Farmers in Kirkuk call on Baghdad to reverse Baath-era land seizures

Shafaq News/ On Friday, farmers in Iraq's Kirkuk Governorate urged the government and parliament to revoke former Baath Party decrees that confiscated thousands of hectares of land from Kurds and Turkmen.

Rauf Ali, a Turkmen farmer, told Shafaq News Agency that both the government and parliament must address the issue of returning agricultural lands to their rightful owners. "The Baath regime forcibly displaced hundreds of Kurdish and Turkmen villages and confiscated their lands under its northern office policies. Despite the regime's fall, successive governments since 2003 have failed to resolve this issue."

Ali said, "We are calling on the Prime Minister and parliament to act and restore justice for us."

Kurdish farmer Khuhudr Rashid echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for the government to overturn Baath-era policies. "The Baath Party seized thousands of hectares under its demographic change policies. We demand the restoration of these lands and the annulment of the northern office's decrees."

The Director of Agriculture for Kirkuk confirmed that around 300,000 dunams of agricultural land remain outside the governorate's annual farming plan due to disputes stemming from Article 140, a constitutional article that aims to resolve territorial conflicts exacerbated by the Baath regime's policies.

According to the director, while disputes over these lands were previously addressed by the Property Dispute Authority, many cases remain pending. "Farmers with land-related complaints can submit their documents to the courts for consideration. However, most cases have been rejected, and appeals are currently on hold by the competent courts."

Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution aims to reverse the demographic changes imposed by Saddam Hussein’s regime, which favored Arabs over Kurds in disputed areas. The process involves a population census followed by a referendum to decide whether these areas will join the Kurdistan Region or remain under Baghdad's administration.

Originally slated for completion by the end of 2007, the implementation of Article 140 has been hindered by ongoing security and political issues. In 2019, Iraq's Federal Supreme Court affirmed the continuation of Article 140, ensuring its application until its goals are fully achieved.