Turkmen MP voices security concerns in Kirkuk, praises Kurdistan's inclusivity

“The results of the last parliamentary election worsened conditions in Kirkuk, as some parties are dissatisfied with the numbers,” a Turkmen MP stated.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Head of the Turkmen Front bloc in the Kurdistan Parliament Aydin Maruf on Monday praised the Kurdistan Region’s inclusivity and expressed his growing concerns regarding the security situation in Kirkuk Province.

“The results of the last parliamentary election worsened conditions in Kirkuk, as some parties are dissatisfied with the numbers,” Maruf said in a statement to the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) official website.

Causing some unrest in the oil-rich city, Turkmens partook in the post-election protests asking for a new vote. One organizer hinted at “country-wide protests” or “violent action” if their demands remained unfulfilled after a 48-hour deadline.

“When there is political instability, the security situation is fragile,” Maruf remarked. “We have to restore stability and political tranquility to the city, reassuring safety of the various peoples [ethnicities].”

In April, the MP voiced his support for the redeployment of the Kurdish Peshmerga units to Kirkuk as a measure to ensure the stability of the region, describing the forces’ protective efforts as “indiscriminate” toward religion or ethnicity.

Regarding discussions of changes to Kurdistan’s parliamentary quotas, Maruf stressed, “We have had a good experience with the system here,” stating it sends a signal of “coexistence to the world.”

“Therefore, this model has to be further proliferated and developed to include more components [of society] and not neglect them and marginalize them.”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany