I følge Iraks tidligere præsident Jalal Talabi, som selv var kurder, var turkmenere i [[Kirkuk]] den mest undertrykte gruppe i [[Irak]] under [[Saddam Hussein]]s styre.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iraqinews.com/baghdad-politics/turkmen-in-kirkuk-%E2%80%9Cthe-most-oppressed%E2%80%9D-under-saddam-%E2%80%93-president/ |title=Turkmen in Kirkuk “the most oppressed” under Saddam – President - Iraqi News<!-- Bot genereret titel --> |access-date=11. maj 2015 |archive-date= 8. maj 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508170629/http://www.iraqinews.com/baghdad-politics/turkmen-in-kirkuk-%E2%80%9Cthe-most-oppressed%E2%80%9D-under-saddam-%E2%80%93-president |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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