7 October, Iraqi Turkmen National Day: Turkmeneli's day of unity

Every year on 7 October Iraqi Turkmen celebrate their National Day. The day is marked with celebrations in Kirkuk, Erbil and other towns where Turkmen live. This year Türkiye's Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) congratulated the Iraqi Turkmen on the occasion.

The holiday dates back to 1997, when the First Turkmen Congress met in Erbil from 4 to 7 October at the initiative of the Iraqi Turkmen Front. The congress brought Turkmen organisations under one roof, unanimously adopted a Declaration of Basic Principles and proclaimed its closing day, 7 October, Turkmen National Day.

The Iraqi Turkmen are an Oghuz Turkic people numbering 2–3 million by various estimates. The lands where they live — the Kirkuk, Erbil, Mosul, Tal Afar and Tuz Khurmatu regions — are known as Turkmeneli. A white crescent and star on a light-blue field is the Iraqi Turkmen flag.