Turkmen minister denounces "hasty" court ruling on Kirkuk's government

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Aydin Maruf Selim, described the Administrative Court's decision to dismiss the lawsuit against the local government of Kirkuk as "hasty," emphasizing the need for inclusive governance in the province.

Marouf expressed regret over the court's dismissal of the lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of Kirkuk's local government, which was filed by the Turkmen community, stating that "the decision was against the rights of the Turkmen component in Kirkuk."

He added that "the Turkmen are an influential and essential component of Iraq, and the decision contradicts the principles of coexistence in Kirkuk," stressing that the administration of the province should be a partnership among all its components.

On Wednesday, a judicial source told Shafaq News that "the Administrative Court dismissed the lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the session held at the Al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad, which was dedicated to electing the Kirkuk Provincial Council and the governor."

The source added that "the court definitively ruled that the procedures of the local government in Kirkuk are valid."

In August 2024, the governor and the head of the Kirkuk Provincial Council were elected in Baghdad without the participation of members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc and several Arab deputies. Rebwar Taha was appointed as governor, and Mohammed Hafiz as head of the Provincial Council.

Before the meeting in Baghdad, three blocs—the KDP, the Arab Coalition, and the Turkmen Front—announced their boycott of the session, declaring that the Provincial Council meeting that led to the election of the local government and the head of the Kirkuk Provincial Council was illegal, as they were not invited to attend.