Kirkuk governor's elections ignite Turkmen infighting

Shafaq News/ The recent election of a new governor and head of the Kirkuk Provincial Council has deepened divisions within the Turkmen community, exposing rifts between nationalist and sectarian loyalties, as major political blocs challenge the legitimacy of the process and call for protests against what they perceive as marginalization.

"Illegal" Session

On August 10, the governor and head of the Kirkuk Provincial Council were elected in Baghdad. Rebwar Taha from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) was appointed governor, while Mohammed Ibrahim Hafez, representing the Arab community, was elected chairman of the 16-seat provincial council. Before the meeting, the KDP, 3 Arab bloc members, and Turkmen Front announced their boycott, calling the session "illegal" and noting they had not been invited.

This election followed the Kirkuk Provincial Council's first meeting in seven months, delayed by ongoing political disputes.

Nationalism vs. Sectarianism

Politician and Turkmen affairs researcher Ali Abbas al-Turkmani told Shafaq News Agency, "Since the Kirkuk governor election results were announced, with Rebwar Taha as governor and an Arab council head, the Turkmen have divided."

"The Turkmen Front, represented by Sawsan Jadoua, secured one seat, while the other went to Ahmed Ramzi, a candidate of MP Arshad Al-Salhi, highlighting a clear split."

In this context, al-Turkmani confirmed, "The conflict involves a sectarian divide between the Turkmen Front and Shiite Turkmen represented by MP Gharib Askar from the Shiite Turkmen Framework."

"The Turkmen Front is calling for demonstrations to oppose the election of the Kirkuk governor and council head due to the marginalization of Turkmen representatives Ahmed Ramzi and Sawsan Jadoua," he added.

Turkmen Legitimate Representative

Hassan Turan, head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, told Shafaq News that "since rejecting the formation of the Kirkuk local government due to legal violations and the exclusion of the Turkmen, the Front and its leaders have faced intense attacks and media targeting."

"The Iraqi Turkmen Front, as the legitimate defender of the Turkmen community along with its affiliated parties, derives its legitimacy from its people. The Front respects and values all Turkmen representatives and personalities across various parties and groups," he noted.

Turan further pointed out that "the Iraqi Turkmen Front's mission is to defend Turkmen rights, and it has always prioritized this over personal gain or positions."

"We assure the Turkmen people that the Front will avoid any internal conflicts that do not advance our cause."

Moreover, "the Baghdad meeting and elections are invalid. Article 13 of the Provincial Council Elections Act requires fair distribution of Kirkuk's administration among all components, regardless of election results," he affirmed.

Turkmen Framework Bloc

Gharib Askar of the Turkmen Framework Bloc stated, "We affirm the legality of forming the local government in Kirkuk and strongly reject any attacks on our bloc as unacceptable."

"The groups attacking the bloc should focus on uniting Turkmen positions rather than dividing them, as their refusal to consolidate the Turkmen vote in Kirkuk weakened our position," he said, highlighting that "their misguided alliances in Kirkuk have led to our current situation, and their internal divisions and poor decision-making should not be shifted onto others."