ANALYSIS Iraqi Turkmen: The Controversy of Identity and Affiliation Dr. Ali Taher Al-Hamoud August 2021 Since 2003, Turkmens in Iraq have sought to preserve their identity with a desire to integrate with the surrounding environment, which has manifested in their entry into non-Turkmen parties and their antipathy to those who view them as a minority This duality has shaped Turkmen behavior, from a rush to integrate with the surroundings on one hand to a turning inward because of the inability to confront larger groups This study seeks to reveal the Turkmens’ self-understanding of their situation, and what their future should be in Iraq, based an analytical survey approach through direct interviews with the“elites”. 1