Kirkuk Council: Turkmen official ends boycott
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Ahmed Ramzi Kuperlu, a member of Kirkuk’s Provincial Council, announced that he would end his boycott of council sessions to better represent the Turkmen community and protect their rights.
"We have experienced this boycott before, and it only serves to isolate us," he said in an interview with Shafaq News, emphasizing that the decision was made in response to public demand, with citizens expecting their elected representatives to defend their rights and ensure better services in Kirkuk.
"To fight for the rights of those who voted for us, we must be present at the decision-making table."
The Turkmen have two seats in Kirkuk's Provincial Council, held by Kuperlu, who is allied with Parliament's Human Rights Committee Chair Arshad al-Salhi, and Sawsan Jadou, who represents the Iraqi Turkmen Front. Jadou remains boycotting the council.
Several other members, including Hussein Sheikhani from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Shokhan Haseeb, and Arab bloc members Rakan Said and Salwa Mufriji, also continue their boycott, due to disagreements over the formation of the local government, which was formed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in collaboration with Arab members Raad Saleh and Dhaher al-Asi, and Angil Zia Sheba of the Babylon Movement.
