kirkuk and the kurdish referendum
Saturday 22 March 2025
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Kirkuk and the Kurdish referendum

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

kirkuk and the kurdish referendum

Yasar Yakis

After the announcement of the date for Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence referendum, the debate has shifted to the provinces it will cover. Kurds claim Kirkuk is a Kurdish province whose ethnic composition was altered under the Baath regime since 1968 by expelling Kurds and bringing in Arabs. They believe that for this reason, the referendum should include Kirkuk.

The provinces recognized by Baghdad as part of Iraqi Kurdistan are Erbil, Dahuk, Halabja and Sulaimanieh, but Kurds have extended their control to Kirkuk, Nineweh, Salahaddin and Diyalah provinces, which Article 140 of Iraq’s constitution considers “disputed areas.”

Kirkuk has to be singled out because it is multiethnic and oil-rich. A plebiscite was scheduled for Nov. 15, 2007, to determine whether the entirety of Kirkuk and various parts of Nineweh, Diyalah and Salahaddin claimed by Kurds would wish to become part of Iraq or Iraqi Kurdistan. Like the independence referendum, the plebiscite was postponed several times.

First, the US pressured the Kurds and Baghdad to postpone it because it did not want further instability. Second, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was worried that its position could be weakened by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which is the second-biggest political party in Iraqi Kurdistan and very strong in Kirkuk. Third, Baghdad was worried that it could lose Kirkuk. Fourth, Turkmen were worried about Iraqi Kurdistan getting more oil revenue.

According to the Iraqi censuses of 1957, 1977 and 1997, Kurds were the biggest community in Kirkuk before Arabization started, but they did not constitute the majority of the population. Even if a plebiscite were held today, it will be difficult to determine whether a person is an original inhabitant of Kirkuk or settled there later.

In the run-up to the 2005 constitutional referendum, Turkish media reported that Kurds set the land and population registry offices in Kirkuk on fire to erase the previous demographic breakdown. They also reportedly brought truckloads of Kurds from northern mountain villages, claiming they were originally from Kirkuk but expelled. Two-hundred families gave as their former address in Kirkuk a house with two rooms.

The second reason for the province’s importance is its oil wealth. Iraqi Kurdistan has huge oil and gas reserves that are likely to increase substantially with further exploration, but huge investments are required. Kirkuk, which is already an oil-producing and exporting province, has the potential to contribute to solving this problem.

There are currently two oil pipelines from Kirkuk to the Turkish Mediterranean harbor of Iskenderun, with a total capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day. But we do not know whether Turkey will change its anti-referendum position and let an independent Iraqi Kurdistan use the pipelines without Baghdad’s consent.

There are also issues of widespread nepotism and lack of good governance in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and lack of support from major players such as Turkey, Iran and the US.

GMT 09:55 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Washington chooses Syria as its battleground

GMT 09:52 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Road ahead full of danger as new front opens in Syria

GMT 09:43 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Now is the time to revive King’s beautiful struggle

GMT 09:15 2018 Monday ,22 January

US Syria policy leaves many questions unanswered

GMT 09:09 2018 Monday ,22 January

Spend a dollar, save a life

GMT 10:23 2018 Thursday ,18 January

65 Israeli laws that discriminate against non-Jews

GMT 09:52 2018 Thursday ,18 January

The dangerous entanglements of Idlib and Afrin
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

kirkuk and the kurdish referendum kirkuk and the kurdish referendum

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 08:57 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

To 'eternal style' of late Alaia

GMT 08:24 2017 Sunday ,24 December

Lebanese hold candle-lit vigil

GMT 21:24 2017 Friday ,29 September

ISIS militants killed in Libya by US airstrike

GMT 08:31 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

Iraqi refugee jailed 16 years for Islamic State support

GMT 11:57 2012 Saturday ,14 January

Rare Chinese white dolphin

GMT 08:35 2018 Thursday ,11 January

Defying Israel with the help of Martin Luther King

GMT 04:26 2017 Tuesday ,24 January

Ahlam a force to be reckoned with on social media

GMT 13:10 2017 Tuesday ,10 October

IMF raises Japan growth forecast for 2017 to 1.5 pct

GMT 13:00 2017 Friday ,17 February

UN Supports Political Reconciliation in Iraq

GMT 07:34 2017 Saturday ,26 August

Former VW engineer gets 40 months

GMT 07:23 2017 Sunday ,24 December

Israel dope dealers boost business

GMT 08:47 2017 Friday ,29 September

Signals arm is hidden gem in Siemens-Alstom tie-up

GMT 05:44 2017 Monday ,30 January

A ‘Jazz night’ in Riyadh

GMT 12:10 2017 Monday ,25 September

Uber sorry over London 'mistakes', but still to appeal

GMT 09:41 2017 Friday ,20 October

Danielle Darrieux, who charmed world

GMT 09:51 2015 Thursday ,10 September

Marvel adds Native American, Korean superheroes

GMT 12:18 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

EU court decision on Uber 'a social victory'

GMT 09:22 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

Diddy wants to be first black owner
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle