Governor says he knows nothing of deal to return Peshmerga to Kirkuk
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kirkuk’s interim governor said he is not aware of any deal that could seek the return of Peshmerga forces to the disputed province.
"We have not been informed of any agreement on the return of Peshmerga. The Arabic Council's stance has been clear since the beginning – matters of security and stability must be under the federal government and the Iraqi federal security forces. We are of that view, too," Rakan Saeed al-Jabouri said at a press conference of the Arabic Council of Kirkuk on Saturday.
A final deal has not yet been reached, but steps have started that will see coordination between the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces in the disputed province.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi ordered the formation of a Supreme Committee and five more, locality-based sub-committees to form joint operations.
The committees’ first task begins on Sunday when they will conduct field surveys of Iraqi and Peshmerga positions in the area.
Peshmerga took control of security in the disputed province of Kirkuk when ISIS swept across the country and the Iraqi army dissolved in the face of the threat. Federal forces retook the area by force in October 2017 after the Kurdistan independence referendum. Security gaps exist between their respective territories and ISIS militants have used these areas to hide out and launch attacks.
Jabouri said that Kirkuk's security has been stable recently.
"The security situation of Kirkuk is protected and stable and has no issues," he said, adding 90 percent of crimes committed in Kirkuk are between individuals and have nothing to do with political or ethnic divisions.
Kirkuk’s Kurdish population has accused Jabouri of reactivating Baathist-era Arabization policies.