What is "turkmeneli"

Turkmeneli is the territory claimed as homeland by Iraqi Turkmens, notably the Iraqi Turkmen Front.

Stretching from the Syrian border in the north to the Iranian border in Central Iraq, the region claimed as Turkmeneli lies between the Arabic areas of settlement to the south and Kurdish areas to the north. It is thought to include within its boundaries Kirkuk, Tel Afar, Mandali, Mosul, and Tuz Khormato, with Kirkuk being considered the capital of Turkmeneli. Some sources even claim Erbil and Salah ad-Din.

The proposal for setting up a Turkmen autonomous region has been considered highly controversial.