World Bulletin / News Desk 

Iraqi Turkmen are calling for military support to fight against ISIL as the Turkic minority remains under the threat of perishing, a leader of a major Turkmen group said on Sunday.

"We are working to reinforce our armed groups with Turkmen soldiers who quit the Iraqi army after the ISIL campaign. But we need more military support. If the Iraqi government does not supply that, we will take any arms aid, particularly from Turkey. We will not allow this cruel ISIL project to cause Turkmen to perish and to change the demographic balances." Arshad al-Salihi, the leader of the Iraqi Turkmen Front.

ISIL has swept vast swathes of territories in both Iraq and Syria, displacing many minorities, including Turkmen.

Turkmen are the third largest ethnic group in Iraq, following Arabs and Kurds. Their existence, however, has been jeopardized following "death and displacement."

So far, Turkey has sent 150 trucks of aid to Turkmen, worth around $4 million, according to the Turkish Red Crescent. The aid organization said it is also planning to build a camp for Turkmen.