September 12, 2023
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Can Arabs, Turks and Kurds Reach a Consensus in Iraq’s Oil-Rich Kirkuk?
Kirkuk, an ethnically diverse flashpoint in Iraq's north remains on edge after deadly protests shook the region earlier this month. The oil-rich city has violently changed hands several times over the past decade. And the latest attempt to transfer control of a key government building, sparked ethnic clashes between the region's Kurds and other groups.
Tensions began brewing in Kirkuk late last month, after reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani ordered a government building be handed over to the largest Kurdish political party, the KDP. Arab and Turkmen protesters, fearful of the KDP's return, blocked a major highway towards Erbil. Counter protests and a security crackdown followed, leaving at least 4 people dead. In response, Turkiye called for the protection of the Turkmen community's rights, a group it shares historical and cultural ties. Control over Kirkuk has been contested between Iraq's Kurds in the north, and the Shia led government in Baghdad ever since the 2003 US invasion. The Kurdish regional government wrestled control of the city from Daesh back in 2014. Three years later, Iraqi security forces entered the city, reestablishing Baghdad's control.
Guest:
Hasan Turan
Head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front
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