(MENAFN) The Turkish government has issued a statement condemning the "heinous terrorist attack" that resulted in the killing of Ahmet Tahir, a former officer of the Iraqi Turkmen Front's Security Department in Kirkuk, northern Iraq. The attack, which took place on March 3, has been widely condemned as an act of terrorism and a threat to the peace and security of Turkmens, one of the constituent and primary components of Iraq. The Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Tanju Bilgic, expressed deep sadness over the incident and urged the Iraqi authorities to take immediate action to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Tahir, who was in charge of the Iraqi Turkmen Front's Security Department, was assassinated in Kirkuk, reportedly due to the Bagdad government's recent decision to limit the use of the Turkmen language in its northern Kirkuk province. This decision was met with immediate backlash from Kirkuk's Turkmen community, who have rejected it as unconstitutional and unacceptable.

Following widespread uproar within and outside the country, the Iraqi government has retracted its decision to limit the use of the Turkmen language in Kirkuk province, according to local media reports on Thursday. The retraction of the decision has been welcomed by the Turkmen community and is seen as a positive step towards maintaining the rights of the Turkmen people in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Turkish government has continued to express its solidarity with the Turkmens and has called for the protection of their rights and interests in Iraq.

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