Iraq’s Pivotal Point: Talafar

Geographically, the district’s closest borders are with Turkey and Syria, and for this reason alone it may be considered one of the most strategic locations in the Middle East. However, beyond this, the fact that it serves as a buffer between the Iraqi Kurds and the Syrian Kurds, and is located on the route of nationalists or radical Islamist militants coming to Iraq, shows Talafar’s importance. For these reasons, it was the scene of severe conflicts between 2004 and 2008, and it contains on a micro scale all the forms of conflict going on throughout Iraq. No other Iraqi conflict zones have experienced as many examples of conflict as Talafar, from Al Qaeda fighters skirmishing with US troops to nationalist Arabs, Sunni-Shiite conflict and the indirect political struggles of Kurds, Arabs and Turkmens. Like Fallujah, Talafar was besieged, bombed and its inhabitants forced to migrate. Like Baghdad, it was the scene of Sunni-Shiite conflict. and like Kirkuk, it experienced the power struggles of Kurds, Arabs and Turkmens. Nevertheless, Talafar could attract neither the attention of the Middle East, nor that of the international community. The attention given to Talafar been limited to analyzing US military operations and announcing some of the acts of violence. However, post-conflict trauma syndrome has affected Talafar more than many other places in Iraq. However, the recently observed improvement in Talafar’s security situation in presented Talafar, one of the largest districts in the Middle East, with the opportunity to take a breath and to recover.

Along with Kirkuk, Talafar is one of the most important settlement districts for Turkmens in Iraq, and it is eye-catching, not only for its geostrategic position, but also for its identity. Talafar emphasizes its Iraqi identity in spite of the fact that almost all people live in the center are Turkmen. The highly developed concept of being “Talafarian” is not based on ethnicity or sectarian identity.  For this reason, although this district suffered from a conflict with a strong sectarian dimension, the reconciliation efforts currently being conducted can yield success. Having been destroyed by conflicts and military operations, Talafar’s recovery period is proving to be extremely slow and painful. However, the principal reason behind this is the fact that the flow of resources insufficient to implement the projects needed. Talafar is in need of substantial investment in areas such as irrigation, sewerage and road construction, and expects emergency aid from Turkey, Iraq and the international community.

For all these reasons the ORSAM recently been concentrating its efforts on Talafar, on situation in the city apart from the perspective of conflict, and within the framework of an effort to find solutions for its current problems. Consequently, the ultimate result and critical  point is that Talafar must be immediately promoted to the status of a province so that contribute to the search for stability within its local, national and regional context and overcome its economic, social, infrastructural, administrative, security and political problems.

(...)

* Serhat Erkmen, Assist. Prof. Dr., Ahi Evran University, ORSAM Middle East Advisor

»» For Full Text: http://www.orsam.org.tr/en/showReport.aspx?ID=16