Iraqi province of Salahaddin embraces Turkish as official language

The authorities of Iraq’s Salahaddin province have announced that Turkish will now be used alongside Arabic in official documents of government institutions.

A similar decision was previously made in Kirkuk, Caliber.Az reports, referencing Turkish media.

Atif al-Najjar, a member of the provincial council said that according to Article 4 of Iraq’s constitution, Turkish is recognised as an official language in regions with a significant Turkmen population, and thus has the right to be used in official business.

Al-Najjar clarified that based on this constitutional provision, Turkish will now be used in all official documents across the province, including in the administrative centre, towns, villages, and settlements.

He also emphasised that although this right was legislated, it had not been implemented until now. The new decision will see Turkish being used not only in official correspondence but also on signage at government institutions.

Al-Najjar stated that Turkmens are the second-largest ethnic group in the province, after Arabs. He highlighted that the decision aims to protect their rights across the country.

The Turkmen community has welcomed the implementation of the law.

Ahmed Abbas, a resident of Tuz Khurmatu, expressed his joy at the introduction of Turkish into official documents. "We’ve waited a long time for this law to come into effect, but it hadn’t been applied until now. To see Turkish in government offices in Salahaddin is the fulfilment of a dream," he said.

Abbas recalled that during the Ba'ath regime, even speaking Turkish was prohibited. He described the inclusion of Turkish in official documents and signage as confirmation of the presence and importance of the Turkmen population in the region.

Meanwhile, Türkeş Muhammet Tuzlu noted that following the fall of the Ba'ath regime, schools teaching in Turkish began to open in areas with large Turkmen populations. He emphasised that the use of Turkish in government institutions is their constitutional right and praised the initiative.

Tuzlu also pointed out that the issue of including Turkish in official business was raised in the provincial council 16 years ago, but its implementation was not possible at that time.

The new decision ensures the Turkmen people of Salahaddin the right to use their native language in the official sphere.

By Aghakazim Guliyev