Turkish president Erdogan affirms support for peace in Kirkuk

BAGHDAD, September 5 — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Tuesday that Kirkuk is the homeland of Turkmen people, and Turkey will not allow the disruption of peace in the region. He also mentioned that Turkish intelligence is closely monitoring the situation in the city following a weekend of protests and clashes over an Iraqi government decision to handover control of the Iraqi security forces’ headquarters to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Erdogan responded to journalists’ questions aboard his presidential plane while returning from a visit to Russia, revealing that he had instructed Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence agencies to closely follow the situation in Kirkuk.

He emphasized the importance of avoiding practices that could alter the demographic structure of Kirkuk, which is considered the homeland of the Turkmen people and a place of diverse cultures. Erdogan also affirmed that providing arms to terrorist organizations contributes to bloodshed and destabilizes Iraq’s unity.