Qais al-Khazali: PUK leader acknowledges Kirkuk's Iraqi identity amid disputes over governorship
"We informed the PUK leader that we are prepared to guarantee this agreement at the request of the Arab side, provided that the PUK acknowledges Kirkuk's Iraqi identity. The ethnicity of the governor—whether Kurd, Arab, or Turkmen—is irrelevant."
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Qais al-Khazali, Secretary General of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq group, stated that the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has recognized Kirkuk as an Iraqi city, distancing it from any association with the Kurdistan Region.
In a recent interview with an Iraqi TV channel, al-Khazali addressed the ongoing challenges surrounding the Kirkuk Provincial Council and the selection of a governor for Kirkuk.
He declared, "We are very clear about supporting the PUK against the KDP. Our support is based on two points—one being fundamental and the other secondary. The fundamental point is our belief in the Iraqiness of Kirkuk, which must be recognized and adhered to. This was the basis of our initial discussion with the PUK leader."
Al-Khazali further explained, "We informed the PUK leader that we are prepared to guarantee this agreement at the request of the Arab side, provided that the PUK acknowledges Kirkuk's Iraqi identity. The ethnicity of the governor—whether Kurd, Arab, or Turkmen—is irrelevant as long as the city's identity remains Iraqi. We refer to this as the ‘Iraqization’ of Kirkuk. During our discussions, in the presence of the Arab side, the PUK gave a clear and logical commitment that Kirkuk is indeed an Iraqi city.”
Regarding the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) stance, al-Khazali noted, "There are some parties, like the KDP, that do not recognize Kirkuk as an Iraqi city. Although Kurdistan is officially referred to as Iraqi Kurdistan and Article 140 exists, the KDP seeks to incorporate Kirkuk into the Kurdistan Region. However, our intention is to maintain Kirkuk as an Iraqi city, similar to Mosul and Diyala, with no ties to the Kurdistan Region. We want all parties to adhere to this view, but the KDP will never openly or secretly recognize Kirkuk as an Iraqi city.”
Al-Khazali's remarks come in the wake of the recent election of the governor and speaker of the Kirkuk Provincial Council on Saturday night, August 10, without the participation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Turkmen Front, and several Arab members of the council.
The meeting, held at the al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad and now referred to as the “al-Rasheed Meeting,” resulted in the election of Rebwar Taha as governor and Mohammed Hafez as speaker of the council.
Kirkuk, one of the Kurdish territories outside the Kurdistan Region's control, is classified as a disputed area under Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution.
The article outlines three stages—normalization, compensation, and referendum—that must be completed to determine whether Kirkuk will remain an Iraqi city or be integrated into the Kurdistan Region. However, political complications have stalled progress on this issue.