What are US troops doing in Kirkuk?

Although the government frequently updates the starting point of Turkey's defense line based on developments, Kirkuk has been one of our unchanging defense lines throughout history.

When the AKP came to power, the Turkmen population in Kirkuk was 3.5 million. During the US invasion of Iraq, which was supported by the AKP, Kirkuk was one of the places that suffered the hardest blow. 

After the Turkmen population in the city was reduced to a minority through pressure, migration, and the destruction of population and land registry records, the stance on Kirkuk—which until that day was called our "red line"—shifted to being "equidistant to all ethnic groups"!..

And from 2003 to 2017, Kirkuk fell under the control of Kurdish parties, primarily the PUK, Talabani's party. For exactly 18 years, until 2023, no elections were held in Kirkuk.

When Barzani, a close friend of the AKP, organized an independence referendum for "Barzanistan" in 2017 and included Kirkuk in it; as the Iraqi government took control of Kirkuk's administration, sent away the Peshmerga, and placed Iraqi soldiers in the KDP building, Erdoğan admitted that there were "very serious changes and pressures in Kirkuk, and that demographic changes were being made." Furthermore, he stated, "Kirkuk is a Turkmen city" and "Kurds are in an occupying position in Kirkuk."

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, a partner in the People's Alliance, also reacted very harshly to the independence referendum, stating that if Iraq's territorial integrity were compromised, the National Pact (Misak-ı Milli) would be awakened, and challenged, "No power will be able to stand in the way of the right to say 82 Kirkuk, 83 Mosul, right after 81 Düzce."

In 2023, when Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani ordered the evacuation of the building where the Iraqi army had been stationed since 2017 and its return to the KDP, Kirkuk became chaotic, and both Turkmens and Arabs began protests. This time, Erdoğan declared, "Any action that would disrupt the structure of Kirkuk means disrupting the integrity of Iraq. Kirkuk, the Turkmen homeland, has been a geography where different cultures have lived together in peace for hundreds of years. We will not allow the peace and integrity of this geography to be disrupted."

But the Barzanis continue to return to Kirkuk and say, "Kirkuk is the heart of Kurdistan. We will not give up on Kirkuk."

8 Months Have Passed Since the Election

Following these reminders, let us report on the developments that have taken place in Kirkuk since the election held on December 18.

The PUK, chaired by Bafel Talabani—who has recently come to the fore for his patronage of the PKK/YPG—emerged as the leading party with 5 seats. Arabs came in second, Turkmens third, and the Barzanis' KDP fourth.

According to Iraqi law, at least 9 votes are required to elect a governor in the 16-seat Kirkuk Provincial Council; however, since no party could reach this number on its own, the council meeting that was supposed to be held on February 5 was postponed.

Fidan's Solution

During those days, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who met with journalists in Ankara, explained that they were following the election results and had met with Iraqi Turkmen Front leader Hasan Turan, before stating the following:

"The issue is where and how we will proceed regarding Kirkuk. Now, when you look at the election results, there is, of course, much debate among them currently about how much fraud was or was not committed in the elections. In fact, it appears that the PUK has unexpectedly increased its votes. What we want is for the previously established rule to be maintained; that is, it is important that a rotating governorship system among the parties continues. We continue to work to ensure there is no equation in the region where a PKK and PUK partnership establishes influence."

Since that time, the Kirkuk Council has been unable to convene, and fierce negotiations for the governorship and the council presidency continue.

While reports frequently emerge that Turkmens, Arabs, and the KDP have reached an agreement on a rotating governorship, the PUK insists that the governorship be given to the Kurds. Even Qubad Talabani, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Barzani-led government—who is Bafel Talabani's brother but is seen by Ankara as close to them—is among those who say, 'Kurds must come together to stop the oppression in Kirkuk... Looking at the votes we received as the PUK, the right to determine the governor belongs to us.'

In the following days, negotiations were held between the PUK and KDP, and an agreement was reached on 'appointing a Kurdish governor to Kirkuk,' while Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani also met with the parties.

During this process, although MIT Undersecretary İbrahim Kalın, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, and Chief of General Staff Metin Gürak visited Baghdad and Erbil, this situation in Kirkuk was not widely discussed. It was only reported that Turkmen representatives who met with Erdoğan during his Baghdad visit in April said, 'We demand that the Governor of Kirkuk be a Turkmen,' though it was not stated what Erdoğan said in response.

Finally, upon the call of Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani, the Kirkuk Council held its first meeting on July 11. However, because the parties could not reach an agreement, it lasted only half an hour and was postponed.

In the middle of last month, regarding the statement made by Iraqi Turkmen Front MP Erşat Salihi that 'We will determine the Kirkuk Governor with the KDP and the Arabs,' the PUK side reacted by saying, 'Such a step is putting Kirkuk, the heart of Kurdistan, up for sale,' while a scenario where the governorship would rotate between Kurdish and Arab components for 2 years—with the PUK's consent—effectively sidelining the Turkmens, also began to be voiced.

Pro-Government Media Declares Another 'Victory'

While this was the situation, the pro-government media claimed a new 'victory' in the last week of July, reporting: 'Turkey's initiatives have yielded results: A Turkmen governor will rule Kirkuk after 100 years.'

In reports based on diplomatic sources, it was stated that Turkey had been working on a rotating governorship model for a long time, and it was claimed: 'According to the agreement reached, Turkmens, Kurds, and Arabs will assume the governorship on a rotating basis. Thus, after 100 years, there will be a Turkmen governor in Kirkuk thanks to Turkey's initiatives.'

While our media has thus 'solved' the Gordian knot (!), the following events occurred afterward:

The PUK reiterated that the governorship should be given to them... Former Iraqi Turkmen Front President and MP Erşat Salihi requested that a temporary Arab governor be appointed to Kirkuk, at least so that the salaries of the Governor's Office and Assembly employees could be paid... The Assembly meeting expected to be held on August 1 was postponed at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani... Sudani held separate meetings with the parties in the Kirkuk Assembly... When the Arabs demanded that the governorship be given to them, Sudani said, 'It cannot happen without reaching a consensus.'

Seeking Help from Barzani

The most painful part is that Masoud Barzani, the head of the KDP, which seized Kirkuk after the US invasion and reduced the Turkmen to minority status, received a joint delegation consisting of Turkmen and Arab representatives. It was reported that views were exchanged on the developments in Kirkuk and efforts toward a solution were discussed during the meeting.

They Returned After 7 Years

And the most critical development:

It has been claimed that US soldiers, who were last deployed to Kirkuk on October 16, 2017, following the arrival of the Popular Mobilization Forces and the Iraqi army, re-entered the city 7 years later on August 3-4.

It was also stated that the US forces, which were stationed at the K1 military base 13 kilometers from the city center, brought 13 Hummer-brand armored vehicles with them.

Noting that US forces did not arrive to conduct joint operations with Iraqi security forces and that the military equipment in the vehicles indicates the soldiers have come to stay in the region for the long term, Barzani-affiliated media also shared the information that this is a "preparation to stabilize the security situation following the change of duty in the city and to avoid encountering any undesirable situations."

If true, it is obvious that the US and its puppets are preparing to settle into Kirkuk and are taking precautions against potential reactions!..

Let's see if Ankara can lift its head from Gaza for a moment and ask, "What are US soldiers doing in Kirkuk?"