Kirkuk farmland attack sparks condemnation, calls for end to military blockade

KIRKUK – Widespread condemnation erupted this week among Kurdish communities, political parties, and public figures after Iraqi army forces blocked Kurdish farmers from cultivating their land in Kirkuk’s Sargaran subdistrict and used force against them.

On Monday, farmers from several villages in Sargaran attempted to plow fields they say belong to them, demanding an end to restrictions imposed by the Iraqi army. Tensions escalated when soldiers confronted the farmers, and photos of a soldier grabbing one farmer by the scarf on his tractor went viral on social media, fueling public anger.

Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, condemned the treatment of Kurdish farmers in Kirkuk, likening recent events to Baath-era atrocities against the Kurdish people.

“The sight of Kurdish farmers being mistreated and unjustly prevented from accessing their lands brings back memories of Anfal, chemical attacks, and the genocide against our people in the past century. This is a chauvinistic behavior and crime against innocent Kurdish farmers in Kirkuk, whose only crime is being Kurdish and the rightful owners of their lands,” Barzani said in a statement.

Shakhawan Abdullah, deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament, wrote on his Facebook page that he immediately raised the situation in Sargaran with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.
“Regarding the tensions in Sargaran and the continued military restrictions on Kurdish farmers, I spoke with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani about the situation at the area and called for an end to these restrictions,” Abdullah wrote.

At the heart of the dispute are about 8,648 acres of farmland belonging to Kurdish farmers from the villages of Sarbashakh, Palkana, Kharaba, Gabarka, and Shanagha. Across Kirkuk, more than 296,526 acres are contested between Kurdish and Turkmen farmers on one side and Arab settlers on the other. Under multiple Baath-era decrees, Kurdish and Turkmen lands were seized and redistributed to Arab settlers in a policy known as “Arabization,” initiated in the 1960s.

The Kurdistan Regional Government denounced the army’s blockade and what it called unconstitutional use of military force in Shanagha and four other villages.
“These actions by the Iraqi army contradict the constitution and the principles on which the new Iraq is built. The use of the military for such purposes is unconstitutional and illegal. These actions must end immediately before they lead to further undesirable consequences,” read a statement from the Office of the KRG Prime Minister.

Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister of the KRG, also criticized the situation on his Facebook page.
“It has not even been a month since the law dissolving the decisions of the Baathist leadership council was approved, yet the army is being used against the rightful landowners of Sargaran, contradicting the constitution and the law,” Talabani wrote.
He added, “We fully support the farmers and, with the cooperation of all parties in Kirkuk, will work towards a permanent resolution of this issue.”

Kirkuk Gov. Rebwar Taha announced that the soldiers who attacked Kurdish farmers have been detained. He urged the public and political parties to remain calm.

Meanwhile, Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency, told the presidency’s official website that such actions are “completely unacceptable. The presidency has closely followed the matter and called on the relevant authorities to take necessary measures against those responsible and to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.”

Mohammed Amin, a representative of the Sargaran farmers—and the individual who was shown being pulled by his scarf—told 964media that farmers had decided to suspend their work for 48 hours.
“We call on all our relatives and friends to come to Shanagha, and today we will all be there,” he said. “Based on the demand by the Kurdish representatives in Baghdad, we have decided to suspend work and farming for 48 hours.”

He added that if authorities fail to provide a fundamental response within that time, they will return to work on their lands despite the army’s blockade.

A high-level committee appointed by the Iraqi prime minister arrived in Kirkuk to discuss the dispute, holding talks Tuesday at the governor’s office alongside the deputy justice minister, local officials, and senior military commanders.

That same day, the Iraqi Ministry of Justice announced the publication of several laws in the official gazette, including those concerning personal status, general amnesty, and the restitution of confiscated properties. The move paves the way for their formal implementation—a step Kurdish farmers say is crucial for the return of their lands.

Following a meeting with the committee and local farmers, Gov. Taha said at a press conference that after publication of the law in the Iraqi Gazette, the government will issue official guidelines within a month to six weeks. “Once these instructions are released, the law will enter the enforcement stage,” he said, adding that this marks a potential turning point in the long-contested issue.