Protests in Kirkuk
New Kirkuk governor Rebwar Taha takes office amid rising tensions
KIRKUK – Rebwar Taha, the newly appointed governor of Kirkuk, officially assumed office on Tuesday after receiving the presidential decree confirming his appointment from Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid at Baghdad’s Salam Palace. Taha’s appointment comes amid escalating tensions and protests in Kirkuk.
In his first statement as governor, Taha underscored his commitment to fostering coexistence and cooperation among all communities in Kirkuk.
“We will work diligently and with dedication to strengthen the shared coexistence among all citizens of Kirkuk. We will collaborate as a unified team with all political forces and parties. We reiterate that we will make Kirkuk a center and model of fraternal coexistence,” Taha said.
The Kirkuk Provincial Council elected Taha, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, as the new governor during a controversial session held in Baghdad on Saturday.
The meeting also resulted in the election of Mohammed Hafiz, affiliated with the Taqaddoum Party of former Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Al-Halbousi, as council president. Nine out of sixteen council members attended the session, including five from the PUK, three from Arab blocs, and one Christian representative. The session was boycotted by members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Arab Alliance, and the Turkmen Front.
Taha addressed concerns from the Turkmen community, reassuring them that their rights would be preserved. “I must once again affirm that the entitlements of the Turkmen community are preserved, and they will receive all their rights as an original and longstanding component of our beloved Kirkuk,” he stated.
Taha’s appointment has sparked protests among Kirkuk’s Turkmen community. On Tuesday night, hundreds of protesters affiliated with the Iraqi Turkmen Front took to the streets, objecting to their exclusion from the governance of the ethnically and religiously diverse governorate. Security forces used force to disperse the crowd, arresting around a dozen protesters.
Looking ahead, Taha emphasized that his administration’s focus would be on reconstruction and improving infrastructure and living standards for all citizens of Kirkuk, regardless of ethnicity or religion.
Taha’s appointment comes after a period of alleged ethnic cleansing practices, known as Arabization, carried out by the outgoing administration and Iraqi security forces, which have heavily impacted Kurdish farmers. Many local Kurds hope that Taha will put an end to these actions.
Taha, who became an MP in Iraq’s federal parliament in 2014 and later led the PUK’s bloc, ran for election to the Kirkuk provincial council in 2023.
The demographic makeup of the council reflects Kirkuk’s diverse population, with seven seats held by Kurds (five for the PUK and two for the KDP), six by Arabs (from the Uruba, Qiyada, and Arab Alliances), two by Turkmen, and one quota seat reserved for a Christian member.
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