Iraq
Iraqi nationals queue before the nationality proof committee in Ankara on March 29, 2024. Photo: Rudaw/Screengrab
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Iraqi committee in recent days visited Turkey to confirm the identity of Iraqi nationals who fled from Nineveh province’s Tal Afar to the neighboring country during the Islamic State’s (ISIS) reign of terror, with Baghdad’s diplomats in Ankara hailing the process as a “success”.
The Nationality Proof Committee, which was established on the directive of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and comprises officials from the migration, interior, and health ministries as well as security services, had been in the Turkish capital since Saturday, working on confirming the nationality of Iraqi refugees who are either not in possession of any identification document at all or are lacking certain specific documents.
“We were able to follow up on the files of 1,500 families, including 550 nationality proof files, 670 lineage proof files, and 280 marriage contracts,” Iraq’s Ambassador to Turkey Majid al-Lachmawi told Rudaw’s Shewket Harki on Friday.
The ambassador described the committee’s visit as a “success”, and stated that they will urge the Iraqi government to send more committees to work on the same process for Iraqi nationals from other parts of the country.
“The Iraqi government and relevant authorities are determined to resolve this issue, which may take some time… some matters were resolved through the consular section at the embassy, while others required the work of the committee,” said Haider al-Haideri, Iraq’s consul to Ankara.
Haideri stated that Baghdad and Ankara have discussed the possibility of the voluntary return of Iraqi nationals, adding that the Turkish side has expressed its willingness to facilitate the process if it were to be kickstarted.
There are around 200,000 Iraqis residing in Turkey, according to the consul. Thousands of Iraqis fled from Tal Afar during ISIS’ 2014 occupation of Nineveh.
The Iraqi interior ministry has previously announced that the country will start issuing the unified national card in Ankara starting from June.
The Nationality Proof Committee, which was established on the directive of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and comprises officials from the migration, interior, and health ministries as well as security services, had been in the Turkish capital since Saturday, working on confirming the nationality of Iraqi refugees who are either not in possession of any identification document at all or are lacking certain specific documents.
“We were able to follow up on the files of 1,500 families, including 550 nationality proof files, 670 lineage proof files, and 280 marriage contracts,” Iraq’s Ambassador to Turkey Majid al-Lachmawi told Rudaw’s Shewket Harki on Friday.
The ambassador described the committee’s visit as a “success”, and stated that they will urge the Iraqi government to send more committees to work on the same process for Iraqi nationals from other parts of the country.
“The Iraqi government and relevant authorities are determined to resolve this issue, which may take some time… some matters were resolved through the consular section at the embassy, while others required the work of the committee,” said Haider al-Haideri, Iraq’s consul to Ankara.
Haideri stated that Baghdad and Ankara have discussed the possibility of the voluntary return of Iraqi nationals, adding that the Turkish side has expressed its willingness to facilitate the process if it were to be kickstarted.
There are around 200,000 Iraqis residing in Turkey, according to the consul. Thousands of Iraqis fled from Tal Afar during ISIS’ 2014 occupation of Nineveh.
The Iraqi interior ministry has previously announced that the country will start issuing the unified national card in Ankara starting from June.
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