Altin Kopru: A Historical Overview

1.0 CHAPTER ONE

BRIEF HISTORY OF ALTIN KOPRU

Altin Kopru is a small old ancient Turkmen [] sub district located at 40km to the north of Kirkuk and the city lies to the north-west of Kirkuk. It is at a distance of 50km away from Erbil. [] Altin Kopru means 'Golden Bridge' in the Turkish language.

The indigenous inhabitants of Altin Kopru are Turkmens, but in the mid of fifties of the nineteenth century and also in the recent years, a large number of Kurds and Arabs migrated to this town seeking work as economical migrants, especially, after the Kurdish rebellion in 1975 was quelled by the Iraqi Ba’ath regime. Altin Kopru is a Turkmen authentic and it is one of the many Turkmen ancient sub districts. [][] Altin Kopru is approximately located between Erbil and Kirkuk. It is situated on the banks of al-Zāb al-Asfal (Little Zab) River. The Little Zab River, the Little Zab Arabic: (Kucik Zab) Turkmen, (Zēʾi Koya), Syriac. The historian indicated that the that Zab River was known as Altin Su (Golden Water), after the construction of the two bridges over Altin Su (golden river), the name of sub-district was changed to Altin Su Kopru (golden water bridge), and with time, the word of Su was omitted, the name became Altin Kopru . The Altin Su (Little Zab) divides the Altin Kopru into three main sections.

Buyuk Yakha (Salahi Neighbourhood) toward Kirkuk Orta Yakha Hay Tesin toward Erbil “Kucik Kopru Mahalesi and Kucik Yakha”

The river of Altin Su (Golden River) was called as Zap Shablu also Kapres called in the Assyrian era, but also was called as Zap Alasfel during the Islamic era but commencing from the fourteen century the river was called as Altin Su but the later means golden water in Turkish language.[] The river at the entrance of the city branches into two, dividing the city into three parts namely Salahiya, Orta Yaka and Tesin, at the exit of the city, the two branches merge to form the river. The river was having been as an important economical source for the population. The water from the river is used for watering orchards and especially vegetables farms and the township is well-known for its quality of fish and handcraft especially handmade baskets. The river was also used for irrigation of the plants and vegetable that is grown in the area. Altin Kopru has very fertile land so a wide range of vegetable are produced in the area. The produced vegetables are well known for its quality and these products were sold to Kirkuk, Baghdad and southern cities of Iraq. The population of Altin Kopru gradually increased and the necessity of the transportation of agriculture products and the movement of the people between the two sides of the river a building bridge was necessary. A bridge was build between the Orta Yaka and Salihi neighbourhood and the bridge was called Altin Su Koprusu but with the time the name of the bridge of Altin Su Koprusu was shortened to Altin Kopru Bridge. The steel truss bridges, the existing ones, were built on the ruins of old bridges constructed in the form of arches made of natural stones, spanning whole width of the river. The river is quite deep and rich with a good quality of fish. The river of the flow Altin Kopru toward the Kirkuk province site is faster than the water flow at the Erbil province site. The town ship bridge name Altin Kopru Bridge was mentioned by various historians and researchers such as German Historian Hoffman, Turkish historian Farooq Somer, and Iraqi researcher such as the Iraqi historian Abdulrazaq Alhuseini, Yagoob Serkis, Towfeek Wahbi, Jamel Baban and others.[]

The town ship of Altin Kopru is located in low land and it is surrounded by the hills, valleys and mountains and it is located in the mid of city of Erbil and Kirkuk. The township of Altin Kopru is surrounded with tress and has beautiful and stunning landscape as the result of that a large number of the people from Kirkuk travels to Altin Kopru for picnic and especially during the summer ad spring time. Altin Kopru is historical place but until now the Iraq weaken a historical excavation and although the town is a place for several saints and religious tombs.

The geographical location of Altin Kopru as a link and interception point between Erbil and Kirkuk, Baghdad and Mosul provinces. According to the historian the sub district was named Altin Kopru due to a verity of interpretation including:- At the start of the construction the bridge of Altin Kopru in the sub district a gold ring was suspended on the bridge which has a long length 116m. A silver ring was suspended on the shorter bridge which was 54meters long. The other historian states that the name of Altin Kopru is derived from that the people of the city of Altin Kopru have collected pieces of gold from the inhabitants of the sub district prior to building of this bridge. Some historian states that because of the fertility of the territories and, agricultural land and its wide range of its agricultural products which was the equivalent value of the gold. It is likely the name of Altin Kopru derived from the Sultan Murat IV. As he passes from Altin Kopru during his visit to Baghdad in 1683 had he ordered the establishment of the two bridges to carry commercial and military equipment and the historian also reveals that Sultan Murat IV had donated two pieces of gold that hung above each bridge. The name of Altin Kopru is derived from two Turkish words, Altin Kopru and Altin Kopru meaning bridge in the Turkish language. Kopru means a bridge, thus the name of Altin Kopru stands for golden bridge in the Turkmen language. []

The Turkmen clans and families that are inhibited in Altin Kopru are considered as indigenous people of the city. The root of the Turkmen people inhibited in Altin Kopru is derived from Turkish Oguz clans who originally migrated from central Asia and settled at various parts of Iraq in general and practically in Kirkuk, Erbil, Diyala and Mosul, this settlement was after the Sumerian settlement in Iraq. But after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003 and a weak central government in Baghdad. The Kurdish regional government in North of Iraq annexed a large area outer of the Kurdish regional Government and also changed the name of various Turkmen districts and sub district name to Kurdish names such as changing the name of the Turkmen township of Altin Kopru to Bardi, this changes was implemented without the approval of the people, without approval of the central government and with carrying out any referendum, but this change was impose on the people by the Kurdish militia whom were supported by the US and British forces. The main objective and the goal of the Kurdish Regional Government is that to change the demography of the area so that would be easier for the Kurdish Regional Government to annex it to the Kurdish Regional Government territory.

POPULATION

The population of the inhabitant in Altin Kopru are mainly Turkmen, but after the fall of the Saddam Hussein government a large number of Kurds brought by the Kurds to the township. Also Saddam Hussein government brought a large number of Arab tribes from the south of Iraq to the area and established a large number of villages and Arab settlement in the area. The objective of the Saddam Hussein government was that to reduce the Turkmen population in the area also to change the demography of township. The main spoken language in Turkmen of Altin Kopru is Turkmen and the Turkmen of Altin Kopru has special and a unique Turkmen accent. Many Iraqi historians indicate that the people of Altin Kopru are descendent solely from one tribe as this was indicated by the historian Mr. Muhsin Bahjat, who clearly indicated that the Turkmen of Altin Kopru have a different accent than the Turkmen people whom are living in Turkmeneli. In addition, he stated the Turkmen of Altin Kopru were descent from the Yaqutiyin and other tribe whom originally migrated from central Asia and settled in Altin Kopru. By the time the Turkmen settled in Altin Kopru at Orta Yaka hill “Hathabat Orta Yaka” and they have build two walls, one internal wall and the other was outer wall to protect themselves from outer attacks. Altin Kopru was called as a Simur by the Assyrian. Also the name of Altin Kopru was stated in the Thafernama by the Parisian historian Sharafedin Ali Al_Yazdi 1424. [] Some other resources stated that, at the mid of the fourteen century, the Turkmen prince of the Estate of Kara Koyunli, Bayram Koja used to spent his time in the summer season at the Van lake in Erzurum province in Turkey whereas Bayram Koja spent his time in winter season in Altin Kopru and Kirkuk. Other historians indicate that the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Murad IV went through the township of Altin Kopru in 1638 during his campaign of retaken Baghdad from the Safavid dynasty. Some sources indicates that the Altin bridge was built by Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Murad IV but according to the reliable sources, that the Altin Kopru bridge was built prior to Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Murad IV.[] The township of Altin Kopru also was mentioned by the Portuguese explorer Afsu in his travelling memoir in (973AH-1565AD) as Altin Kopru also the township was mentioned in 1576AD by the German traveller Rolwolf in his memoir as Altin Kopru while going through it. In addition, Altin Kopru was mentioned by the Turkish writer Katib Cheli and also Altin Kopru also was mentioned by the Indian explorer who was working for the Indian Eastern company, the surgeon doctor Eyfiz during his visit to the region in 1758AD. In addition the township was visited by the English explorer Bellingham in 1816 and also the researcher Hartfield visited Altin Kopru and draw its old stone bridge that connected Orta Yakha neighbourhood to the Salahi neighbourhood and he stated in his memoir that the bridge history goes back to the third century. The township of Altin Kopru also was mentioned by the well-known British explorer Reach in his memoir in 1813.

TRADITIONAL CLOTHES

The Turkmen men in Altin Kopru wear traditional clothes called Zubun Jacket that consist of a jacket and long dress often made of the same material and colour. They also wear a scarf which is known among the public as Jamadani and also wear a hat on the head. The hat which is known by the Turkmen as Burk which normally is white colour and is often made of wool or cotton. The people also wear special shoes known as Kelash which consist of leather soul and knitted top using wool or cotton.

The houses in Altin Kopru are often made of mud and mixed with hay. The logs from trees are used for selling. However, the overwhelming majority of the houses in Altin Kopru are made of from bricks with a flat roof using concrete or mud mixed with hay. During the hot summer season, the people of the sub district sleep on the roof of the houses to avoid the extreme summer heat and enjoy the night breeze and blue sky filled with thousands of shinny stars.

LANGUAGE OF THE TURKMEN ALTIN KOPRU

The language that is currently used in Altin Kopru consists of Turkmen, Kurdish and Arabic. However the Turkmen language is the most dominant language in the sub district. Still the overwhelming majority of Altin Kopru is Turkmens. The most common and out spoken language in Turkmeneli is Turkish dialect.[] This is part of the Western Turkish language group that also includes the Turkish spoken in Turkey, Cyprus, the Balkans, Iranian Azerbaijan (Republic of South Azerbaijan) and Republic of Azerbaijan, Northern Syria, Turkmenistan and Southern Turkistan and the Turkmen of Afghanistan. The Turkmen language, with various accents, is closer to the Turkish spoken language in both Azerbaijan and Urfa in Southeastern Turkey rather than the Turkmen language in the Republic of Turkmenistan (central Asia). The Iraqi Turkmen language is drawn from two major sources. The first and foremost is the spoken language and local dialect spoken in Altin Kopru, Tuz Khormatu, Telafer Erbil, Kirkuk and other main Turkish areas. In general, these belong to Azeri Turkish. Although local Turkish dialects show degrees of similarities, differences are found in local dialects spoken in different cities, towns, villages and, even, neighbourhoods. This can be attributed to the fact that different Turkish clans settling in Iraq from the 11th Century and onwards have slightly different dialects. Spoken language is the foundation of Iraqi Turkmen culture, folk literature, group identity, ethnic consciousness and world outlook. The spoken mother tongue is naturally passed on to new generations and this, naturally, creates a strong bond uniting the Turkish-speaking people of Iraq. The overwhelming population of the city according to the census that was carried out in 1957 were a Turkmen, but prior to the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime the populations of the city were 11.560.00. The majority of inhabitants in Turkmeneli and especially in Altin Kopru speak Turkmen language, and a dialect of Turkish is used nearly throughout the city. [][] However, the Arabization policies implemented by the Iraqi state from 1970s onwards forcing the Turkmen population to speak Arabic. Since the Arabization policy that was introduced by the Saddam Hussein to Arabize the Turkmen populated area and dilute the Turkmen into the Arabic society, consequently Arabic language was forced on the Turkmen as an official language in Iraq. The Turkmen in Turkmeneli were prevented from utilization their own language as a mean of education. A Turkmen dialect is nearly used throughout the Turkmeneli but unfortunately, compulsory education in Arabic has led to the weakening and deterioration of the spoken Turkmen language from generation to generation. In fact, the older generation with no formal education speaks relatively purer and more correct Turkmen than the young generation those who were educated during the Saddam Hussein regime. The formal written Turkish is the second major source of the Turkish language in Iraq. Local dialects have not found their place in written literature. Turkmen have adopted formal Anatolian Turkish for written language. Up until the 16th Century, the literary works of Turkmen were in an Azeri dialect and this can, perhaps, be named old Anatolian Turkish; but from the second half of that century and onwards, the written literature of the Turkmen has came under the influence of the rising Ottoman language, a western Turkish dialect. After the separation of the Turkmen lands from the mainland, Turkey as a result of the defeat of the Ottoman Empire by the British forces in the First World War. The Turkmen have continued with their preference for Anatolian Turkish by using Arabic characters in their education and literature. Turkmen writers have followed the simplification movement in Turkish literature. Although it was already lagging behind, it came to a halt in 1975 when the Iraqi government banned all publications, even newspapers and magazines, from Turkey. This forced Turkmen writers to work self-sufficiently, relying solely on Turkish radio broadcasts. After the fall of Saddam Hussein regime the Turkmen culture and languages stared to revive and on the 19th of August 2003 Turkmen broadcasting started and in the year 2004 a first newspaper published under the name of Al_Huda, Turkmeneli, Al_Qala_ Kirkuk, Somer, Isek, Kardeslik, Safak and so on, gradually hundreds of books were published in the writing world especially in the Turkish language and which of all of these started to appear on the internet, all these have played tremendous roles in reviving and promoting the Turkmen language and literature. However, broadcasting the Turkmen language by Turkmeneli Television, training the Turkmen teachers and educating the Turkmen Students in the Turkish Universities this had helped tremendously to revive the Turkmen culture, education and language again after being subjected to neglect by the Saddam Hussein regime for 35 years.

RELIGION OF THE TURKMEN

The old religion of the Turkmen was Al_Shamaniya, Judaism, Buddhism and Zaradishet but the Turkmen converted to Islam after Islamic forces conquered central Asia. The majority of Turkmen are Muslims. The Muslim Turkmen are divided into two Muslim faiths: Shiite and Sunni. The Sunni Turkmen are divided into Hanafi and Shafei. The Turkmen religion in Turkmeneli structure Sunnis and Shiites. They are in close contact with each other and intermarriages are usually between two sects. In the city of Altin Kopru, the Turkmen are Sunni, the Turkmen in Turkmeneli have never being considered themselves as Sunni or Shi’aa but they have considered themselves as a Turkmen first. After the occupation of Iraq by the Americans, British and Kurdish militia in 2003. The sectarian identity commenced occurring amongst the Iraqi people. This was a policy of the occupation forced to be divided and easy to rule. They have tried several times to divide the Turkmen and to fight each other and especially in the Turkmen district of Telafer but this would not work.

THE WEATHER IN ALTINKOPRU

The weather in the Altin Kopru can be divided into four seasons; winter, spring summer and autumn. It is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Average temperatures follow a similar gradient, with the mountain valleys generally experiencing colder winters than the foothill zone, while summers in the latter are hotter. During the summer time a large number of families from Kirkuk would head to Altin Kopru for picnics and to avoid the extreme summer heat since Altin Kopru is covered with tress along its river. The luck of organisation and life guards a number of people drown in the river each year.

The Little Zab passes through of Altin Kopru and two dams have been constructed on the Little Zab; and are the Dukan dam and the Dibis dam. The Dukan Dam was constructed between 1957 and 1961 and its functions are to regulate the flow of the Little Zab, to store water for irrigation in its reservoir called Dukan Lake and to provide hydroelectric power.

The Dibis dam is located approximately 130 kilometres upstream from the confluence with the Tigris. The Dibis dam was constructed between 1960 and 1965. The dam provides water for the Kirkuk Irrigation Project for the irrigation of land. The dam has a capacity of 4,000cms through the spillway and 278cms through the head regulator (diversion to the Kirkuk Irrigation Project). Inflow is from Dukan dam, approximately 140 km upstream. The Little Zab River passes Altin Kopru and the source of the Little Zab originates in Islamic Republic of Iran and joins the Tigris River in northern of Iraq. The river is approximately 400km long. The river is fed by rainfall and snowmelt, resulting in a peak discharge in spring and low water in summer and early fall. The Little Zab rises in the Zagros Mountains in Iran. In its upper reaches, the course of the Little Zab is determined by the alignment of the major mountain chains that make up the Zagros. Thus, the river flows through valleys that are predominantly aligned along a Northwest-Southeast axis, parallel to the major mountain chains of the Zagros, only to change its direction abruptly where it cuts through these chains in narrow gorges. The Little Zab enters south of Dukan, where it first assumes a roughly westward course before turning to the southwest upstream from the town of Altin Kopru and uniting with the Tigris River near the town of Shaykh. Most tributaries join the Little Zab upstream from Dukan. A number of smaller streams joined the Little Zab in the Ranya Plain. Different estimates have been given for the length of the Little Zab. The Little Zab forms the border between Iran and Iraq, along its lower course it also constitutes the border between Erbil governorate which is controlled by KDP leader Mustafa Barzani and Sulymaniya governorate which is controlled by the PUK leader Jalal Talabani. The river is fed by snowmelt and rainfall, resulting in a peak discharge in the period February to May, whereas low water levels are recorded for the period July to October. On the north, it is bordered by the Great Zab basin while on the south it is adjoined by the basins of the Al_uthaim and Diyala rivers. The parallel mountain ranges of the Zagros consist of limestone folds rising to elevations over 3,000 metres. Water erosion has filled the Little Zab valley and the foothill zone south-west of the Zagros with layers of gravel, conglomerate, and sandstone. The Ranya Plain is the largest valley in the Little Zab drainage basin, and the second-largest in the Iraqi Zagros behind the Sanjak of Mosul Vilayet.The Little Zab crosses very diverse climatic and ecological zones. Annual precipitation along the course of the river diminishes from over 1,000 millimetres in the Iranian Zagros to less than 200 millimetres at the confluence with the Tigris River. The river valleys are characterized by water-loving plants, although the foothill zone especially the plain of Erbil is heavily cultivated, patches of natural vegetation.[]

ADMINISTRATION

Administratively, Altin Kopru was a part of Kirkuk but after the formation of the district of Dibis (Numera Sekiz) by the Baath Regime had made the sub district as a part of the newly established district of Dibis. In Altin Kopru, there are five primary schools, one secondary school, one high school and one main hospital. At the present Altin Kopru is a sub district linked to province of Kirkuk.

ART AND CRAFT

The city of Altin Kopru is extremely famous for its agriculture products, beekeeping, handcrafting and fishing. The people in district are heavily involved in the fishing. Various types of fish are found in the Altin Kopru. The fertile lands of the district made it suitable territory to produce vegetable and other products. The sub district cryptographic, aesthetic and natural beauty where surrounded by the trees forests making it the focus of attention of visitors and travellers from throughout Iraq. The city has notorious character and extremely popular for its handcrafts products including pottery, baskets, textures, carpets as well as woodcraft (scalper). In addition, a large section of the population works in governmental administration.

2.0 CHAPTER TWO

2.1 UPRISING 1991 KURDS & SHI’AA UPRISING AND MASSACRE OF THE TURKMEN IN ALTIN KOPRU

Almost immediately after Iraq accepted the ceasefire in 3 March, 1991 uprisings began to spread from dissident areas in the north and south of the country. Shi’aa in Basra, Najaf and Karbala in southern Iraq took to the streets in protest against the regime. Turkmen and Kurds in the north persuaded the local military to switch sides. Suleimaniyah was the first large city to fall. Within a week the Kurds controlled the Kurdish Autonomous Region and the nearby city of Kirkuk. In mid-February, President Bush Snr. had called on the Iraqi people and military to take matters into their own hands. But the hope for US support never came. Instead, Iraqi helicopter gunships arrived. Civilians and suspected rebels were executed en masse, and hospitals, schools, mosques, shrines and columns of escaping refugees were bombed and shelled. During the uprising in March 1991 against the Iraqi regime, the inhabitants of the Altin Kopru had decided to leave the town after they heard that Kirkuk was re-taken by the Iraqi regime, looting, burning property and summary execution were taking place. With news of the summary executions, opposition to the Iraqi regime quickly spread to Altin Kopru. To avoid reprisal, persecution and revenge from the Iraqi secret service and republican guard, the inhabitants of the town decided to escape and shelter in safe areas. The fleeing population from Altin Kopru were ambushed and rounded up by the Iraqi army, and the consequence was that all males were separated from females and the Iraqi armed forces and Iraqi secret service on the spot executed hundreds of Iraqi Turkmen’s and Kurds. It took two-week from this despicable crime against the civilian people before the relatives of the dead people were allowed to be recovered and to be buried by their families. The Iraq government then confiscated the properties of these martyrs. The dead were buried in a mass grave by Saddam Special Forces and their bodies were later founding a mass grave in Dibis, near Kirkuk. The names of the Turkmen martyrs are shown in the list below. [] Lists of the name of the Turkmen were executed in Altin Kopru by the Saddam Hussein regime.

On 1st March, 2005, the Turkmen martyrs’ names on the commemorating sign in Altin Kopru were vandalized and deliberately disfigured by the Kurdish militia with graffiti. The sign was created in remembrance of the massacre of more than 135 Turkmen by the Ba’ath regime during the uprising of 1991. This action, carried out by the paramilitary militia, was designed to terrorize and provoke the Turkmen population. This clearly shows the hostility and hatred of the Kurdish paramilitary militia towards the Turkmen, a hatred that has previously involved Kurds in northern Iraq pretending they will grant Turkmen cultural rights, but never making good on their promises.[][] After the uprising on the 1991, the corpse of the executed Turkmen by the Saddam Hussein security forces was found in the dump near Altin Kopru. The corpses were left there for a couple of days, because the families and the relatives of the executed people were scared to go and collect their relative to be buried but after three days families in Altin Kopru they were able to find their relatives dead bodies and they were buried in Altin Kopru cemetery and the Saddam Hussein government also banned any burial memorial for them. However, after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime a commemorating plaque for the Turkmen people who were executed was established in Altin Kopru but the plaque was several times vandalised by the Kurdish militia as shown in the figure.19.

But the commemorating plaque later on was replaced by the Turkmen with a modern design as shown in the figure.22 On the 28th of March of each year, Turkmen people and political parties visits the cemetery and put a wreath under the commemorating plaque

2.2 POLITICAL SITUATION

The Turkmen people in the city were subjected to the Arabization policy which was carried out by the Saddam Hussein government. The Turkmen were subjected to a series of arrests and imprisonment by the Baath party and this was peaked up since 1980 from the era revolution of the 17th July 1968. During the Ba’ath regime a large number of Turkmen intellectual were arrested, imprisoned and executed in 1991. Due to the Arabization policy Turkmen villages were destroyed, Turkmen agricultural lands on both sides of the road between Kirkuk and Altin Kopru, Erbil were confiscated and distributed to the Arabs tribes and to the pro-defunct Ba’ath Regime. The Saddam Husain regime built a large number of military bunkers and military compounds along Kirkuk and Altin Kopru road to protect the Arabs settles from being attached by the Kurdish rebels and also the solider within the barracks were used to quell any uprising that might occurs in northern of Iraq. After the fall the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003. The Turkmens, Arabs and Chaldo Assyrians had high expectations, of the interim administration established after 9th of April 2003. The Turkmen expected to see democracy, justice, equality, fairness, an end to discrimination, the right to self-determination and an end to violence. Unfortunately, the opposite has occurred regarding the human rights situation in Iraq, in particular concerning the Iraqi Turkmen. In order to suppress the Turkmen voice in northern Iraq, the Kurdish militias have established several puppet Turkmen parties to serve their own purpose. All the Turkmen parties, which were established by the Kurdish militia, are of Kurdish origin and working for the Kurdish party and all the bodyguards are from the Kurdish militia. The Turkmen parties established by the Kurds are designed to divide the Turkmen people and are used to smear the name of the Turkmen Republic in Iraq and to discredit the real representatives of the Turkmen. The demography changing that was carried out by the Kurds after 2003 more than that Saddam Hussein government was able to do it within 35 years. The city has been changing, a wave of Kurdish migrants moving to Kirkuk since the 2003. With the help of both Kurdish parties stretches of the recently build house pup up everywhere, there visual testimony the city is shifting demographics. The Turkmen and the Arab see the mass Kurdish migration is a potential political manoeuvre and attempt a demographic takeover. The majority of the returned Kurds are not from Kirkuk and even lived in Kirkuk before if they are really genuine from Kirkuk they should claim their properties since they are not thus they settled in lived in the football stadium and properties which is belonging the previous government, military camps and houses belonging to the previous Iraqi army compound. The economic, political, and cultural aspects for the Turkmen completely changed when the Kurds brought over approximately 700,000 settles’ to Kirkuk from North of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The majority of the returning Kurds settlers were not originally from Kirkuk but were brought to Kirkuk with the help of two Kurdish parties. In the meantime, both of the Kurdish parties have utilizing more aggressive ethnic cleansing policy by changing the demography of the Kirkuk. For instant the Kurds who were deported by the Saddam Hussein government from Kirkuk and currently are working as a civil servant at the Kurdish controlled province such as Sulymaniya were forcibly transferred to Kirkuk against his willing, they were also prevented to purchase a land or properties in the city of Sulymaniya and they were also forced to register their children in Kirkuk although they were born in Sulymaniya this clearly shows the degree of the demographic changes that have been utilized by the Kurds in north of Iraq. The demographic structure of Kirkuk have changed seriously and distorted as Kurds, backed by armed Peshmerga forces, migrated into the city in large groups claiming to be original residents. After 2003, thousands of Kurdish settlers backed by the Kurdish militia have poured into Kirkuk and occupied houses, government building, football stadium, military camps, Ba’ath party Head Quarters. After the toppling of Saddam Hussein regime, the Kurds intensified their Kurdization campaign in the city of Kirkuk. The Turkmen have been subject to campaigns by the Kurds in Turkmeneli in an often more brutal fashion than carried out on Kurds by Saddam Hussein. Turkmen and Arabs have been kidnapped, assassinated, imprisonment and, arbitrary arrested. During the Arabization policy, Saddam Hussein regime expelled Turkmen and Kurds from Kirkuk to change the demography of the town by encouraging the Arab population to migrate and settle in the city of Kirkuk. On 10th April 2003, Kirkuk had 810,000 inhabitants. Today, seven years after the occupation of Kirkuk by the Kurdish militia and the massive influx of Kurds to Kirkuk, the population in the city of Kirkuk has exceeded 1.5 million. Kurds brought over approximately 700,000 Kurdish settlers from Northern of Iraqi, Turkey, Syria and Iran. The demographic structure of Kirkuk have changed seriously and distorted as Kurds, backed by armed Peshmerga forces, migrated into the city in large groups claiming to be original residents but in the reality the majority of the returning Kurds were not originally from Kirkuk but they have been brought to Kirkuk with the help of the two Kurdish parties in order to change the demography of the city and to win the referendum that was planned to be carried out by December 2007.Whereas the Kurds claims that these returnees were forcibly expelled from their homes by the government of Saddam Hussein during the 1980s and 1990s. Mr. Barzani declared that 250,000 Kurds, including Turkmen were expelled from Kirkuk while in fact and according to the official information that was obtained from Saddam Hussein regime showed the actual numbers of the deportees from all ethnic groups in Kirkuk according to the ration cards until 30th March 2003 was 11,568 people.

In addition to, an article was published in the Kurdish Al_taakhi newspaper reported prior of the fall of the Saddam Hussein government the number of people that were expelled from Kirkuk by Saddam Hussein exceeded 60,000 whereas the sstatistical data were taken from the Ministry of Commence, showing the number of people who have been transferred to/out of Kirkuk according to ration cards. For instant, in the provincial elections were held in Iraq on 31 January 2009 the Sunni Arabs in Mosul decided to participate in the election as the consequences the Sunni Arabs in Mosul won the overall whelming majority of seat in Mosul. In response of the Sunni Arabs, victory in Mosul, the Kurdish politician and parties have rejected the Sunni Arab won in Mosul and have refastened to participate in the collation government in Mosul that was established by the Arabs. In the view of many of Iraqi and international observer the Kurds has a dream to establish a state of Kurdistan and the Sunni Arabs wining in Mosul was a setback to Kurdish dream. In the view of many Iraqi the Kurds should realise, accept the reality that the city Mosul and the surrounding areas are not a part of Kurdistan, and accept the provincial election results that were held in Iraq on 31 January 2009 as democratic election. Many Iraqis believe that greater Kurdistan cannot be achieved without controlling more strategic areas such as Kirkuk and Mosul, which the Kurds do lay claim to, Kirkuk and Mosul are disputed territories. At present, the Kurds cannot realize their dream, due to the weakness of the economical resources, lack of the geographical interconnectedness, lack access of the seaport and opposition of the neighbouring countries. The Kurds have a plan for a great Kurdistan but at the present time, it would not be suitable for the Kurds to declare it. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the number of Kurds who were deported from Kirkuk under the Arabisation policy by the previous regime was 11,685. However, after the occupation of Kirkuk by the Kurdish militia, the number of Kurds brought by both Kurdish parties from outside of Kirkuk city and surrounding areas exceeded 700,000.

In Altin Kopru the Kurds replaced Turkmen observers and voters identifying members. The Kurdish police and ING were escorting hundreds of buses carrying Kurdish voters from Erbil. [] The Turkmen in Erbil were prevented from performing promotional activities for the Iraqi Turkmen From coalition list. Many Turkmen posters for promoting the election were destroyed by the Kurdish militia. In addition to unusual increase in the population of the following regions was noticed due to the participation of Kurds from Erbil and Sulymaniya in the election and this is demonstrated in table.1. []

In the meantime, the Independent Electoral Commission for monitoring the election for the Iraqi parliament members from 13th to 15th December, 2005 discovered a wide range of irregularities carried out by both Kurdish parties who added 81,000 illegitimate Kurdish names to the voting list in Kirkuk and surrounding areas by providing them with forged documents in order to qualify them for the election. The Turkmen called upon the U.S. Ambassador in Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad, and the United Nation Representative for Iraq, Mr. Ishraf Kazi, to enforce this removal of these illegal voters through the Independent Electoral Commission. Document numbers 614/617, dated 9th December 2005 and 10th December 2005 respectively, stipulated that these illegal Kurds should not be allowed to vote because their involvement in the election would be a blow against democracy, and a breach of election rules. It was therefore shocking to see that the Independent Electoral Commission for monitoring the election for the Iraqi parliament members deviated from its decision and allowed the illegitimate Kurdish voters to vote. It is utterly unacceptable to see that the Commission bowed to Kurdish pressure and indicates that the Independent Commission was incapable of fulfilling its duty. In addition, the Turkmen of Iraq completely lost trust in the above Commission and called a United Nation representative in Iraq to urgently address the situation. The United Nation representative took no action. But after the fall of Saddam Hussein regime the Kurdification of Turkmeneli has been intensified and Turkmen and government land have been taken by the Kurds with the help of Kurdish militia. Turkmen township name has been changed to Kurdish name by force. The Kurds continuously have exploited the lack of stability, security and weak central government in Baghdad to rename of townships and village with Kurdish name. The Kurdification policy that was carried out by the Kurds after the fall of the regime was more effective than Arabization policy that was carried out by Saddam Hussein with last 35 years.

2.3 THE KURDISH INDEPENDENT REFERENDON

Kirkuk was historically a Turkmen majority Iraqi town, but during his rule, ousted dictator Saddam Hussein moved Arab families in and Turkmen and Kurdish families out to change the area's ethnography, under a policy termed "Arabization. After the fall of Saddam Hussein government, the Kurds began returning to Kirkuk with the help of the Kurdish militia, repopulating the city and its surrounding areas. The Kurds parties began bringing a Kurdish families from Syria, Iran, Turkey, city of Erbil, Sulymania and Dohuk settling them in Kirkuk while forcing the Turkmen and Arabs families out. The Kurdish objective resettling of Kurdish families was to change the area's ethnography, under a policy termed "Kurdification" policy in the event of an eventual referendum on whether the city should be part of a future Kurdistan or remain in Iraq.

In 2014, when the Iraqi forces fled Kirkuk as ISIS fighters attempted to secure the territory, shortly after taking over the city of Mosul and establishing their so called Islamic caliphate across the northwest of the country. The Kurdish regional government, however, sent in their Kurdish militia and claimed the city of Kirkuk. The city of Kirkuk is important for the Kurdish Regional Government because of quarter of the Iraqi reserves oil are found in the area of Kirkuk and has one of the biggest oil fields in the country more than 6% of the world's oil comes from the area.in addition to, Iraq has the world second largest proven oil reserves we are talking about a lot of money and a lot of power. After the fall of Saddam in 2003, the Kurdish regional government controlled the city of Kirkuk and the Kurdish regional government exported about 550,000 barrels of oil a day, including oil from fields near Kirkuk, earning about $8 billion annually.

The earned profits from exporting oil were taken by the Kurdish regional government and none of these earn profits were spent on the city of Kirkuk. However, when the Iraqi army pulled out from Kirkuk while ISIS was advancing in 2014. The Kurdish militia took complete control of the city filling the vacuum power left behind the Iraqi military withdrew and the Iraqi have long said that eventually wanted ISIS eliminated. Kirkuk would have to return to the full control of central government in Baghdad. But the Kurdish regional government remained in Kirkuk and decided to carry out a referendum in three cities Erbil, Sulymania and Duhook which were controlled by the Kurdish regional government but later on, the Kurdish regional government included other area into the Kurdish independent referendum which was not within the border of the Kurdish regional government under pretext these lands were a disputed lands. The Kurdish regional government decision of including city Kirkuk within the Kurdish independent referendum was completely opposed by the Turkmen, Arabs in Kirkuk, and central government in Baghdad, Turkey, Iran, and all countries in the world accept Israel. The Kurdish independent referendum in Kirkuk totally boycotted by the Turkmen and Arabs, and both had rejected in the participation of the referendum. The Turkmens and Arabs in Kirkuk considered the Kurdish independent referendum as unconstitutional and against the willing of the people in Kirkuk. The referendum alarmed many Arabs and Turkmens in Kirkuk whom wanted to live under Iraq’s central government, not under Kurdish regional control. But the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who was also serving as a member of the Knesset and Chairman of the Likud party fully and openly supported the Kurdish independent referendum. Indeed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “the Kurds have been and will continue to be reliable and long-term allies of Israel since they are, like us, a minority group in the region. “He added that the Kurdish referendum is “the legitimate efforts of the Kurdish people to attain a state of its own.” Also, the late Israeli President Shimon Peres had also supported Iraqi Kurds and their quest for statehood, with hundreds in the Kurdistan region paying their respects to the former Israeli president when he died in 2016. But this vocal support is fairly new and precedes a much quieter policy of support that began shortly after Palestine was expunged to make room for the state of Israel in 1948. Beyond economic cooperation, Israel’s ongoing policy of supporting Iraqi Kurdish separatism had also seen ties in the areas of agriculture, technology, education and sports. The first official acknowledgment that Israel had provided aid to the Iraqi Kurds also extends as far back as 1980, when Prime Minister Menachem Begin revealed that Israel had supported them during their “uprising against the Iraqis between 1965 and 1975.” Israel had sent arms and ammunition then, later also helping with propaganda campaigns in Europe, courses for Kurdish medics, and creating schoolbooks in Kurdish. While this military aid “took a backburner between 1975 and the 90s” According to a report published in the New Yorker magazine in 2004, Israeli military and intelligence operatives were active in Kurdish areas in Iraq and provided training for commando units. Israel has also used Iraqi Kurdistan as a base from which to obtain intelligence on Iraq, also using it to gather intelligence on Iran when the Islamic Republic came to power in 1979. Mustafa Barzani himself, the most prominent Iraqi Kurdish nationalist leader, and the father of current KRG President Masoud Barzani, had gained the support of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, during his numerous independence struggles against Baghdad.

The American also came with alternative proposal for the Kurdish independent referendum but Masoud Barzani rejected the American proposal which suggested to cancel the referendum and enter negotiations with Baghdad facilitated by the United States. The Kurdish independent referendum, which was totally nonbinding referendum, and it was fully opposed by all countries in the region except the state of Israel. Officials from Baghdad, Iran, Turkey, the UN and the US led coalition lobbied hard to exclude Kirkuk from the referendum, or to have the referendum postponed in all areas. The Kurdistan region's refusal to agree to these terms seems to have kick-started planning for ISF redeployment to Kirkuk.

On the 25th of September 2017 Kurdish independence referendum was held by the Kurds in areas under their control, including disputed city of Kirkuk, prompted Baghdad to change the post 2014 arrangement. Kurdish authorities said the measure passed with a nearly 93 percent “yes” vote for independence. After the carrying out a Kurdish independent referendum, the Kurds were celebrated by hosting and carrying a Kurdish and Israeli flags and this had angered a lot of people in the region and especially in Iraq, carrying out and hosting a Israeli flags by the Kurds after the referendum been passed considered by many Iraqi as the Kurds are traitors. Following the referendum, the Iraqi parliament voted in favour of dismissal of all the Kurdish public sector employees, involved in the vote. Moreover, the Iraqi court ruled to arrest those behind an independent commission for holding a referendum. Also the United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated on the 24th of September that will not recognise the on the 25th of September 2017 in Iraqi Kurdistan. "The vote and the results lack legitimacy and we continue to support a united, federal, democratic and prosperous Iraq," Tillerson said in a statement. Also the implementation of the referendum had angered Turkey, Iraq and Iran. As the result of this urgent meeting was carried out between these three counties in response to the independent referendum. In the meantime, the Prime Minister of Iraq, Haider al-Abadi warned for the Kurdish independence referendum and as threatened to take action against the Kurdish regional government unless the Kurds annulled the results of the illegal and unconstitutional September 25th referendum which was completely opposed and rejected by the Turkmens and Arabs whereas the Kurds were overwhelmingly in in favour of Kurdish independence. Nevertheless, the central government in Baghdad heaped pressure on Iraq’s Kurd, demanding they cancel their overwhelming vote for independence while parliament urged the Iraqi central government to send troops to take control of vital oil fields held by Kurdish forces. Iran and Turkey their armies started joint exercises near their borders with Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq and Turkey have also held joint military drills. Foreign airlines began suspending flights to Kurdish airports after the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority that international flights to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah but Kurdish authorities rejected Baghdad’s demands that they should annul the referendum as a condition for dialogue and hand over control of their international airports. After a week of meeting and negotiation between Iraqi, Turkey, Iran and Kurds Regional Government which led to a dead lock, forcing Iraq, Turkey and Iran several actions to be taken against the Kurdish Regional Government. After the Kurdish regional government, the Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had demanded that Kurdish leaders to hand over all the oil fields in Kirkuk and other disputed areas that fell under Kurdish control. Also the Iraqi central government demanded from the Kurdish reginal government to hand the borders gated to the central government control. But the Kurdish regional government rejected the Iraq central government demands. After that an urgent meeting was held between the KDP and PUK leadership in Dukan, joined by Iraqi President Fuad Masum, also a PUK member, had ended with an affirmation of “national unity in the face of all pressure” and a refusal to cancel the referendum result, said Hemin Hawrami, senior assistant to Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani. The meeting in district of Dukan came after a tense night south of Kirkuk as the Peshmerga fighters were engaged in a standoff with Iraqi and Hashed al-Shaabi (popular mobilisation units) forces. In the meantime, the armed Kurdish civilians took to the streets of Kirkuk, carrying arms and vowing to defend their lands. Again both the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) “rejected any demands to nullify the referendum results,” They also refused to accept any preconditions for talks with central government in Baghdad. In addition to, the KDP brought a hundred of the PKK terrorists from Daquq and Qandil mountains to Kirkuk to participate in fighting against the Iraqi army and Hashed al-Shaabi. Bringing the PKK terrorists to Kirkuk had angered Iraqi government, the Turkmen and Turkish republic. However, Najmaldin Omer Karim, a Kurdish governor of Kirkuk province, responded to this accusation with statement: “That’s absolutely not true. “I deny it.” Najmaldin Omer Karim said “a handful of Iraqi Kurds who sympathize with the P.K.K.’s goals had arrived in Kirkuk over the weekend. But he also stated that that they were not P.K.K. members or fighters, and that they were not armed.

The PKK terrorist whom brought to Kirkuk and surrounding region was a deliberate act by the Kurdish parties to change the demography of the Kirkuk and also used to terrorise the Turkmens and the Arabs. It was an ironic to see the KDP councillor of sub district of Daquq forwarding a confidential letter to chief Kurdish police requesting to open a headquarter for the PKK terrorists in Daquq and although PKK is listed in the most of European, USA an Turkish terrorist list.

However, the tensions were already high on 14th Saturday October 2017 night after news reports said Iraqi forces had issued a 2 a.m. as a final dead line for the Kurdish forces to withdrew from Kirkuk but later on the Iraqi officials in Kirkuk called the reports false. Then on the 14th of October the Iraqi army dropped leaflets for the population in Kirkuk stating that the Iraqi army continue in liberating the Iraqi cities. On the 15th Sunday October 2017 deadline which was given by the Iraqi central government for Kurdish forces to withdraw from contested areas or face unspecified consequences was completed but the Kurdish remained in their position in Kirkuk and totally ignored the Iraqi central government in Baghdad and the Kurds didn’t comply with the Iraqi government request.

However, in the weeks before, the Iraqi government moved to squeeze the landlocked region, shutting down overseas flights to two Kurdish international airports in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. But the late Sunday 15th October 2017, the Iraq’s foreign ministry announced that Iran, at Iraq’s request, had closed its borders with Iraq near the Kurdish region. In the meantime the situation on the ground was unclear what is going on, Kurdish police and security were scattered all over the city of Kirkuk, the situation was in chaos, people were living in fear and uncertainty, and the people Kirkuk were worries what will happen. The Turkmens in Kirkuk and Turkish government were continuously monitoring the situation in the city ensuring that the Turkmens in Kirkuk will not be subjected to harm. In the same day, Dr. Najmaldin Omer Karim the Kurdish governor of Kirkuk released a statement and called the public to fight the Iraq army, and also stated that “the city of Kirkuk will be a graveyard for the Iraq army”, but ironically he was the first person who escape from the city of Kirkuk and steeling the Kirkuk governorate treasure which was estimated in million dollars, whereas, Kamal Karkokly, the Kurdish commander for the Dibis area, who said prior the liberation of the city of Kirkuk from the Kurdish militia “he expected an attack by government forces at any time” and “If they try to attack, the result will be bad for them (Iraqi army) and for us, and for the whole region.” Prior the Iraq attack on Kirkuk he was one of the earliest person who escape the city of Kirkuk to Erbil without putting any resistance against the Iraqi armed forces and popular mobilisation units (Hashed al-Shaabi).

Then the president of the Kurdish regional government Masoud Barzani late on Sunday 15th of October 2017 offered to negotiate with Baghdad on Kirkuk and other issues, without conditions but the Iraqi Prime Minister Mr. Abadi has said “he will not negotiate unless the Kurds annul the referendum results” which was carried out on the 25th of September 2017. On Sunday 15th of October 2017 night, the Iraqi Prime Minister Mr. Abadi accused Kurdish leaders of bringing fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in Turkey into Kirkuk, calling it “a declaration of war against the rest of Iraq and its federal forces.” He provided no evidence. The United States and European Union list the group, which is known as P.K.K. and is active near the Turkish border, as a terrorist organization.

Then the Iraqi central government requested from the Kurdish regional government the following which was given to the Kurdish leadership of the PUK in the city of Sulaymaniyah.

Surrender of the Kirkuk airport by the central government in Baghdad. Surrender on the K1 military camp by the Iraqi central government. Surrender all the oil well in Kirkuk by the central government in Baghdad. The entire ISIS terrorist shall be handed to the central government in Baghdad. The return the Iraqi army to all the areas which were controlled by the Iraqi army prior being occupied by ISIS. Comply with the central government decision regarding the resignation of the Kirkuk governor Dr. Najmaldin Omer Karim

3.0 CHAPTER

3.1 THE KURDISH DEFEAT IN KIRKUK AND THE LIBERATION OF ALTINKÖPRÜ

The Iraqi operation began late Sunday 15th October 2017, was the clearest indication yet of Baghdad's determination to curtail the territorial ambitions of the Kurds. By 16th of October 2017, Iraqi troops had taken control of several oil fields, including the key Baba Gurgur oil and gas field and the K1 military base, among other assets. On the 16th of October 2017 the Iraqi security forces took direct control city of Kirkuk, driving hundreds of Kurdish Peshmerga forces from Kirkuk that had been under Kurdish control for more than two years. The Iraqi forces set up checkpoints around its perimeter, while witnesses saw a sole Iraqi flag flying atop the governor's headquarters. The building usually holds both the Kurdish and Iraqi flags. Iraqi forces took Kirkuk city from the Kurds this week with hardly a shot fired. Twenty-two Kurdish fighters were killed in the sporadic and disorganized resistance, while seven Iraqi soldiers also lost their lives. It is a remarkable setback for the Kurds, who just a few weeks ago held an independence referendum. The ease with which Baghdad was able to reconquer Kirkuk, with hardly any resistance put up by Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga, came as a profound surprise to international observers. Yet the Iraqi Kurdish withdrawal did not stop there. By Tuesday 17th of October 2017 afternoon, northern Iraq’s Kurdistan region had lost vast territories, some of which the KRG had controlled since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. This week is certain to be remembered as a watershed moment when intra-Iraqi power dynamics shifted decisively from Irbil to Baghdad. The Kurds assumed more and more control as the Iraqi military weakened in the aftermath of US withdrawal from Iraq in 2011. After the IS assault, the Kurds took full control of Kirkuk's oilfields and have been operating them and selling around 90% of Kirkuk crude oil exports ever since. Iraqi state television said early Monday 16th of October 2017 that Iraqi forces had begun an operation to seize the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk and its surrounding oil fields, despite weeks of urgent efforts by the United States to keep tensions between its allies from boiling over into another war in the Middle East. In a brief statement released to the state-run network, Iraq’s prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, ordered troops to impose security in the area “in cooperation with the people of Kirkuk and the Peshmerga,” or Kurdish fighters. State-run TV said the initial assault by Iraqi troops, counterterrorism forces and federal police did not encounter resistance as they sought to reclaim areas seized by Both the Iraqi Army and the Peshmerga have been trained and equipped by the United States as part of the American-led coalition battling Islamic State militants in the country. But the other major players in the conflict the Shiite militias that make up a considerable amount of Iraq’s fighting strength have largely been trained and supported by Iran. In Washington, the Pentagon urged “all actors” in the region to focus on battling Islamic State militants and to avoid provoking disputes among Iraqis, Reuters reported. The president of the Kurdish regional government Masoud Barzani, assumed that American support would shield him from Iraqi retaliation when he called the referendum, but the American didn’t and ignored the plight of the president of the Kurdish regional government Masoud Barzani when Baghdad sent its troops in on 15th of October 2017, in the meantime the Trump administration merely muttered some weasel words about not liking to see friends fight, and by 18th of October 2017 morning the area controlled by the KRG had shrunk by almost half. It was unclear whether American troops were in the area Monday morning. A spokesman for the coalition in Baghdad did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There was no immediate response from the American Embassy in Baghdad. The United States has provided intelligence, special operations forces, weapons, airstrikes and artillery to Iraqi forces battling Islamic State militants in the area, and have similarly backed Kurdish forces in that fight.

The Kirkuk governor Dr. Najmaldin Omer Karim and including large numbers of Kurdish police chiefs whom brought from outside of Kirkuk via KDP fled from Kirkuk prior the military operation by the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Units to retake the city of Kirkuk. Also, the Kurdish regional government security forces whom known as Asayish fled Kirkuk without putting any resistance, and taken with them all Turkmen and Arabs prisoners whom were kidnaped and imprisoned in Kirkuk prior Iraqi army and popular mobilisation Units arrival. During the liberation of Kirkuk, the Kurdish fighter left in Kirkuk and leaving behind their ammunitions which were provided by the USA. It was a shock for the Iraqi people, to see well trained and armed Kurdish forces by UK, USA and Germany to flee the city of Kirkuk without putting any resistance. The KDP Kurdish fighters blamed their defeat on the PUK for betrayal and siding with the Iraqi central government but the reality this was not the case, since the security of Kirkuk was completely controlled by the KDP militia. In the view of many of the analysist and politician in Iraq, the Kurdish defeat in Kirkuk was mainly to the low Kurdish fighter’s moral and also due to the Kurdish fighters, police, and security presents in Kirkuk not representing the indigenous people of the town. These Kurdish people were brought from various placed to Kirkuk and they had no sympathy of the Turkmen whom were the indigenous people of the Kirkuk. The Kurdish fighters in Kirkuk were considered as occupier by the Turkmen and Arabs because of the Turkmen supported and welcomed the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilisation Units which were mainly formed by the Turkmens Shia’a from district of Telfer.

In a stunning collapse, Peshmerga units loyal to the de facto Kurdish president, Massoud Barzani, pulled out of the towns of Bashiqa, Khanaqin and Sinjar less than a day after surrendering the city of Kirkuk to the Iraqi military and allied Shia forces. The withdrawals on 17th of October 2017 shattered ambitions to use a referendum on independence held on 25 September to consolidate a Kurdish hold on towns seized in the three-year war against Islamic State. Less than three weeks later, the poll has had the opposite effect, stripping away the extra 40% of land – up to 36,000 sq. km (14,000 sq. miles).its leaders had claimed and showcasing an intractable divide between the region’s two rival power bases. The rapid fall of Kirkuk gave impetus to the capitulation across northern Iraq, with forces loyal to Baghdad sweeping unopposed into areas that military leaders thought they would have to fight for. Instead, Iraqi troops found empty streets, shuttered shops and primitive roadblocks, which were quickly cleared, before the relaxed arrivals took up their new positions. The Turkmens were welcomed the Iraqi army PMU and the Iraqi army. There were a jubilation and celebration in all Kirkuk. The people in Kirkuk ran into the street showing their support and welcoming the Iraqi army, people offered food and water to the incoming Iraqi soldiers and PMU.

Later on the KDP stated that agreement reached between Bafel Talabani, eldest son of former PUK leader and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, and Hadi al-Ameri of the Popular Mobilization Units. Some sources claim that it was al-Muhandis, not al-Ameri, who represented the Popular Mobilization Units. The deal would establish a new authority in the Halabja-Sulaymaniyah-Kirkuk area, to be jointly administered by the Iraqi government and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) for an undefined period. The federal government would manage the oil wells of Kirkuk and other strategic locations in the city, while also overseeing the public sector payroll. There was still much confusion over what transpired during the clashes between Iraqi and Kurdish forces, with reports of a split between Kurdish factions.

The Peshmerga General Command accused members of the PUK, a political party within the Kurdistan region, of abandoning their posts as Iraqi forces entered, in what it described as a betrayal. Some Kurdish civilians took up arms and deployed to the streets in an attempt to ward off the Iraqi army operation while the Kurdish officials fledging Kirkuk. The Kurdish militia, police and security police whom were responsible for the death, killing, and arrest and kidnapping were a banded the Kirkuk town. The Kurdish security police also evacuated all the prisoners’ in Kirkuk and they took all the detained with them and status where unknown. The fall of Kirkuk was expected by the Iraqi, because the Kurds have lost all the support of the main Turkmen ethnic group in Kirkuk, secondly the unwieldiness and division between of the two Kurdish parties PUK and KDP and since the presence of the Kurds in Kirkuk were for economical reason and since they are not the indigoes people of the town so they did not put any fight towards the Iraqi armed forces. Also the amount the damaged that caused by the Kurdish governor Najmaldin Omer Karim to the Turkmen and Arabs. Also the Kurdish militia abandoned their positions in Taza Khormatu, Terkalan, Yaychi, Bashir, Terkalan, Bulawa, Daquq, Altin Kopru, and Taza Khormatu without any resistance. The Kurdish officials later on blamed their defeat on the Kurdish PUK. But later on the Kurdish militia discriminately fired over 100 of artillery shells and mortars bombs on the innocent Turkmen sub district of Altin Kopru causing a lot damages to the civilian houses and panic among the people.