Iraqi Turkmens to carry their case to the UN

Iraqi Turkmens are lobbying to carry their problems to the attention of the international community following a significant increase in attacks targeting Turkmens in Iraq. According to the information gathered by Today's Zaman, Kemal Beyatli, president of the Federation of Turkmeneli Associations, brought up their effort to organize a special session in the UN about their problems during his meeting with President Abdullah Gul on Tuesday. After organizing a meeting in the European Parliament as a result of the efforts of the Human Rights Office of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, the Turkmens now aim to hold a meeting either in the UN General Assembly or the UN Social and Economic Forum about the attacks targeting them. Turkmens will ask the UN Human Rights Committee to consider the terrorist attacks on Turkmens as human rights violations. Ankara will reportedly assist the Iraqi Turkmens in their effort to organize such meetings in international organizations in the days to come.