Turkmen form military of Sunni and Shi'ite in Tal Afar

A military force is being established by Turkmen in the northeastern Iraqi city of Tal Afar to fight against the Daesh terrorist organization, a leader of the Iraqi Turkmen Front told the daily Yeni Şafak.

The Turkmen Front's Tal Afar leader, Hazım Devlet, said that a Turkmen Army had been formed in the city, as the Shi'ite Hashdi Shaabi and PKK terrorists are increasingly threatening the civilians lives in the city.

“Shi'ite and Sunni Turkmen are in cooperation to form a Turkmen army in Tal Afar,” said Hazım Devlet, Turkmen Front's Tal Afar leader.

“Turkmen forces will take the full control of the city after clearing from Daesh,” Devlet said, indicating the ongoing Mosul Operation led by Iraqi and Peshmerga forces with support of the U.S.-led international coalition.

He said that around 200,000 Turkmen had to flee the city after Daesh seized it in 2014.

“Around 13,000 have found refuge in Turkey and the rest of the displaced Turkmen are living a very tough life in the northern Iraqi cities of Erbil, Duhok and Sulaimaniah,” Devlet said.

He stated that Tal Afar was a Turkmen city and only Turkmen has the right to govern it.

“Shi'ite and Sunni Turkmen are working together,” he said, noting that around 35 percent of Turkmen are Shi'ite.

“We see the danger of the U.S. and its allies PKK and Iran-backed Shaabi, who want to establish a terror corridor here,” Devlet said.

“For this reason we are cooperating with our Shi'ite brothers to protect our lands, homes and families,” he added.

A 10,000-person army had already been established and it could be figured up in the next days, according to the Turkmen leader.