You know, Khazar is almost always heard in a negative context, so I was surprised to hear several different Turks (including Turkmen) use it in a positive way on separate occasions. Basically it went, “We love Jews because they are Khazars.” & “Khazars are Turkic people, so Jews are our brothers.” Never heard it used as a compliment by anyone else.
2. Long story. Turks in Turkey and Iraq are descended from a group of Oghuz/Ghuzz Turks known as the Seljuks. The Ghuzzia or the Ghuz confederacy was an allied tributary of the Khazars, having been inherited from the Gokturkut. As the Khazars declined, most Ghuzz rebeled but the Kınık tribe stayed loyal. The last Khazar installed governor was Seljuk. His progeny led a dynasty, the Seljuk Turks eventually conquered Persia, Mesopatamia, and most of Anatolia.