After 7 years: KDP reestablishes presence in Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) formally reestablished its political presence in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, reopening its headquarters after a seven-year absence from the disputed province.

The new office, based in the Arafa neighborhood, will oversee KDP activities in both Kirkuk and Garmian.

The reopening ceremony drew senior KDP figures and Regional leaders, including Political Bureau members Fazil Mirani and Kamal Kirkuki, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw, and Kurdish Education Minister Alan Hama Saeed.

“Today, we officially announce the return of the branch to Kirkuk,” stated Hiwa Ahmed Mustafa, head of the KDP’s Kirkuk and Garmian office, conveying greetings from party leader Masoud Barzani “to all the communities of Kirkuk without exception.”

The Kirkuk office had remained closed since October 16, 2017, when KDP offices across the province shut down following the 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum.