Iraqi security forces detain suspects and seize weapons following a deadly shooting outside the office of parliamentary candidate Mardin Gökkaya in Kirkuk on Tuesday.
Two police officers killed in Kirkuk shooting outside Turkmen Front candidate’s office
BAGHDAD — Two police officers were killed and two civilians injured early Tuesday in a shooting outside the office of Mardin Gökkaya, a member of the political bureau of the Iraqi Turkmen Front and one of its parliamentary candidates, according to Iraq’s Interior Ministry.
The ministry said the incident began with a dispute that escalated into gunfire around 2 a.m. outside Gökkaya’s office in Kirkuk. “A quarrel occurred in front of one of the offices belonging to a candidate in Kirkuk governorate, which developed into an armed assault by the candidate’s guards, leading to the martyrdom of two officers from the Rescue Police Department as patrols arrived at the scene,” the ministry said. “Two civilians were also injured and transported to the hospital for treatment.”
“With great sorrow, the Ministry of Interior and its minister mourn two heroic members of the Rescue Police Department in Kirkuk who were martyred while performing their duty to protect citizens and maintain security,” the statement said.
Police units from the Kirkuk Command cordoned off the area and restored order shortly after the shooting. “Security forces arrested 14 suspects involved in the incident and referred them to the competent investigative authorities,” the ministry said.
It added that authorities “will deal firmly and with the full force of the law with anyone who violates the law, attacks security forces, or threatens public safety,” pledging “the maximum legal penalties on offenders and to bring them before the judiciary to face justice.”
The ministry extended condolences to the families of the fallen officers and called for restraint. “We call on all citizens to act responsibly, exercise restraint, and not be drawn into any attempts to destabilize security or cause disorder,” it said. “Political participation must take place within peaceful and lawful frameworks that preserve citizens’ safety and the dignity of the state.”
The incident occurred as polls opened across Iraq for the 2025 parliamentary elections, with more than 20 million voters eligible to cast ballots in 19 governorates.
