KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region – Millions of square meters of land owned by Kurds and Turkmen in Kirkuk is being made available to Arab settlers, a member of the provincial council told Rudaw. Critics say the “illegal and unconstitutional” move will “take Kirkuk back to the Baath party days”.
Many of these Arab settlers were brought to the disputed city by Saddam Hussein in the 1980s in a deliberate policy of Arabization.
After 2003, the land was taken off them and returned to its original owners. The Arab settlers were compensated 20 million IQD in accordance with article 140 of the Iraqi constitution.
“The size of the lands being Arabized is 1.3 billion square meters, stretching from Choplija, Hanjira, Bajwan, Shirina, villages of Taqtaq, Mama, Kaywan, Abu-Sayf near Mala Abdullah, Yaychi, Taza, Bashir until Haftaghar near Daquq,” Ahmad Askari, a member of Kirkuk provincial council, told Rudaw.
He called the decision “illegal and unconstitutional”.
“Rakan deals directly with the Iraqi council of ministers under the pretext the provincial council is paralyzed. He doesn’t consult Kirkuk provincial council. He has rallied some provincial council members behind himself. He has an agreement with some ministries and has started working on dossiers that will take Kirkuk back to the Baath party days,” Askari said.
Decisions previously made by the leadership of the Revolutionary Council of the Baath party are no longer valid. The Iraqi parliament has revoked these decisions, including the decision to Arabize Kirkuk.
In accordance with article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, most of the land previously given to Arab settlers has been returned to its original owners and the Arabs returned to their places of origin after compensation.
The second type of land is where Baath party contracts were annulled according to article 140.
“During Baath party rule, Kurdish and Turkmen residents were expelled from the village of Sayd Khalaf, which was previously called the Baathist village. Their lands were seized in 1987. These lands were returned to their owners after the collapse of the Baathist regime in 2003 and the settlers who had seized the lands were compensated with land near Hawija lake,” Yaychi said.
Kurdish residents meanwhile say they retain copies of notarization dating back to the Ottoman period.
Many of these Arab settlers were brought to the disputed city by Saddam Hussein in the 1980s in a deliberate policy of Arabization.
After 2003, the land was taken off them and returned to its original owners. The Arab settlers were compensated 20 million IQD in accordance with article 140 of the Iraqi constitution.
However, Rakan Saed, the acting governor of Kirkuk, is allowing these Arab settlers to return.
Saed is opening 1.3 billion square meters of land to Arab settlers, according to a member of Kirkuk provincial council. The land, which originally belonged to Kurds and Turkmen, stretches from Kaywan military base to Haftaghar near the town of Daquq.
“The size of the lands being Arabized is 1.3 billion square meters, stretching from Choplija, Hanjira, Bajwan, Shirina, villages of Taqtaq, Mama, Kaywan, Abu-Sayf near Mala Abdullah, Yaychi, Taza, Bashir until Haftaghar near Daquq,” Ahmad Askari, a member of Kirkuk provincial council, told Rudaw.
He called the decision “illegal and unconstitutional”.
“Rakan deals directly with the Iraqi council of ministers under the pretext the provincial council is paralyzed. He doesn’t consult Kirkuk provincial council. He has rallied some provincial council members behind himself. He has an agreement with some ministries and has started working on dossiers that will take Kirkuk back to the Baath party days,” Askari said.
Decisions previously made by the leadership of the Revolutionary Council of the Baath party are no longer valid. The Iraqi parliament has revoked these decisions, including the decision to Arabize Kirkuk.
In accordance with article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, most of the land previously given to Arab settlers has been returned to its original owners and the Arabs returned to their places of origin after compensation.
After the events of October 16, when Iraqi forces and Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitias took over Kirkuk and the disputed territories, these Arabs began to return to the land, either by threatening villagers or through committees formed by Saed for agricultural development.
Saed has formed three committees to reclaim these lands for Arab settlers. The three committees are headed by Sunni Arabs who are members of Kirkuk provincial council. The Arabized lands are of two types: those with houses built on them and those used for agriculture.
The lands with houses built on them are characterized as “no man’s land” according to a letter numbered 578, issued by Saed on May 29, 2018. Many of these are close to oilfields and military headquarters.
The second type of land is where Baath party contracts were annulled according to article 140.
“There are no oilfields, oil pipes, or military headquarters in most of the villages and lands which Rakan Saed wants to return to settlers. His aim is clear. He wants to bring back Arab settlers,” Askari said.
“Rakan has so far been successful in his job. There is no one blocking him because KDP [Kurdistan Democratic Party] colleagues have paralyzed Kirkuk provincial council. That is why we have no power to prevent or investigate Rakan Saed ,” he added.
Most of the lands affected by Saed's decisions are owned by Kurdish farmers. The lands stretching from Yaychi to Taza, Bashir, and Daquq are owned by Turkmen Shiites.
Turkmen parties have strongly opposed these efforts by Saed.
Falah Yaychi, mayor of Kirkuk and a Turkmen Party member, warned Saed in a letter not to return the villages and lands to Arab settlers.
“During Baath party rule, Kurdish and Turkmen residents were expelled from the village of Sayd Khalaf, which was previously called the Baathist village. Their lands were seized in 1987. These lands were returned to their owners after the collapse of the Baathist regime in 2003 and the settlers who had seized the lands were compensated with land near Hawija lake,” Yaychi said.
The second step pursued by Saed is to vacate the villages labeled “no man’s land”.
In a letter, Saed informed residents in the villages of Choplija, Hanjira, Kaywan, and Shirina to vacate their houses in a month’s time. The notification has only affected Kurdish residents – Arabs have been told the decision does not affect them.
Kurdish residents meanwhile say they retain copies of notarization dating back to the Ottoman period.
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