Fuzuli Kirkuk News Agency
Iraq’s cabinet authorized preliminary, non-binding studies for new strategic export routes. A consortium involving Capital TI, Chevron and Qatar’s UCC will compare a Basra–Haditha–Kirkuk–Ceyhan route with a Basra–Haditha–Baniyas option, while KBR provides consultancy. The studies aim to diversify export outlets and reduce dependence on a limited number of corridors.
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Iraqi F-16 aircraft carried out three strikes on suspected ISIS hideouts in Kirkuk province. The operation followed a ground inspection of an earlier strike area and came after a clash in which an ISIS member and a Counter-Terrorism Service first lieutenant were killed. The report shows that small insurgent cells remain active despite the group’s territorial defeat.
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Turkish and Iraqi officials discussed the future of the Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline agreement, which was due to expire on July 27, 2026. Negotiations covered a replacement framework, improved use of the pipeline and possible new connections. The talks reflect both countries’ interest in maintaining a major northern export corridor while updating an aging legal and technical arrangement.
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Shop owners in the Majidiya Market rejected orders to vacate their premises for a redevelopment project, saying roughly 120 families depend on the businesses. The Kirkuk Investment Commission said agreements had been reached in 2023 and that affected tenants would receive replacement shops or compensation equal to four months’ rent. The dispute centers on livelihood protection, state property and redevelopment terms.
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Provincial council member Raad al-Saleh described the council’s role in reviewing complaints, investigating officials and approving projects, including the possibility of dismissing poorly performing department heads. He said the file for 7,000 public-sector appointments had moved to executive authorities and the federal Finance Ministry. The update addressed public frustration over delays and uncertainty in recruitment.
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The Interior Ministry planned a phased transfer of city, district and checkpoint duties from the Iraqi army to local police. Police officials said they were ready, while military commanders favored a gradual handover because of ethnic sensitivities and the continuing ISIS threat. Many residents reportedly prefer locally recruited police, but the transition requires careful coordination and political confidence.
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Political and administrative participation remains one of the core issues for the Turkmen community in Iraq.
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Local heritage in Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk, and Basra remains an essential part of Iraqi identity.
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Local initiatives highlight the role of women in education, culture, and volunteer work and confirm their growing presence.
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Football remains a unifying space for the Iraqi public at home and abroad and continues to strengthen feelings of belonging.
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The adoption of the constitution marked a turning point in Iraqi political life after 2003, with direct impact on representation and rights.
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The events of 2014 had a major impact on the residents of Nineveh, Tal Afar, and the Turkmen, reshaping local priorities.
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Kirkuk experienced major political and security changes during the year, shaping the features of the next phase.
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The COVID-19 pandemic affected education, work, services, and social life on a broad scale.
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The file of political representation for the components returned to the forefront with Iraq’s electoral process.
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The budget and oil prices were at the center of economic debate during the past year, with focus on projects, services, and salaries.
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Roads, water, electricity, and health remain among the core files that citizens pay increasing attention to.
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Digital platforms are giving Turkmen news broader space inside and outside Iraq and expanding its audience.
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Employment and vocational training opportunities remain recurring issues in Iraqi cities, especially among young people.
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Tal Afar is an important point in the historical and Turkmen memory of northern Iraq.
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The city needs balanced administration that considers representation, services, and social needs at the same time.
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Water and climate challenges are pushing the provinces to seek long-term solutions and expand cooperation between institutions.
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Civic and cultural initiatives highlight the importance of education and language in preserving Turkmen identity in Iraq.
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The energy sector continues to influence the general budget, employment opportunities, and basic services across the provinces.
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The Turkmen cultural presence in Kirkuk reflects the city’s historical place within Iraq’s diverse social fabric.
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As temperatures rise, pressure on electricity, water, transport, and sanitation is increasing across Baghdad and the provinces, while citizens continue to demand improved basic services.
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Iraq asked Turkey to extend the Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline agreement for at least one year beyond its scheduled July 27 expiry. Baghdad said the extension would provide time to negotiate a modern replacement arrangement while preserving continuity in northern crude exports. The request underlined the pipeline’s importance to federal export strategy and regional energy relations.
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Faisal Hammadi al-Jibouri was appointed director of the Northern Oil Company after about three decades of service. The company manages five fields and has roughly 17,000 employees. The new leadership faces questions over community representation, pipeline attacks, illegal tapping, field security and the transition of wider Kirkuk security responsibilities.
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Farmers objected to a reduced government purchase price of 500,000 dinars per ton for wheat grown outside the official cultivation plan, compared with 700,000 dinars for approved land. They said production costs approached 400,000 dinars per ton and that checkpoint delays damaged crops. Protesters also demanded overdue 2025 payments and equal treatment for roughly 100,000 hectares.
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Kirkuk stopped mass dog culling after opening a shelter in 2023, but the facility lacks a stable budget for food, water and veterinary care. It reportedly holds about 700 adult dogs and 150 puppies and relies heavily on donors and restaurant leftovers. Overcrowding and untreated illness have led to deaths, renewing debate over humane population control.
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Kirkuk prepared to receive wheat from June 1 by expanding storage capacity by about 150,000 tons and coordinating 16 collection or storage sites. Agriculture, security and civil-defense bodies planned continuous operations, with special procedures in areas exposed to ISIS risks. The expansion was intended to reduce congestion and protect the harvest during the peak delivery period.
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Six Arab members of the Kirkuk Provincial Council announced a unified bloc led by former acting governor Rakan al-Jibouri. The move followed internal disagreements and was presented as a mechanism for coordinating political and administrative positions. The bloc seeks stronger collective influence over appointments, services and representation within the province’s divided council.
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The Interior Ministry detained the police director responsible for security and personnel affairs along with four other officers. Investigators alleged that checkpoint bribes were accepted to allow smuggled goods to move between the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk. The case remained under investigation, and possible charges under Iraq’s anti-bribery provisions had not yet been finally determined.
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A Kirkuk Provincial Council session elected heads of security and administrative-balance committees and discussed residency or ration documents for 7,000 new appointees. Members also considered replacing department directors who had remained in the same post for more than four years, allocating land to journalists and supporting volunteer teachers. Absences and political disagreements continued to affect decision-making.
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Railway officials said technical assessments and design work had been completed for restoring train services to Kirkuk. If funding is approved, passenger operations could return in roughly 18 months, alongside rehabilitation of the al-Fatha and Canal bridges. The line has been largely inactive since 2003, so reopening would reconnect Kirkuk with the national rail network.
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After 614 days of boycotts, court disputes and negotiations, the provincial council elected Mohammed Samaan as governor and Taha as deputy governor under a rotation arrangement. The result gave a Turkmen politician the governorship for the first time in roughly a century. The KDP was absent, and the agreement anticipated later rotation to an Arab candidate.
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Political sources said the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan had agreed to hand the Kirkuk governorship to the Iraqi Turkmen Front. Mohammed Samaan was identified as the probable nominee, although the exact timing remained unsettled. The reported deal formed part of a broader rotation of provincial offices intended to distribute power among Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen blocs.
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Oil shipments from Kirkuk to Ceyhan resumed after an interruption of about 35 months, with 2.77 million barrels reported transported in March. The restart helped narrow a long-running Baghdad–Erbil dispute over production and exports. However, Iraq was simultaneously facing severe revenue pressure from wider regional conflict and disruptions to national oil income.
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Kirkuk’s Agriculture Department rejected a provincial council request to suspend measures involving unused or disputed agricultural contracts. It argued that the matter falls under the sovereign authority of the federal ministry and intersects with Article 140 decisions. The dispute also relates to a 2025 land-return law that could restore at least 300,000 dunams to Kurdish and Turkmen owners.
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Mohammed Othman, a 23-year-old father of a three-month-old baby, was swept away while attempting to cross the Shor River near Tarjal and Laylan after his motorcycle stalled. Rescue teams recovered his body two days later. The incident followed heavy rain and civil-defense warnings, underscoring the danger of crossing flooded waterways.
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Iraq’s Defense Ministry said a projectile struck the Kirkuk airbase and started a fire that was brought under control. No casualties were reported, and officials said the facility was used only by Iraqi aircraft. The incident occurred amid heightened regional tensions, but authorities reported no major operational damage.
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Iraq’s parliament called for rehabilitation and renewed operation of the Kirkuk–Ceyhan export pipeline. Lawmakers emphasized protecting export outlets and maintaining federal authority over oil production, transport and distribution. The route passes from Kirkuk through western Mosul, Zummar and Faysh Khabur before entering Turkey, making it strategically important for northern exports.
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Iraq temporarily halted roughly 220,000 barrels per day of Kirkuk crude production because of drone and missile risks. No direct damage to facilities had been reported, and the suspension was described as a preventive step to protect personnel and infrastructure. The interruption affected fields whose exports had only resumed in September 2025.
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Fourteen parties and coalitions—seven Arab, five Kurdish and two Turkmen—competed for 12 general parliamentary seats in Kirkuk, plus one minority quota seat. About 960,000 voters and 251 candidates, including 76 women, were involved. The large number of Arab lists raised concerns that vote fragmentation could reduce their ability to convert support into seats.
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The Kurdistan Democratic Party said it expected to improve its vote after returning to active political campaigning in Kirkuk. The party fielded 24 candidates and planned to mobilize an estimated 15,000–20,000 Kirkuk voters living in the Kurdistan Region. Its platform emphasized federalism, Article 140 and a peaceful, competitive campaign.
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A family alleged that five traffic police officers assaulted a truck driver near the Darman checkpoint. Both sides filed complaints, and the matter was referred to court, while the Kirkuk Traffic Directorate declined to comment. Because the claims had not been judicially established, the report presented them as allegations rather than confirmed findings.
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With 958,141 eligible voters and 13 parliamentary seats—including a Christian quota seat and at least three seats reserved for women—an average seat was estimated to require about 74,000 votes. The election attracted 251 candidates, 76 of them women. The calculation offered a rough benchmark rather than a guaranteed threshold because the final allocation depends on list performance and electoral rules.
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Kirkuk’s first international book fair brought together about 60 publishers from nine countries but drew fewer visitors than exhibitors expected. Weak promotion was widely blamed, and at least half of participating sellers reportedly suffered financial losses. Despite the poor commercial outcome, organizers and writers viewed the event as an important first step for the city’s cultural life.
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Twin sisters Lana and Ronia from Daquq achieved final-school scores of 99% and 96%. They studied in a public school and said they often worked for around 14 hours a day with support from their family and teachers. Their achievement was highlighted as a positive story amid broader challenges facing public education in the district.
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The Iraqi Turkmen Front called on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to oversee changes in Kirkuk’s local administration. It sought stronger Turkmen participation and a more balanced distribution of security, service and administrative posts. The party framed the request as necessary for national unity, institutional fairness and confidence among the province’s communities.
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Kirkuk’s Food Supply Directorate said ration-card information would be updated only through a smartphone application. Missing the deadline could temporarily suspend a family’s entitlement, and national identification was required for children and other household members. Special assistance was promised for people with disabilities, divorced women and technical cases, while geolocation could block families outside Iraq.
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Kirkuk launched a natural forest project covering a planned 6,000 dunams near Khasa Dam. The first phase called for planting 10,000 trees across 100 dunams, with goals including recreation, erosion control and reducing desertification. The project formed part of a wider provincial campaign to plant about 70,000 trees.
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