In late March, an Iraqi Turkmen tribal leader was slain in a mysterious blast in Kifri, a disputed region approximately 125 km (80 miles) southeast of Kirkuk. The area is home to a mixed population of Kurds, Sunni Arabs, and Turkmen. No group has claimed responsibility for the killing of Sheikh Hussein Alloush. However, the United Iraqi Turkmen Front Alliance (UITFA) has charged that he was the target of a drone strike carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)—an entity designated as a terrorist group by the European Union, Turkey, and the United States.

As Turkey is set to launch a summer offensive against the PKK inside Iraq, Alloush’s death has escalated fears among some Turkmen. There are genuine concerns that the minority community’s political leaders may be...