ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An investigative committee sent by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani arrived Monday in Kirkuk’s Prde (Altun Kupri) subdistrict to probe recent protests led by supporters of the Iraqi Turkmen Front over a Kurdish administrative appointment.
Turkmen Front supporters held demonstrations last week over the appointment of a Kurdish woman as municipal director on the main Erbil-Kirkuk highway. They blocked traffic, smashed windows, and lit fires, briefly shutting down the road on Thursday, the final day of protests, before security forces dispersed the crowd.
Abdullah Mirwais, a member of the Kirkuk Provincial Council, told Rudaw that the prime minister’s delegation is headed by Ahmad al-Fatlawi, who chairs the high committee for interprovincial cooperation. The delegation met with Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha on Monday before visiting Pirde to assess the situation. A detailed report and recommendation will be presented to Sudani, Mirwais added.
Protesters have demanded that one of three top local posts - municipal director, mayor, or police chief - be assigned to a Turkmen representative.
The Kirkuk Provincial Council formed a committee on Thursday to follow up on the demonstrators’ demands.
Miwais said the dispute is politically motivated, linked more to upcoming elections than genuine grievances over representation.
“The position was previously held by a Kurd, meaning a Kurd was removed and another Kurd was appointed. It's not that a Turkmen was removed and a Kurd filled their place. Therefore, this is only for gaining future seats - the issue is more about elections,” he said.
While top posts remain contested, Prde’s mayor Abdulmutalib Najmadin told Rudaw in late June that Turkmens hold 12 out of 17 local offices in Prde - including directors of hospitals, banks, the notary office, emergency police, and others.
“Kurds are the majority in Pirde, but despite this, we have always shown flexibility,” Mirwais said. “Unfortunately, some politicians mislead this nation [Turkmens]. We completely believe in coexistence and brotherhood between Kurds, Turkmens, and Arabs, which is why the majority of positions are held by them.”
The Turkmen Front is particularly active in Kirkuk’s politics and has repeatedly claimed that the city, disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, belongs to the Turkmen people.
In addition to supporters of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, Turkmen members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) and cadres from the Badr Organization also joined the protest, according to Rudaw’s reporter on the ground and accompanying footage.
Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
