Dr Kamuran Berwarî, Vice President of the Academy of Democracy and Politics of Federated Kurdistan and Lecturer at Duhok University, said that the activities of armed groups affiliated with Turkey have increased both in the Federated Kurdistan Region and Iraq. Describing the said mobility as "dangerous and worrying", Berwarî said, "There are statements by Iraqi intelligence and officials regarding this situation. The organisation of these armed groups in Kurdistan and Iraq poses a great danger. They want to design Iraq and the Federated Kurdistan Region."

 

Pointing to Article 140, which is related to the status of Kirkuk and other disputed regions (Diyala, Mosul, Salahaddin), Berwarî said, "These armed groups are mostly placed in the regions where Article 140 is applied. This problem, which was suspended in 1991, must now be resolved between Iraq and the Federated Kurdistan government. Especially since the day Saddam Hussein was executed, this problem has still not been solved. If it is not resolved, these armed groups will continue their presence there. Turkey mostly harbours these armed groups in Mosul and Kirkuk, on the borders of Iraq and Iran. Undoubtedly, there is a purpose for the settlement of these groups in these areas; those who are against the Kurdistan freedom struggle are staying and carrying out activities in these regions."

 

TURKEY'S OBJECTIVES IN MOSUL

 

 

Berwarî said that Turkey has an "Ottoman Empire" plan over Mosul. Berwarî said, "Turkey wants to take these regions under its control on this basis. It claims that the entire Mosul province is its own. It sees the war it will fight for this as its right. This is not a right but a practice of occupation. Because the current Republic of Turkey was established within the framework of defined borders. These borders were adjusted as a result of international and regional agreements. The Turkish state cannot take a single step in this context. Turkey had first included Mosul province in the Ottoman project. That is why they want to seize it now. Because there is oil and gas wealth here."

 

Berwari stressed: "The four parts of Kurdistan need to review their regional and international politics. This requires the establishment of a national government in Federated Kurdistan. There should be unity and a way should be found to protect Kurdistan's gains. Because our centuries-old achievement in Başûr (South) Kurdistan is the parliament and this government. There are projects over the Federated Kurdistan Region, and if Federated Kurdistan suffers, Iraq will also suffer. It will face a catastrophe like the 2014 disaster."

 

ARTICLE 140

 

Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution covers the Federated Kurdistan Regions, whose demography was changed as part of the "Arabisation" policy during the Baathist regime led by Saddam Hussein. Kurds in these regions were forcibly displaced and replaced by Arabs brought from abroad.

 

In the constitution that was drafted after the overthrow of the Baathist regime in 2003, it was decided to hold a referendum in these regions, taking into account their demography before the Arabisation policy, and to ask the people whether these regions should be annexed to Baghdad or Hewlêr (Erbil). However, the Baghdad administration refused to implement Article 140.