Turkey on Monday welcomed the formal assumption of office by a Turkmen governor in Iraq’s multiethnic, oil-rich city of Kirkuk, describing the development as a “historic” step toward inclusive governance.
Mohammed Samaan Agha, leader of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF), was elected Kirkuk governor on April 16 after months of negotiations to form a local government. The vote took place during a provincial council session that had been postponed multiple times.
Mohammed Samaan Agha
“The election of a Turkmen governor for Kirkuk, a province with cultural diversity and plural social fabric, is a highly significant and historic development in terms of inclusivity, fair representation and consolidation of social peace,” the ministry said, adding that Turkey sees it as a “long-overdue acknowledgement” of the rights of Iraq’s Turkmen community.
Turkmens are a Turkic-speaking minority in Iraq, with their population commonly estimated at around 3 million, although exact figures are disputed due to the lack of reliable census data.
Turkey sees the Turkmen community in Iraq as closely linked to itself and as a key part of its Iraq policy. It has long promoted protecting their rights and ensuring political representation while supporting Iraq’s unity.
According to the Erbil-based Rudaw news website, the vote required navigating the deeply divided 16-seat Kirkuk Provincial Council, where at least nine members are needed to form a quorum and pass decisions.
Kirkuk is home to a diverse population of Turkmens, Kurds and Arabs.
The council includes six Arab members, five from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), two from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and two representing Turkmens. The single Christian quota seat is aligned with the PUK.
Agha’s election followed the resignation of former governor Rebwar Taha of the PUK, who had been appointed in August 2024, marking the return of a Kurdish governor to the post for the first time since 2017.
Speaking after his election, Agha said his administration would serve all residents without discrimination. “We have come to be servants of Kirkuk,” he said, pledging to improve healthcare, education, security and infrastructure, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
His election prompted celebrations among some members of the Turkmen community, who see it as a milestone after decades without holding the governorship in Kirkuk.
Control of the oil-rich province has long been disputed between Iraq’s central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which administers much of northern Iraq.
Iraqi federal forces retook Kirkuk and other disputed areas from Kurdish authorities in 2017 following a controversial independence referendum.