Mardin Gokkaya: targeting Turkmen institutions paints a very worrying picture

Mardin Gokkaya said on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, that attempts to carry developments in Syria into Iraqi territory, and the targeting of Turkmen institutions and organisations in the process, present a very worrying picture for the security and national identity of Turkmen in Iraq.

He said that in the past, in cities where Turkmen live, especially Kirkuk, Sulaymaniyah and Erbil, the Iraqi Turkmen Front and other national institutions had been deliberately attacked during activities organised under various pretexts.

He noted that similar provocations against the front's offices before elections had been deliberately aimed at creating unrest and instability in society.

The events in Erbil today against the Turkmen Front and TEBA agency clearly show that this dangerous approach is continuing, he said.

“We call for serious and lasting measures to be taken as soon as possible to prevent similar attempts from recurring, in particular identifying the perpetrators and enforcing their legal responsibility,” Gokkaya said.