Folklora is the most prestigious heritage of a nation. İn its true sense, folklore is a nation's spirits, psychology, and history. It is an invaluable treasure, the reflector of a nation's wishes and desires, imagination and thinking, and the inner world. To add up more, "The folklore gifted such wisdom to the geniuses of the East that on the one hand it amazes the people and on the other hand earns respect for its accuracy and preciseness" (2,13)*. It becomes difficult to understand, perceive a nation's psychology, true history, its specific place in the history of humanity, the stages of development, lifestyle, outlook, believes and faith, customs and traditions without being aware of its folklore.

Folklore is the main force, which provides a nation's integrity in its spirits, mind and conscience, doesn't let a nation apart into pieces, forget its own roots, ancestors, which are immortalized and turned to live memories in epics, tales, bayatis and legends (7, 3-4).

From this point, the folklore of an Azerbaijani-speaking elat (a part of nation living as a group. The term can be applied to place and people) -which had to separate from its roots for certain social- political reasons and later on settled down amongst Arabs and Kurds, in the North of Iraq, mainly in Kirkuk region and numbered 600 thousands in the 60 of XX century, but now totals up to 2,5 millions -is an essen- tial issue to study (30, 8; 83, 36, 53; 25,13)

We don't use the term "Azerbaijani-speaking country" coincidentally. Including "The Great Soviet Encyclopedia" (20,277), "The Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary" (61,26), and the foreign sources show that there are Azerbaijanis living in Iraq.

Karl Menges, a famous Turkologist writes in his book "Turkic languages and Turkic nations": "Azerbaijanis also live in the north of Iraq. They are more than 100 thousands." (38, 12-13).

Prof. Jalal Ertuq, a Turkish researcher writes on this issue: "2,5 million Turkman-Azerbaijanis live in Arbil and Kirkuk regions nowadays (28, 8)". It should be noted that they inhabited compact mainly in Kirkuk country: Kirkuk city, Tuz Khurmau (gaza), Altun Korpu (nahiya), taze Khurmatu (nahiya), Bashir, Boyuk Hasar, Bilava Garabulaq, Gizilyar, Yayji, Yarvali, Yengija, Kerkuz, Kumbatlar, Leylan, omar Mandan, Tarjil, Gokteppe, Tisin, Tokhmakhli, Turkalan, Chardakhli, as well as "Bayat koylari" (Bayat villages), and Kifri (gaza), which includes 64 regions; Garateppe (nahiyya), Daquq (nahiyya), Abud, Jambur, Birauchili, Bastamli, Galkhanli, Garanaz, Amirli, Aski Kifri, Zangili, Yeshilteppe, Kahriz, Kingirban, Kotaburun, Lagum, Ashtokan, Priahmad, Sayyad, Suleyman beg (muratli), tel Manzil, Ushtepe, Khasadarli, Hasarli, Jabarli and other city, region and villages. Besides, they also live in Khanagin (gaza), Shahraban (gaza), Dalli Abbas (nahiya), Mandali (nahiya), Garaghan, Gizliarbat, Gizilja, Susuzbulag vilages, the regions Dilaya county, in Arbil city, the center of arbil county, tilafar gaza of Mosul county, Mosul city and also in Baghdad, the capital city of the country.

It should be noted that frequent changes are introduced to the administrative-territorial divisions of the country. For example, Tuz Khurmatu gaza, which was a part of Kirkuk county, now belongs to Salahaddin county, and Kifri gaza became adjacent to Diyala county. Some villages were either totally eliminated or adhered to some other villages.

Some researchers consider that uniting the Turkman inhabited territories with arab inhabited territories carry political reasons (22, 17).

As in the past, they still call both themselves and us -Azerbaijanis "Turkman" (18; 29; 19; 9; 79).

It is important to point out that the notion "Turkman" which was widely used during the State of Atabeys, the State of Garagoyunlus, The State of Aghgoyunlus, The State of Safavid carried a different meaning from what it means today. Therefore Prof. A. Damirchizadeh writes in his book "A History of Azerbaijani Literary Language": "At that time the notion "Turkman" carried a different meaning from what it does today. This is the reason why the Azerbaijanis living around Baghdad are called turkman (9, 72).

The conclusion of the study of the other sources completely affirms Prof. A. Damirchizadeh's opinion on this issue.

Academician V. Bartold writes that "Kitabi-Dadam Gorgud" (Book of My Grandfather Gorgud) belongs to "Caucasian Turkmans"-Azerbaijanis (32, 6).

According to the history after Shamsaddin eldaniz conquered Azerbaijan and Iraq "he overcame all the great leaders and suborinated most of them. He wiped out all the rebellious Turkman leaders" (10, 45).

This term can be come across in the works of our poets Nasimi and Khatai:



Qrebin nitqi baglandı dilinden,

Seni kimdir deyen kim, turkmansan?

How could the Arab dare to doubt you,

To overlook you, cause you are Turkman?

Nasimi



Getdikce tükenir erebin kuyi-maskeni,

Bağdad icre her nece kim türkman qopar.

The Arabs lose their space,

As Turkmans make Baghdad home

Khatai



S. Longrig, an English historian writes that after taking control over Shirvan, Shah Ismayil Khatai smashed turkmans at the battle near Nakhichevan (32, 16).

The term "Turkman" is widely used in a Kirkuk researcher Ata Tarzibashi's researches as well. This well-known folklore scholar shows that the khoyrat (bayati) first emerged in the Turkman inhabited areas of Iraq, during the period of the State of Aghgoyunlu and the State of Garagoyunlu it gained fame and spread to Turkey, to the north of Iran, especially to Tabriz, where mostly Turkmans lived, and to the territory which used to be called Azeri or Azerbaijan ahr wab inhabited by Turkmans (19, 8; 64, 203).

Academician Ziya Bunyadov's book "The State of Azerbaijan Atabeys" includes some significant information about the notion "Turkman". Te book tells that Toghrul III and goes against his uncle Gizil Arslan. Gizil Arslan ruins the troop of Toghrul III and Izatdin Hasan, which was composed of Turkman. They run from the battlefield to Izzatdin Hasan's fortress - Karkhin, which was near Kirkuk (8, 84).

Hidayat Kamal Bayatli, Kirkuk scholar also discloses his own attitude to the issue: "And a part of Iraq Turkmans, who are originally Azeri Turks, were immigrated to Iraq by Shah Ismayil Khatai in 1505-1524, the Christian calendar (22, 20).

There is no doubt that under the term "Turkmans", these scholars meant Azeris and Iraqi turkmans. It isnt't surprising that in his interview to "Qardashliq" magazine (Brotherhood), Heydar Aliyev, the late ex-President of Azerbaijan Republic stated his opinion on this issue: "Exploring the history, I came to believe that Southern Azerbaijan, Northern Azerbaijan and Iraqi-Turkmans are the parts of a whole" (20, 4).

An important point should be noted out here. The matter is that some researchers used the term "Turkman" and some "Turkmen". While Ata Tarzibashi, Shakir Sabir Zabit, Ibrahim Daquqi, Rza Damirchi, Sinan Said, Movlud Taha Gayachi and some other wellknown Iraqi scholars used the term "Turkman", lately A. Benderoghlu prefers the term "Turkmen". This notion was referred as "Turkmen" in the books published by "The Department of Turkmen Culture" and in the newspaper "Yurd" (Motherland) both of which lead by him. Although before the researcher used the term "Turkman" in his books "a Step in the Iraqi-Turkman literature", and "Turkmans in Revolutionary Iraq", while editing our book "Iraqi-Turkman Folklora" (56), he ewplained that since Arabs also use "Turkman", he prefers the term "Turkamen" for the sake of differentiation. True, Arabs also spell this term as "Turkman", however A. Benderoghlu's point is wrong and harmful. Because modifying the term "Turkman", which was originated at the period of "Kitabi-Dadam Gorgud" (The Book of My Grandfather Gorgud), this way is not acceptable.

İn the meantime, Prof. F. Zeynalov and Prof. S. Alizadeh, the researchers of "Dada Gorgud" write: "It is an important fact that in the Drezden version this word is pronounced as 'Turkman'. It is obvious that Turkmans, the Azerbaijanis living in Iraq - are the population inhabited in Kirkuk (32, 250).

Prof. Mahir Nagib, a researcher from Kirkuk paid a special attention to this issue in his article "A work for a Devotee", which was translated into Ottoman Turkish and addressed to our book "Iraqi-Turkman Folklora", published in Turkey: "A reader will notice that honored G. Pashayev is differentiating 'Turkmen' from 'Turkman'. Even the Azeri version of the book is called 'Iraqi-Turkman Folklora'. G. Pashayev's conclusion, which benefited from various sources should be supported. But the term Turkman is out of use in Turkey and Iraqi Turks are referred as 'Turkmen', that's why we had to use the term 'Turkmen'" (57, 12).

One can see, Prof. Mahir Nagib also supports the idea of using the term "Turkman".

Fortunately, A. Benderoghlu realized his mistake and starting from 2003 he is using the term "Turkman" in his newspaper "Yurd" and other publications.

Note that there is a dispute among the researchers over the etymology of the term "Turkman". Since XI century this term was referred as "Turkmanand" in the Persian and Tajic sources, which is translated into Turkish as "Turk" and "Manand" - alike (in Persian), so it means "Turkishlike" (1, 76; 71, 176-17; 29, 24). For Abulgaüzi, as common people couldn't pronounce "Turkmanand", they used the term "Turkman" (1, 76).

Some other sources show that since they were interpreting between the Arabs and Turks, who didn't know Arabic, they were referred as "tarjuman" (translator), and as the time went on, the word was used as "Turkman" (24, 9).

Some other researchers believe that Turk+man, Turk+men means "Turkic person", "Turkic soldier" (16, 18-19).

As known, semi-nomadic Turkman used to be called Tarakama. Since the notions of "Oghuz" and "Turkman" fall into the same ethnic category, Abulgazi Bahadir Khan Khivali, one of the first few experts, who talked about "Dada Gorgud" boys (chapters), brought this issue onto the table in his work "Shajareyi-Tarakima" (Genealogy of Tarakima) (1; 30).

It is possible to consider that "Turkman" is derived from "Tarakimun", the incorrect plural form of "Tarakama" in Arabic (33, 27).

But we credit the researchers, who explain the word "man" as magnificence, greatness, purity, reality, greatness, and strength (24, 10). If we take into consideration that the term Turkman existed for a long time, its being used in the meanings of "Great Turk", "Majestic Turk", "Mighty Turk", "Real Turk" sounds natural.

The use of "man" in the meanings of great, heavenly, grand in the words; gojaman (experienced person), azman (a giant person), ataman (a sharp person), shishman (an overweight person), kechaman (a big lizard) in both Azerbaijani and Kirkuk dialect also supports this idea.

We have to mention that there are fundamental differences between the Iraqi-Turkmen dialect and the Turkmen language in the Central Asia. In Turkmen language initial length of vowels are widespread and it changes the words' meanings. For example: bas (head); baas - yara (bruise), qor (see), qoor (grave) etc. This is characteristic neither for Azeri language nor Kirkuk dialect. In dental sounds. The are found in Arabic and English, as well as in Turkmen language. But there are no such sounds in Turkman dialect and Azerbaijani.

The sound g, which is widely used in both Azeri and Iraqi-Turkman dialect, is not available in Turkmen language. While Turkmen language distinguishes itself in some other cases as well, the phonetic structure of Azeri language and Iraqi-Turkman dialect coincide (52, 14-16; 82, 355; 53)

Therefore A. Benderoghlu, the Iraqi researcher writes: "Iraqi-Turkman dialect corresponds to Azerbaijani language. But there are small differences in Iraqi-Turkman dialect. They are almost unremarkable and shouldn't be considered something major" (7, 14).

Interestingly, in 1995, the world-wide famous Prof. Ihsan Doghramaji, who is originally from Arbil, was giving continuous speech in Arbil dialect, more precisely in Azerbaijani in the Academy of Sciences, but he sensed that the guests from Turkey didn't understand him well enough, and suddenly he turned to the president of the Academy: "If you don't mind, I'd talk to the guests from Turkey in their own dialect about our academy." (30, 149).

When the TV correspondent asked him: "How do you feel about celebrating your 80th jubilee in your second motherland - Azerbaijan?" - Doghramaji gave a polysemantic and well-thought answer: "Azerbaijan isnt't my second motherland. It is one of my two motherlands. There is nothing more natural and more real than celebrating your birthday in your own motherland" (30, 153).

As one can see, rightfully Ihsan Doghramaji considers Azerbaijan his own motherland and Azerbaijani language his mother tongue.

Doubtlessly, we are the parts of a whole and therefore although we consider Nasimi and Fizuli our own, and they think of these poets as Iraqi-Turkman poets, none of us contradicts the other on this issue.

Perhaps this is the reason that Nizami was introduced as Iraqi poet in his books, "Khosrov and Shirin" (1934), "Treasure of Secrets" (1934), "Seven Beaties" (1937), "Igbalname" (1939), which were published in Tehran, in Persian in the first part of the 20th century and are on display at the permanent exposition of Nizami Ganjavi in the Museum of Azerbaijan Literature. Only in the book "Leyli and Majnun" (1939) he was introduced as Iraqi-Ajam poet.

All these are telling us about a nation, whose fate subjected to scattering in the difficult terms of life. Fazil Hussein and Sinan Said, the Kirkuk researchers note that, first time the issue of this elat's being Turkman and speaking Azerbaijani turned to a subject of discussion in the first part of XX century, when the fate of Mosul county became subject to question while the Ottoman rule ended in Iraq and Iraq turned into a colony of England. The Turkish government considered them Turkish, but the England insisted that they were Turkmans. The English government proved that this elat didn't belong to Ottoman, their dialect wasn't similar to Turkish language, but to Azerbaijani language. England believed that territory long before the emergence of the Ottoman Empire (13, 93-99; 64, 35).

From this point the representative of the "East-India" company, Edmonds' travel to the Turkman inhabited territory in 1820 is interesting: "We arrived in Guruchay (Dry river) at 8.20. There were the tents of Bayat Turkmans' here. Hasan bey, the head of the ashirat (tribe), who sometimes was referred as "Garagush bey" (Eagle bey) invited me to have meal. He was well aware of the existence of the ashirat (tribe/elat) of Boyuk (Great) Bayat in Khurasan, but he couldn't define the exact date, when this branch of the ashirat moved to this country" (14, 267).

We come across various historical facts about Iraqi Turkmans' origin and their settling date in Iraq. Many researchers believe that they moved from Azerbaijan.

We also think that, starting from early Middle Ages till the middle of the 16th century and afterwads in certain periods we lived together with Iraqi-Turkmans in the same territory, under the same power, but because of certain social-political reasons we had to split. As a number of substantial researches have come out lately on the history of Iraqi-Turkmans and Azerbaijan, we become more convinced in our conclusion (66; 10; 68; 37; 38; 24).

In the meantime, we don't reject the fact that the bloody wars, political interests and other reasonscaused some other streams of movement as well. Moreover, this took place in both directions. As Abulgazi Bahadir Khan states, thousands of Turkman families left Iraw and came to Shamakhi (1, 99).

Tabari, the Arabic historian and Prof. Subhi Saatchi think that the first movement of Turks to Iraq happened in 45, the Hijri calender (76a, 167; 68, 20).

Prof. S. Buluch, the Turkish scholar, also writes about this issue: "In the first centuries of the Hijri calendar Azerbaijani Turks passed through Tabriz-Sultaniyya and settled down in Kirkuk" (58, 109).

Shakir Sabir, the Kirkuk researcher thinks that their movement to Iraq started in VII century and they already forme their own blocks in Iraq in 745, the christian calendar (72, 37, 39).

Ibn-al-Asir, the Arabic historian of the 12th-13th centuries writes: "Many Azerbaijani Turks led by Abu Mansur Baktash and Abu Ali İbn Dahgan moved to Iraq and settled down in Tilafar, Mosul and the neighbouring areas" (26, 136).

Mustafa Javad, a well-known Iraqi researcher writes in his book "The History of Turks in Iraq" that Turks' movemen to Iraq started in the year of 32 in the Hijri calendar and divides this movement into seven stages. İn the period of Amavis, especially Abbasis Turks's being incomparably good at shooting, brave in battles, tolerant to the hordship brought high prestige to them, strengthened their position and made them the dirivin force in Iraq. In Mustafa Javad's categorization Saljug period falls into the fourth stage and in this period thousands of Oghuz Turks entered and settled in Iraq, formed Turkman khanates, and other khanates such as Artiglilar in Mardin, Atabeys in Mosul, Zeynalabdins in Arbil, Gipchags in Kirkuk, Gara (Literally: Dark/Black, Means: Great) Aslanlis in Diyarbakr, and the khanates in Daghistan and Azerbaijan. According to the researchers' writings, the bayat tiribes inhabited around Gara Tapa (Black Hill) and Daquq entered Iraq in the fourth stage. The rule of Teymuris and Jalairs marks the beginning of the fifth stage. Mustafa Javad categorizes the period of the State of Garagoyunlu and the State of Aghgoyunlu in the sixtth stage. The seventh stage consists of the period of the State of Safavid (46).

Prof. Subhi Saatchi divides these movements into seven stages and calls the last stage "Ottoman Period" (62, 31-106).

According to Ershad Hormuzlu, a Kirkuk researcher, the biggest movement of Turkmans to Iraq happened during Toghrul bey's authority (1040-1063). In the Christian year of 1055 they numbered even more. As the continuous stream of Turkmans to Iraq turned to a Turkic-speaking area (24, 25).

It is undeniable that starting from the date that Shamsaddin Eldaniz took over the control in 1136 and afterwards during the periods of his predecessors; sons - Mahammad Jahan Pahlavan and Gizil Arslan, the relations with Iraq tightened (74, 53-58, 59).

During Shamsaddin eldaniz's period the state and troop of Iraq and Azerbaijan united under the same power and the nation lived in peace (66, 127). He used to rotate between Azerbaijan and Iraq back and forth. His trip to Iraq ended in 1175, and after a while upon his return to Azerbaijan, died in Nakhichevan. And Jahan Pahlavan and Gizil Arslan became executive authorities of Iraq, Azerbaijan, Arran, Rey, Isfahan, Hamadan and other counties (10, 74). Daquq, Arbil, Kirkuk and other places that inhabited by Turkman, and Ganja, Nakhichevan, Tabriz and other cities were united under the same power during the period of the State of Atabeys (10, 234, 238; 66, 134).

Starting from the execution of the last Abbasi khalifa in 1258 all the neighbouring cities and villages including Baghdad turned to Azerbaijan's county and accept its authority (8, 73). Since that period the connection between the Azerbaijanis living in Bahgdad, Kirkuk, Mosul and Arbil and the Northern and Southern Azerbaijan grew closer. This relation becomes even stronger during the periods of Jalairs in XIV century, and the State of Garagoyunlu and the State of Aghgoyunlu in XV century. The territory of the State of Garagoyunlu included Azerbaijan, Armenia, Western Iran, Iraq, Kurdustan, etc. The capital was Tabriz. The major cities were Tabriz, Maragha, Ardabil, Nakhichevan, Ganja, Baghdad, Arzinjan etc (4, 54). During the period of the State of aghgoyunlu, especially during the power of Uzun (Tall) Hasan the borders extended till the Kur River, Garabagh County, Arab-Iraq, Acami-Iraq, the borders of Persia and Khurasan including Arzinjan etc (23, 221; 27, 81; 28, 62; 36, 3; 37, 97, 172).

Therefore in his letter to te European states Uzun Hassan indicated with especial emphasis: "...Iraq, all of the Persia till the doors of India, ... Mazandaran, Gilan, ... Azerbaijan, Baghdad - all these belong to me. I am the ruler of these territories" (37, 103).

Interestingly, S. Longrig, the English researcher writes that during the rule of Uzun Hasan the capital of the countr, was Tabriz in summer and Baghdad in winter (32, 20).

As his grandfather Uzun Hassan, Shah Ismail Khatai also aimed to unite Azerbaijan and Iraq under the same power and reinstate the united Azerbaijan. His capturing Baghdad in 1506 with this purpose made Ottoman Empire very restless. Ottoman Empire was cautious about the growth of Safavid. For this reason it launched a war against Safavids with a great force and overcame in the famous battle, Chaldiran (38, 143). This defeat caused an incredible anount of losses to Safavids. One of them was the loss of Baghdad.

Afterwards Azerbaijani rulers attempted to take Baghdad back by all means (38, 143). From this standpoint the facts by Shakir Sabir, the Kirkuk researcher and A. Mammadov, an Azeri scholar are quite attractive. Prince Bayazid joins a revolt against his father Sultan Suleyman of a refuge. Sultan Suleyman promises a great amount of gifts to Safavid to have his son bak for execution. Shah (King) Tahmasib puts a condition that Baghdad should be annexed to Azerbaijan again (36, 78). But Sultan (King) Suleyman doesn't accept this condition.

In the war of 1533-1535, between Azerbaijan and Turkey, Azerbaijan lost all Iraqi territories including Baghdad (38, 161, 162).

But starting from Shah Abbas's rule, in a timeframe from 1623 to 1638, Baghdad, kirkuk and other places were united under the Safavid authority, but again in 1638 the Ottoman authority took control over these territories (71, 85; 36, 3; 24, 30) and from 1732 to 1743 the control was switched between the Ottoman Empire and Azerbaijan back and forth. During 1734-1746, these territories were totolly under the control of Azerbaijan, but as Longrig, English historian writes, in 1746 Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk and other cities lost khan (referring to Azerbaijani authority) and gained sultan (referring to Ottoman authority) forever (32, 20).

Afterwards our connection with Iraq came down to almost nothing. Therefore Azerbaijani rulers attempted to gain back the tribes taht inhabited in Iraq. Mirza Jamal Javanshir writes on this occasion: "After Nadir Shah was assassinated in 1747, Panah Khan along with his accompanists went till Iraq and Azerbaijan borders to welcome the Garabagh people... Their visit ended up with failure" (29, 14-15).

It should be mentioned that not only Garabagh tribes, but also other Azerbaijani tribes from both south and north inhabited here.

At the end the quoted sources have been given in an alphabetical order. As seen we have used code. The first figure indicates the source, the second indicates the page. Between them there is a cçomma. Sources have been separated by semicolon.