Kurdistani Parties Urge Baghdad Action Over Article 140 Disputes in Khanaqin

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistani political parties in Khanaqin, a Kurdistani territory outside Kurdistan Region's administartive control, have backed the suspension of a planned protest against alleged Arabization and violations of Article 140 of Iraq's Constitution, saying the decision was taken to protect lives and property amid security concerns, while demanding the immediate release of detained Kurdish youths and the cancellation of arrest warrants against activists and political figures.

In a joint statement addressed to residents of Khanaqin, Jalawla, Saadiya, Mandali, Qaratapa and Jabara, the parties said they supported the organizing committee's decision to temporarily suspend the rally while a representative delegation travels to Baghdad to present local demands to senior Iraqi officials.

The statement gave particular emphasis to public safety, saying arrangements for securing the demonstration had not provided sufficient guarantees.

"We assure you that the decision to suspend the rally was taken solely to maintain calm and protect citizens' lives and property," the Kurdistani Parties in Khanaqin said.

"According to our verified information, the arrangements for securing and protecting the rally were inadequate and offered insufficient reassurance."

The statement followed reports that several Kurdish youths had been detained and more than 30 others threatened with arrest ahead of the planned demonstration.

Parties demand release of detainees

The Kurdistani parties called for all those detained in connection with the planned protest to be released immediately.

They also demanded that arrest warrants against political figures, activists and young people be withdrawn, arguing that their activities had been peaceful and connected to constitutional demands.

"We also call for the immediate release of all detainees and the cancellation of arrest warrants against political figures, activists and young people, whose participation was solely an expression of constitutional demands through peaceful civic action," the statement said.

The parties urged residents to remain calm and respect the organizing committee's decision to suspend activities while political and legal channels are pursued.

They said maintaining stability in Khanaqin and safeguarding citizens were their highest priorities.

At the same time, they pledged to continue seeking remedies through "constitutional, legal and civic" means.

Rally planned over alleged Arabization

The dispute intensified after political parties and local representatives met Sunday to discuss what they described as a renewed form of Arabization in Khanaqin and other Kurdistani areas of Diyala province.

Participants agreed to organize a large demonstration Monday in Khanaqin's market.

Organizers said the rally would protest the settlement of Arabs brought from outside the area and alleged violations of Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution.

Following the decision, security forces were deployed in large numbers across Khanaqin, according to information reported by Kurdistan24.

Several Kurdish youths were arrested by Iraqi government intelligence agencies, while more than 30 others were threatened with detention, the report said.

Amid the heightened security presence, the protest organizing committee met with local authorities and security officials late Sunday and decided around midnight to suspend the demonstration indefinitely.

The committee includes political figures, activists and Kurdish representatives.

Delegation expected in Baghdad

The organizing committee is now seeking to shift the dispute from the streets of Khanaqin to negotiations in Baghdad.

A delegation representing the area is expected to meet senior Kurdish and Arab officials in the federal government and parliament.

The joint statement said the delegation would also seek a meeting with the Iraqi president to communicate what the parties described as the legitimate demands of local residents.

The parties appealed to Iraq's senior leadership institutions and Kurdish representatives in Baghdad to respond rapidly.

"Your passionate commitment to preserving the area's Kurdistani identity has sent a clear message to all sides that violations of Article 140 and disregard for constitutional rights pose grave dangers," the statement said.

The parties called on Iraq's senior state institutions to intervene and address the dispute through constitutional mechanisms.

Article 140 at center of dispute

Article 140 remains one of the most politically sensitive unresolved provisions of Iraq's post-2003 constitutional order.

It provides a process for addressing demographic changes carried out under previous governments in areas whose administrative status and population composition were altered through policies including Arabization.

The constitutional mechanism envisioned normalization, followed by a census and referendum.

Its implementation has remained incomplete, leaving long-running disputes over land ownership, demographic change, administrative control and political representation in several areas, including parts of Diyala province.

For Kurdish parties in Khanaqin, the latest controversy is being framed as part of that broader unresolved constitutional issue.

The parties maintain that demographic changes and settlement policies threaten the Kurdistani identity of Khanaqin and surrounding areas.

Those claims are disputed political allegations and have not been independently adjudicated in the information provided.

Activist reports threats

One member of the protest organizing committee told Kurdistan24 correspondent Hemin Dalo that some organizers had been forced to leave Khanaqin because they feared arrest.

The activist also alleged that protesters risked being fired upon if the rally proceeded, describing the situation as an effort to silence the area's Kurdish population.

Kurdistan24 could not independently verify that claim, and no official security statement cited in the available reporting confirmed that authorities had ordered or intended the use of live fire against demonstrators.

That distinction is significant because the joint political statement itself focused on inadequate security guarantees rather than asserting that a confirmed order had been issued to shoot protesters.

The parties said those concerns were sufficient to justify suspending the demonstration.

Political pressure replaces street action

The latest statement represents an attempt by Khanaqin's Kurdish political parties to maintain pressure over the Article 140 dispute while preventing a confrontation between demonstrators and security forces.

Rather than abandoning the protest's demands, the parties said they were temporarily redirecting them through political, constitutional and legal channels.

Their statement also sought to reassure supporters that the suspension did not represent a retreat from the underlying issue.

"We reaffirm that we will pursue every constitutional, legal and civic avenue to defend your rights," they said.

The immediate focus now shifts to Baghdad and whether the delegation can secure meetings and commitments from senior federal officials.

The parties are seeking action on several fronts: the release of detained youths, cancellation of arrest warrants, intervention over alleged demographic violations and renewed attention to Article 140.

Until those discussions take place, organizers have asked supporters in Khanaqin and neighboring Kurdistani areas of Diyala to remain calm and refrain from further public action.

The dispute therefore remains unresolved, but the strategy has changed, from a planned mass demonstration in Khanaqin to a direct political appeal in Baghdad.

Kurdistan24's correspondents Hemin Delo and Harem Jaf contributed to this report.