14.02.2025 17:42
The Chairman of the Provincial Council of Salahaddin, Iraq, Adil Sümeydai, announced that Turkish has been recognized as the official language in the region where Turkmen people predominantly live. Turkmen representatives stated that this step is a constitutional right and an important development.
In Iraq, Turkish has been declared the official language in the city of Salahaddin, where Turkmen are densely populated and constitute the second ethnic group. The President of the Salahaddin Provincial Council, Adil Sümeydai, stated that Turkmen are the second largest ethnic group in the province and approved the acceptance of Turkish as an official language alongside Arabic and Kurdish within the provincial borders.
"THE NATURAL RIGHT OF TURKMEN"
Fevzi Ekrem Terzi, a former Turkmen member of the Iraqi Parliament, stated that it is a natural right for Turkmen, who are in the third ethnic position in Iraq. He expressed that the acceptance of Turkish as the official language in the city is a natural and constitutional right, and that these rights have been violated. Terzi stated, "Indeed, within the framework of this constitution, in the regions where Turkmen constitute the majority, they should receive their rights, which are established as the third fundamental element in the constitution."
WILL ALSO BE USED IN CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS
Terzi noted that the step to accept Turkish as the official language was taken by Atıf Tuzlu, a Turkmen member of the Salahaddin Provincial Council. He said, "The first step in this process was taken by Atıf Tuzlu, a member of the Salahaddin Provincial Council, whose proposal for Turkmen to be an official language was accepted. Thank God this step has been realized, and Turkish will now also be used in correspondence between official institutions."