Dispute over bridge name reignites ethnic tensions in Tuz Khurmatu

SALAH AL-DIN — Ethnic tensions between Kurdish and Turkmen officials in Tuz Khurmatu district of Salah Al-Din governorate have reignited over a newly completed bridge after a multilingual sign was replaced with one exclusively in Turkmen.

The bridge, connecting parts of Tuz Khurmatu and serving as a major link between Baghdad and Kirkuk, was originally named “Martyrs’ Bridge” in Kurdish, Arabic, Turkmen, and English. On April 6, however, Atif Ali Samin Al-Najjar, a Turkmen member of the Salah Al-Din governorate council, removed that sign and installed a new one bearing only the Turkmen name, “Şehitler Köprüsü.”

The move sparked outrage among Kurdish district council members.

“We have contacted the Salah Al-Din governorate and demanded that the previous sign be restored to its place, by any means necessary,” said Yassin Mohammed, a Kurdish council member, in an interview with 964media. “Otherwise, we will take firm action.”

Mohammed added that discussions were underway with Turkmen representatives to seek a resolution.

He emphasized Tuz Khurmatu’s diversity, noting Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen “have sacrificed equally” for the district. He stressed the bridge sits on a vital route linking the Kurdistan Region with other parts of Iraq, adding that under Iraq’s constitution, both Arabic and Kurdish are official state languages.

“The purpose of the original sign was to reflect the shared identity and unity of all the district’s communities,” he said.

In a statement, the Tuz Khurmatu Municipality denied involvement in naming the bridge, clarifying that all communications on the matter occurred between the district administration and the Salah Al-Din governorate.

“No document was issued directly by the municipality, as confirmed by the attached official letters,” the municipality’s media office stated, calling the clarification necessary due to attempts to create discord.

In response, Al-Najjar, who also heads the Popular Mobilization and Religious Rites Committee, issued a formal statement defending his actions. His office criticized the municipality’s denial, calling it “an obvious attempt to distort reality and avoid administrative responsibility.”

Al-Najjar maintained that procedures were properly followed.

“The naming was carried out through official correspondence issued by the Tuz district administration, with explicit and written approval from the governor of Salah Al-Din,” the statement read. “The bridge was named Şehitler Köprüsü to honor the sacrifices of those from the district who died defending the nation and sacred values.”

He described attempts to discredit the process as “irresponsible,” saying they undermined institutional cooperation. His office said it possessed all documents verifying the naming process was lawful.