ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region’s Presidency on Monday criticized the Iraqi forces’ crackdown on Kurdish farmers in Sargaran subdistrict, northwest of Kirkuk, as “completely rejected and unacceptable.”
Tensions in Sargaran escalated on Monday when Iraqi security forces barred Kurdish farmers from accessing their confiscated lands.
Raw footage filmed by Rudaw showed Iraqi army and anti-riot forces clashing with civilians from Shanagha village in Sargaran, as they attempted to enter their farmland. In one instance, an Iraqi security officer is seen as trying to forcibly remove a local from his tractor.
“The Kurdistan Region’s Presidency is closely following the issue and urges relevant parties to take necessary measures against the perpetrators to prevent this from happening again,” said the Presidency’ spokesperson, Dilshad Shahab.
Shahab cautioned that “these behaviors harm coexistence and societal peace” and called on all sides to “reject and condemn such behavior.” The Kurdistan Region’s Presidency further demanded that perpetrators face legal punishment.
Earlier in the day, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) swiftly reacted to the incident, describing the Iraqi army’s use of force as “unconstitutional” and “contradicting the principles of the new Iraq.” The KRG called for an immediate halt to the military intervention, urging the prevention of further escalation.
The Monday clashes come despite recent advancements in Iraq’s legislature, including the passage of the Property Restitution Law last month.
The law aims to return lands confiscated, in Kirkuk and other disputed areas, during the Baathist era to their original Kurdish and Turkmen owners. These lands were previously given to Arab settlers, a practice believed to have been a push by the Baathist regime to alter the disputed regions’ demographic makeup.
Shakhawan Abdullah, the Iraqi legislature’s second deputy parliament speaker, asserted on Monday that the land restitution law was indeed ratified by the Iraqi presidency and will soon be implemented, with all obstacles to its enforcement now addressed.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of two ruling parties in the Kurdistan Region, urged Baghdad “to prevent the army from interfering in land restitution matters.” The PUK further urged the Iraqi army forces “to abide by their national and constitutional responsibilities” and refrain from interfering in internal affairs and using force against civilians.
This incident is not the first of its kind. In November, Iraqi armed forces also blocked farmers from preparing their fields for the winter season. The head of the Farmers Defense Committee, Mohammed Amin, then told Rudaw that Arab farmers were additionally preventing the Kurdish farmers from farming their lands.
Updated at 11:45 pm