Turkmen are not minority

To KurdishMedia Group,



Replying to your article on August the 2nd, 2002 “Turkomans not invited to the US-sponsored Iraqi opposition meeting” by Robin Kurd, I found the article to be very upsetting and the word “minority” has been inappropriately articulated for Turkmen population, the third largest segment of Iraq, which is nearly equal to the population of the Kurds.

We all have to accept the fact that within an accurate census performance, the population of the Turkmen people would be indeed the second largest segment of Iraq and even under certain circumstances more than 50% of Iraq’s population will claim to be Turkmen or they have descended from Turkish origin.

Turkmen people of Iraq have been existed in Iraq for centuries. They have contributed historically, economically and socially to the land of their ancestors, therefore it is absolutely unacceptable and inaccurate to publicize that Turkmen are minority...

No matter what the foreign forces act in creating conflicts between the Kurds and the Turkmen they will not be succeeded....

http://www.turkmeneli.com/esertturkmen.html

the latest stat surveys put it at 3 to 8% -

:-)

The way the demographers in Turkey get to the large number is to take Ottoman census info plus "census" done since then - but still very old - and bring them forward assuming other groups have much lower birth rates and surviving children than the Turkman!! :-)

Indeed the Turk calc comes up with more than 30 million folks (which I actually think is correct) rather than the 25 million that the US is using. The only problem is that facts on the ground would seem to indicate other groups had kids more often than the Turkmen - and that there was an out migration of Turkman.

But no matter - the Bush admin never admits it is wrong and they have proclaimed the number to be under 10%.

But it is interesting how the actuary with a few biased assumptions can get the answer the client wants!

Thank God we actuaries have ethics! - sigh - usually - :-)