Kirkuk: The Iraqi Turkmen Front has raised concerns over the exclusion and marginalization faced by the Turkmen community in Kirkuk. The head of the Kirkuk branch, Qahtaan Al-Wandawi, highlighted these issues during a press conference, emphasizing the recent seizure of significant positions such as the Director of Kirkuk Agriculture and Deputy Commander of Kirkuk Police as part of a broader pattern of rights violations against the Turkmen in the province.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Wandawi pointed out that these actions occur amid Kirkuk’s troubling political climate, marked by instability in agricultural land management and local administration. The systematic marginalization aims to diminish the Turkmen role in local governance and strip them of their rightful participation.

Al-Wandawi asserted that the administrative and political equilibrium in Kirkuk is crucial and warned against any attempts to erase the Turkmen identity or undermine their fair representation. He criticized the Rashid Hotel government’s exclusionary policies, which overlook competence and equal representation, posing a threat to the province’s stability.

He urged the Prime Minister to intervene promptly to halt these policies and restore justice by reversing decisions that exclude Turkmen from key administrative roles. He advocated for an equitable joint administration that reflects true partnership among all community components, free from exclusion and domination.

Al-Wandawi reiterated the Turkmen Front’s commitment to using all constitutional and legal avenues to reclaim their rights and maintain their presence in Kirkuk, envisioning the city as a bastion of peaceful coexistence. He rejected any policy that seeks to marginalize the Turkmen from their essential role in this historic province.