SUMMARY
The Turi are a tribal population mainly concentrated in the mountainous Western and Central Kurram Valley of Pakistans Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), in the North-Western part of the country, close to the Afghan border. Like most other tribes in FATA, they are ethnically Pashtun, following the highly conservative, traditional Pashtunwali honour code. Unlike all other Pashtun tribes, the Turi are almost exclusively Shia Muslims. This, and the fact they are the largest tribe in Kurram, makes them frequent targets for sectarian violence. As such, the Turi have been in conflict with both organized insurgent groups (such as the Taliban, which are fundamentalist Sunni) as well as other tribes (such as the Bangesh or Mangals). Further, as violence intensified in the region after 2007, the Turi found themselves increasingly isolated as road-blocks and areas controlled by fundamentalist Sunni groups severely limited the movement of the tribe. As the only access ways for the Turi remain military convoys and Parachinar airport, negotiations with the Taliban for granting Turi some freedom of movement and protection took place. However, tribal leaders found the conditions demanded by the Taliban impossible, rejecting them outright. Further, throughout 2008 and 2009, the Turi engaged groups allied with the Taliban in heavy fighting.
The Turi, as other Pashtun tribes, follow a complex traditional clan-based hierarchy, where power is vested in various clan elders, landlords (maliks) and religious figures. These leaders organize traditional assemblies, known as jergas. Varying in size, from village jergas to region-wide, these assemblies act as traditional courts but also function as dispute resolution mechanisms. As such, they frequently negotiate ceasefires and peace agreements between tribes. Militarily the Turi organize in tribal militias and armies (lashkars). Some leaders of such militias claim allegiance to various high-profile Shia insurgency groups, such as Hezbollah or Mahdi Army, however, no substantial evidence of actual connections to these groups exists.
The Turi tribe has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
