam Alkadim is located at the opposite of the Ottoman Mosque. These baths were built in 1898. There are also other famous public baths in the area, such as Hamam Wahid Zenaw, Hamm Alsagir and Hamam Al_Yahood.

The district has a large number of coffee shops, which are known in the Turkmen language as Cay Khana (Tea houses). Some of the historical and well known Cay Khanna in Tuz Khormatu are Asma Cay, Muhiddin "Meha", Sayid Qlender and Sulu and Abu Gaib Cay Khannasi.

The people of Tuz Khormatu in general are kind, generous, respectful and hospitable to foreigners, although there is not a single hotel in the district. There was a hotel ¨C the Ak Su Hotel ¨C which was located above Ak Su Casino (Ali Cayci), but this hotel was demolished in the mid sixties. Travellers, commercial and business people who are involved in bringing and taking goods in and out of Tuz Khormatu usually stay in a place named Diwan Khana. The Diwan Khana is free of charge and can be used by any individual.

In addition, foreigners and travelers can use the religious shrine, known as Takya, for sleep and as a resting place. Knowing that the district was empty of hotels until the middle eighties, with the coming of students to study in schools, the families in Tuz Khormatu were happy to take students into their homes. The military, both Ottoman and English, used the Tuz Khormatu district for their forces to camp. Saddam Hussein built several army watch towers on the Tuz Khormatu mountains: these towers were to monitor the movement of the rebel and the opposition forces and preventing them from entering and leaving the district.

1.3 Agricultural products

Tuz Khormatu and the surrounding region is a trading centre for hides, Persian silks and cottons, colouring materials, fruit and timber, but it owes its principal importance to its commercial and strategic location. Its surrounding region is also a trade and export centre for agriculture products, sheep"s wool, cheese and textiles. The Tuzlug region of Tuz Khormatu, which begins at Karawel Dagi (Karawel mountain), is very rich in salt production and the piles of salt can be seen from near and far in the district. Unfortunately, the Iraqi government has totally failed to establish a single salt factory in the district, thus the salt produced is used for national use.

Moreover, the district could be considered a strong agricultural sector. The soil in the district is of high quality and the land of Tuz Khormatu is flat and very fertile and is utilised in all seasons to produce and growing various agricultural products, such as wheat, barley, lemons, oranges, pomegranates, melons, watermelons, dates and grapes. The Hamrin mountain encloses the district from one side. The Ak Su river, which flows through a narrow cleft in the hills, also passes through the district of Tuz Khormatu.[8]

Tuz Khormatu has a huge market for the region’s produce, including cereals, sheep, olives and dairy products. The names of the gardens and orchards in Tuz Khormatu are derived from the owners" names, for instance: Antar Naaqy Bagi, Takki Dada Merchi Baghi, Rashwa Baghi and, in the west, Haji Mullah Bagi, Maaruflar Baghi, Kayataz Bahchasi and Arab Effendi Baghi.

The district of Tuz Khormatu is also very famous for pottery manufacture, carpet, rope, bags and handcrafts, such as carpentry and blacksmithing. The city of Tuz Khormatu has produced many skilled potters, such as Zaynal Abdin Kuzeci, Hussein Kuzeci and Kamel Kuzeci.

In addition, the city produces oil that was found in the area of Hamrin Mountain and Balkana. The Ak Su River is the only river that passes south of the Tuz Khormatu district and the source of the Ak Su River is the hill of Karadag, which means "Black Mountain" in the Turkmen language. The Ak Su River goes through the east of the district by passing both the Murtada Ali and Karawel Dagi mountains.

The Ak Su River has been widely utilized by the Tuz Khormatu population and the surrounding villages for irrigating the farmlands. In addition, the Ak Su River is the main contributory for the establishment of the Alzap Alsagir River, which means "small Alpzap". The area of Tozlag is famous in the production of edible pure white salt.[9]

Notes

1 Turkmen: The Turkmen are a Turkic group with a unique heritage and culture as well as linguistic, historical and cultural links with surrounding Turkic groups, such as those in Turkey and Azerbaijan. Their spoken language is closer to Azeri but their official written language is like the Turkish spoken in present-day Turkey. Their real population has always been suppressed by the authorities in Iraq for political reasons and is officially estimated at 2%, whereas in reality their numbers can be more realistically estimated as between 2.5 and 3 million, 12% of the Iraqi population.

2 Turkmen Look for Place in any Post-Hussein Government, by Bruce Pannier: Arne Goli, Naz Nazar and Guanch Guerayev of RFE/RL's Turkmen Service and David Newton and Kamran Al-Karadaghi of RFE/RL's Iraqi Service contributed to this report.

3 Salahaddin Najioglu, Tuz Khormatu Kadiman and Hadithin, published in Tuz Khormatu, Iraq, 16/3/1972, page 7.

4 Salahaddin Najioglu, Tuz Khormatu Kadiman and Hadithin, published in Tuz Khormatu, Iraq, 16/3/1972, page 71.

5 Salahaddin Najioglu, Tuz Khormatu Kadiman and Hadithin, published in Tuz Khormatu, Iraq, 16/3/1972, page 67.

6 The Turkmen in Iraq and Human Rights, H. Ozman, Ankara, Turkey, page 85.

7 Ak Su newspaper article written by Abdullasalam Mulla Yassin, page 2, issue 34, year three, August 2006, under the title "Tuz Kormatui Yakootat Turkmeneli Ve Mullah Taam Shabuha".

8 War in the Garden of Eden, by Kermit Roosevelt, Release Date: October 11, 2004, eBook 13665, Language: English, page 55, E-text prepared by Michael Ciesielski and the Project Gutenberg Online, Captain Motor Machine-Gun Corps, British Expeditionary Forces, Captain Field, New York, 1919.

9 Adnan Asafoglu, Jowla Fi Diyar Alturkmen, pages 35 and 36. Kardaslik, Kultur Edebiyat Dergesi, Yil 41 Sayi 208¨C209 Aralik 2004, published by Turkmen Kardeslik Ocagi Genel Merkkez-Mustansiriya Semti, Baghdad, Iraq

Note
Picture: Mofak Salman Kerkuklu