Kurdish Policy Analysis

  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj / Kurdish Policy Analysis Nearly two decades after Iraq's Constitution mandated a roadmap for Kirkuk's future, Article 140 remains unimplemented, leaving one of the country's most strategic and contested provinces at the center of political conflict. Article 140 remains Iraq's constitutional roadmap for resolving Kirkuk's disputed status, but years of political deadlock have left the process incomplete. A Constitutional Promise Yet to Be Fulfilled Few issues in Iraq have generated as much political debate as the future of Kirkuk. Known for its vast oil reserves and extraordinary ethnic diversity, the province has long been claimed by competing political forces. Kurds describe Kirkuk as the "heart of Kurdistan," many Turkmen regard it as the historic center of Iraq's Turkmen community, while many Arab political parties insist it should remain under Baghdad's administration. To resolve these competing claims peacefully,...

  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj / Kurdish Policy Analysis Kirkuk's Entry Into Turkic Municipal Union Sparks Political Debate Over Transparency and Constitutional Status Provincial officials welcome potential investment opportunities but demand details of agreements reached in Ankara, while Kurdish leaders insist Kirkuk's future can only be decided through Article 140 of Iraq's Constitution. Kirkuk's membership in the Union of Turkish World Municipalities has triggered debate over transparency, investment, and the province's disputed constitutional status. Kirkuk Joins Turkic Municipal Union Kirkuk's admission to the Union of Turkish World Municipalities (TDBB) has opened a new political debate in Iraq, with provincial officials seeking greater transparency over commitments made during Governor Mohammed Seman Agha's recent visit to Ankara. While supporters see the move as an opportunity to attract investment and deepen cooperation with Turkey, critics argue th...

By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj How did Zaydi shape the power of his ministers? As coalition parties battle over cabinet posts, Iraq's new prime minister may already have won the real contest by transferring security authority away from ministries and into his own office. After 74 days, the political parties realized that the struggle over the unfilled ministries is not only about the names of the ministers, but also about their powers. Suddenly, the parties are faced with a new reality: two civilian ministries (interior and defence) are still at the negotiating table, but their powers are being transferred elsewhere; Especially into the "Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces," which has been reactivated and expanded by Prime Minister Ali Zayed . After Zaidi took over a large part of the security decisions, one party reportedly proposed a “swap of positions”, that is, giving a position in exchange for a security ministry. So far, the government is run with only 14 mi...

By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj Kurdish Policy Analysis A leaked account from a closed-door Coordination Framework meeting suggests Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is facing growing resistance from influential Shiite political leaders as Iraq confronts one of its most dangerous security dilemmas since the defeat of ISIS. A leaked Coordination Framework meeting reveals sharp disagreements over militia disarmament, with Iraq's prime minister warning he may resign if armed groups remain beyond state control. ‘Resignation Is Not Bad’: Leaked Meeting Exposes Deep Divisions Over Iraq's Militia Disarmament Plan A leaked account of a high-level Coordination Framework meeting has offered a rare glimpse into the increasingly tense political struggle surrounding one of Iraq's most sensitive national security issues: the future of armed groups operating outside full state control. According to information circulated by the Kurdish social media outlet TPanjara, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi...