Ankara's Turkmen kinsmen often find themselves in the spotlight when their rights are undermined in Iraq, but nowadays the stakes are different. Iraqi Turkmen have gained momentum in the country's multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk after a governor of Turkmen origin was elected after almost a century.
Considered a bridge between Türkiye and Iraq, now the Turkmen can spread this achievement to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), benefiting from both the Kirkuk impetus and Ankara's growing clout in the country.
There is no reason why Turkmens in Irbil and Sulaymaniyah in the KRI cannot build on the success achieved in Kirkuk. However, Turkmens in the KRI also have a role to play in making this happen. There is no doubt that the potential continuation of Turkmen gains will also strengthen Ankara’s influence on the ground.
Türkiye’s growing strength
The election of Ankara-backed Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) leader Mehmet Seman Ağaoğlu as Kirkuk governor under a rotational model in mid-April was indeed a key deal made with the Sulaymaniyah-based Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). In fact, Ankara’s long-strained ties with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) over the PKK issue have recently begun to improve, and bilateral relations are steadily recovering. As a positive result of Türkiye’s peace process, Ankara lifted the ban on flights to PUK-controlled Sulaymaniyah, and the city hosted a PKK disarmament ceremony.
