Kirkuk's Kurdish parties stress the importance of Kurdish unity

Reports 10:43 AM - 2023-02-02

Fourteen Kurdish parties meet in Kirkuk.

 All of the Kurdish political groups in Kirkuk Governorate, with the exception of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), emphasize the unity and consensus among Kurds in the city and see this as crucial to finding solutions to the issues.

In 2023, 14 Kurdish political parties congregated for the first time in Kirkuk at the Political Bureau headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which graciously hosted the event. The main focus of the discussions was on how to overcome the challenges that have arisen in Kirkuk and other disputed areas while also highlighting the Kurds' unity and solidarity in the city.
 

Kirkuk's Kurdish parties are in agreement

According to Rawand Mala Mahmoud, the supervisor of the PUK's Kirkuk Center, speaking to PUKMEDIA, the Kurdish parties in the city of Kirkuk have indicated their support for the local inhabitants and set future plans to serve the city.
 
"Everyone involved reiterated that they would not allow Kirkuk to be put in any bad circumstances. "The Kurds and all other ethnic groups in this city are brothers and can coexist peacefully without becoming involved in political conflicts," he added.  

The PUK's position is valued

Since the PUK has long been worried about the situation there, it has made an effort to keep political issues outside of Kirkuk while still providing for the needs of the city.
 
"We appreciate the PUK for taking the initiative to unite the Kurdish parties in Kirkuk and its care for Kirkuk," said Hardi Hussain, Supervisor of the Kurdistan Social Democratic Party's Kirkuk Center, to PUKMEDIA.

The loss of Kurdish rights in Kirkuk, according to Hussain, could be avoided if the Kurdish parties united and exerted greater influence.

 

Thinking in a partisan way will not serve Kirkuk

 

With the exception of the KDP, which elected not to attend the meeting, all of the Kurdish parties in Kirkuk agreed that they should actively support the city.

"Excluding the KDP, all parties were present in the meeting," Rebaz Sabir, Supervisor of the Kurdistan Justice Group's Kirkuk Center, told PUKMEDIA. "It is critical for us to move beyond the party stage because what is more important in front of us is a national issue, and Kirkuk is the heart and Jerusalem of Kurdistan, so we must serve it in action."

"Thinking in a partisan way in Kirkuk will not serve the city's situation, and any party that does not agree with the parties' stance will harm Kirkuk," said Sabir.
 

Kirkuk is set to have elections

 The Kurdish parties in Kirkuk must work together to resolve the problems the city is facing. Any party that rejects this strategy will harm Kirkuk.

According to Mohammed Nasraddin, Secretary of the Kirkuk Committee of the Gorran (Change) Movement, "the 14 Kurdistan parties have committed not to hinder what is essential for the people of Kirkuk and to support them."

"The unity of the Kurdish forces is the key to solving the problems in Kirkuk, and any party that does not participate in this unity would harm Kirkuk and the Kurds as a whole," Nasraddin stated.
 
"The Kurds must come together as the Kurdish parties in Kirkuk face off in the next provincial elections in Iraq." "The Kurdish vote will decrease dramatically in the elections if this is not done," he added.
 

The PUK promotes collaboration

 The Kurdish parties in Kirkuk are attempting to work more closely together with the commander of operations in Kirkuk through the PUK.
"The Kurdish parties agreed to coordinate more with the commander of operations in Kirkuk through the PUK for more tranquility in the city," Shwan Mohammed, a member of the Kurdistan Toilers party's Political Bureau, told PUKMEDIA.

"The absence of services and prioritizing certain areas over others in Kirkuk was another point in the discussion that the Kurdish parties should prevent," he said. "This endeavor will be intensified to not discriminate between the Kurdish neighborhoods and others, which is now followed," Mohammed added.

He further said, "Kirkuk cannot be made a victim of party rivalry, and there will soon be provincial elections in Kirkuk." "The Kurdish parties present at the meeting have agreed on a number of electoral principles, and we hope that other Kurdish parties that have left Kirkuk will return."

Throughout history, the Kurds in Kirkuk have been victorious whenever they have united. The PUK has continued President Mam Jalal's earlier strategy, viewing Kirkuk as the sacred city of Kurdistan, where all communities should coexist peacefully as brothers.
 
Translated from Kurdish and edited by Besha Jawhar; additional editing by Zareena Younis
PUKMEDIA