After Hasan Turan was elected the chairman of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, Iraqi Shiite Turkmen groups visit the ITF one after another. Turan met with the representatives of the Bedir Brigade, one of the most important forces in al-Hashd al-Shaabi. A delegation headed by Muhammet Mehdi Beyatlı, the North Region officer of the Badr Organization, expressed their good wishes to form a unity in the upcoming elections. Hasan Turan had a meeting with another important group of Hashdi Shaabi recently.
Iraqi Turks will enter the elections with a common list in all Iraqi regions, especially Kirkuk, in the elections planned to be held in the autumn. The coming together of Shia and Sunni Turks living in Iraq after years of political separation created great excitement in the region.
Hashd al-Shaabi forces were established with the fatwa of Sistani, the largest religious authority in the Shia world, after the emergence of the Daish Terrorist Organization. Haşdi Shaabi, which means Civilian People’s Forces, fought a great struggle against the Daish Terrorist Organization, especially Mosul.
The strengthening of the Iraqi Central Government in recent years has disturbed Iran considerably and tended it to increase its control among the Shiites in Iraq. Some military groups led by the Iranian Quds Force frequently attacked US and Coalition convoys. In response, the US and Coalition forces also carried out air strikes on these groups.
Increasing Iranian influence disturbed other Shiite groups that advocated the unity of Iraq. Some groups directly affiliated with Muqtada al-Sadr and Sistani supported the Central Government against Iran’s growing influence. Accordingly, many groups within al-Hashd al-Shaabi decided to choose their own paths.
Israel and the Kurdish Groups are another of the most important powers that benefit from the chaos and sectarian conflict in Iraq. Israel continues to increase chaos and conflict outside the Kurdish regions by occasionally bombing. Although there is a decrease in these bombings due to the ongoing negotiations to establish a government in Israel these days, it is thought that these actions will continue if Netanyahu comes to power again.
Another important process in the region is the USA’s goal to establish a Kurdish State. The USA is pursuing a policy in favor of the continuation of chaos and conflict outside of Kurdish cities. Daish Terrorist Organization continues to target Shiite and Turkmen cities and oil fields rather than Kurdish cities. The US also is making great efforts to strengthen the Kurdish federation in Iraq as the PKK PYD Kurdish State or Federation plan, which it plans to establish in northern Syria, approaches.
