WKI Position Paper: The Territorial Status of Kirkuk
Washington Kurdish Institute
November 2007
This position paper by Washington Kurdish Institute addresses the administrative status of Kirkuk governorate (province) and Kirkuk city within the Federal Republic of Iraq.
Introduction
The status of Kirkuk is a critical issue for Iraq’s post-Saddam constitutional democracy. The process for resolving this status is written in Article 140 of the Iraq Constitution, which was overwhelmingly approved by Iraq’s people in a democratic referendum in 2005. As addressed in this position paper by Washington Kurdish Institute (WKI), the framework of Article 140 remains the only feasible and just option available.
Article 140 calls for the normalization of Kirkuk’s status, including the proper restoration of its pre-1968 boundaries, to be followed by a referendum on its unification with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). This should now proceed. It is a constitutional obligation of the government of Iraq, a test of its commitment to constitutional politics, and a foundation for a lasting settlement of the issue.
This paper also seeks to provide context for the Kirkuk issue. Kirkuk’s citizens – specifically its Kurds and Turkomen – were victims of an ethnic cleansing, expulsion, and ‘Arabization’ campaign carried out by the Baathist regime during three and a half decades of absolute rule. A peaceful, just, and democratic future for Kirkuk will only be possible if the government reverses these crimes, and makes substantial reparation, as specified by Article 140.
Kirkuk’s administration cannot function properly without a resolution of its status. “The Territorial Status of Kirkuk” makes the case for Kirkuk to unify with the KRG on democratic, strategic, and historical grounds. It also argues for a vigorous local administration in Kirkuk city that fairly represents all of its citizens.
The postponement of a resolution to Kirkuk’s status can only leave it increasingly vulnerable to the destructive elements that threaten the rest of Iraq, where social justice, security, and political progress have been very difficult to attain.
The people of Kirkuk, who suffered years of dictatorship and state-sponsored repression under Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime, deserve better than the delays they are currently experiencing. A concerted effort to address their plight is not just a constitutional obligation, but a moral necessity.
Dr. Najmaldin Karim, President
Washington, D.C.
November 2007