Kurdish Youth Rally in Kirkuk Calls for Kurdistan Flag on Peshmerga Statue
“The Kurdistan flag has been removed from the statue since October 16, 2017, and we feel unrepresented in Kirkuk,” one demonstrator told Kurdistan24.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Kurdish youth in Kirkuk staged a demonstration on Tuesday calling for the Kurdistan flag to be raised on the statue of the Peshmerga.
The protest took place near the Peshmerga statue, where security forces were deployed in large numbers to prevent demonstrators from hoisting the flag. Participants expressed differing views, with some demanding that the Kurdistan flag be raised alongside the Iraqi flag, while others insisted that only the Kurdistan flag should be displayed, arguing that the statue represents the Peshmerga forces.
“The Kurdistan flag has been removed from the statue since October 16, 2017, and we feel unrepresented in Kirkuk,” one demonstrator told Kurdistan24. He urged the city administration to either remove the Iraqi flag from the statue or raise the Kurdistan flag alongside it.
Another participant said the protest reflected deep frustration among Kurdish youth, stressing that the statue should either bear the Kurdistan flag alone or stand without any flag. “We lost four martyrs for the flag in 2023, and today is Kurdistan Flag Day,” he said.
Kurdistan Flag Day is celebrated annually on December 17. This day serves as a source of national pride for Kurds, especially in the Kurdistan Region. It honors the flag, known as Ala Rengîn or "Colorful Flag," which symbolizes identity, resilience, and the struggle for freedom.
During the demonstration, Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha met with several protesters and sought to ease tensions. According to Kurdistan24, the governor asked demonstrators for time, promising that the issue would be addressed. “Give me a couple of days, and I promise to raise the Kurdistan flag on the statue of the Peshmerga,” he was quoted as saying.
One demonstrator said the group had prepared a large Kurdistan flag, measuring three meters by two meters, to be raised on the statue but refrained from doing so following the governor’s assurances. “We decided to wait based on his promise,” he said.
The Peshmerga statue has been a focal point of political and symbolic debate since the events of October 16, 2017, when Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Forces took control of Kirkuk following the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum. The latest demonstration underscores the continuing sensitivities surrounding identity, representation, and governance in the city.