New kirkuk governor retires predecessor, introduces Turkmen language in official documents

KIRKUK – On his first day in office, the newly appointed governor of Kirkuk, Rebwar Taha, issued two decisions—officially retiring former acting governor Rakan Al-Jabouri and mandating the use of the Turkmen language in official documents alongside Kurdish and Arabic.

Al-Jabouri’s retirement was mandated by Law No. 9 of 2014, which requires individuals to retire at the age of 60. Born on July 1, 1964, Al-Jabouri reached retirement age on July 1, 2024. He had served as the acting governor of Kirkuk since October 2017. Al-Jabouri was absent from the ceremony where Taha took the oath of office.

As a gesture of goodwill toward Kirkuk’s Turkmen community, who have opposed his appointment, Governor Taha introduced the Turkmen language into the formal documentation of all governmental offices in Kirkuk, marking a departure from previous practices where Turkmen was not used in official communications.

Members of Kirkuk’s Turkmen and Arab populations staged protests yesterday against Taha’s appointment, prompting security forces to arrest several protesters and disperse the rest.

Rebwar Taha, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, was elected as the new governor during a controversial session of the Kirkuk Provincial Council held in Baghdad on Saturday. 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.

The Kirkuk Provincial Council’s demographic makeup reflects the region’s diverse population, with seven seats held by Kurds, six by Arabs, two by Turkmen, and one reserved for a Christian member.

In addition to Taha’s election, Mohammed Hafiz, affiliated with the Taqaddoum (Progress) Party of former Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Al-Halbousi, was elected as council president. Taha took the legal oath of office after being appointed by the President of Iraq, formalizing his role as governor of Kirkuk.