Kurdistan PM Barzani discusses Kirkuk situation with Iraqi PM Kadhimi

ERBIL – (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had a phone call on Wednesday in which they discussed Iraq’s arrest of Kurdish youths celebrating the electoral victory in Kirkuk the night before.

Both prime ministers agreed that no one should be permitted to create problems, hurt people, or damage property in the city. They also concurred that the heavy-handed Iraqi military presence in civilian neighborhoods in Kirkuk should be removed as soon as possible.

Kadhimi agreed to release the detained Kurds.

The Iraqi Army’s 61st Brigade, which is directly under the command of the Iraqi Prime Minister’s office, was deployed to the Kirkuk neighborhoods and Shoreeja and Rahimawa on Monday and Tuesday nights, causing fear and anxiety among the local residents.

On Tuesday night, almost 50 young Kurdish men in Kirkuk were arrested by the military, allegedly for celebrating the victory of the city’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) candidates in Sunday’s Iraqi parliamentary elections by waving the flags of Kurdistan and the KDP.

Read more: Iraqi forces in Kirkuk raid Kurdish households, arrests nearly 50 youths for electoral celebration