ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s foreign minister said that the autonomous Kurdistan Region cannot include Kirkuk within its official borders, but that protecting it was fine.
“Kurdistan cannot delineate its border in this area because this is unconstitutional and not democratic,” Ibrahim Jafari said. “It is not unconstitutional to protect these areas,” he told Rudaw. “We will deal with these issues regarding Kirkuk constitutionally,” he added.
Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been in control of Kirkuk since the Iraqi Army fled an ISIS offensive in June.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has declared that the status of Kirkuk – which is part of the so-called “disputed territories” that Baghdad and Erbil both claim -- will be determined through a referendum.
Officials in Baghdad are angry because Kurdish forces have put in checkpoints around Kirkuk to stop Islamic State (ISIS) fighters from easily moving around.
Kamal Kirkuk, the former speaker of the Kurdistan parliament and politburo member of the dominant Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said that the Kurdish Peshmerga forces had stopped Kirkuk from falling into ISIS hands.
“If it was not for Peshmerga forces, Kirkuk would have fallen into the hands of ISIS, just like Mosul,” he said.
“Kurdistan cannot delineate its border in this area because this is unconstitutional and not democratic,” Ibrahim Jafari said. “It is not unconstitutional to protect these areas,” he told Rudaw. “We will deal with these issues regarding Kirkuk constitutionally,” he added.
Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been in control of Kirkuk since the Iraqi Army fled an ISIS offensive in June.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has declared that the status of Kirkuk – which is part of the so-called “disputed territories” that Baghdad and Erbil both claim -- will be determined through a referendum.
Officials in Baghdad are angry because Kurdish forces have put in checkpoints around Kirkuk to stop Islamic State (ISIS) fighters from easily moving around.
Kamal Kirkuk, the former speaker of the Kurdistan parliament and politburo member of the dominant Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said that the Kurdish Peshmerga forces had stopped Kirkuk from falling into ISIS hands.
“If it was not for Peshmerga forces, Kirkuk would have fallen into the hands of ISIS, just like Mosul,” he said.
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