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Al-Jubury: I rule Kirkuk according to the law and invite everyone to help

October 18, 2017 at 3:09 am

Iraq’s national flag [L] and Kurdish regional flag [R]

On Tuesday, the acting governor of Kirkuk, Rakan Al-Jubury, said that he is ruling the province “according to the law,” calling on everyone to help in order to achieve a successful work and to be able to get over the current stage, after the control of the federal forces in the city of Kirkuk, the centre of the province (North).

This came during a press conference held by Al-Jubury in the building of the province and followed by the correspondent of Anadolu.

Al-Jubury explained that “we are in charge according to the law to run the province of Kirkuk (as an acting governor). We are familiar with the province, and we wish everyone to help in order to overcome the current stage,” without providing details of the legal formula, but referring to his mandate by the government.

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 A few weeks ago, the Iraqi parliament discharged the governor of Kirkuk, Najmeddin Karim, (loyal to northern Iraq), in the wake of his decision to raise the flag of the province and support the referendum on secession. However, he refused to comply with the decision before he “departs to Erbil with the entry of the Peshmerga forces to Kirkuk, and their withdrawal, “according to identical sources.

After the Iraqi forces entered Kirkuk, the Iraqi government charged Rakan al-Jubury, on Monday, with managing the province by proxy, because the appointment of a new governor requires a designation by the provincial council, and then an approval from the president.

Al-Jubury added that “the service and security institutions were invited to continue their work in Kirkuk.”

He continued:

Our message to the people who fled from the city of Kirkuk (he did not specify their number), with the advance of the federal forces, is that they have to return to their homes, since Kirkuk is for all components. We are coexisting here, and there are no problems whatsoever.

He also added that “our other message to the people of Kirkuk and the political entities and parties is to join our efforts in safely overcoming this stage”.

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He stressed that “an agreement, that the police forces will be taking over the security file in the province, was reached yesterday,” without giving any further details about the agreement.

The Iraqi forces regained control over Kirkuk as well as vast areas in the south and west of the city during a military operation launched in the middle of Sunday night, and during which the Peshmerga forces withdrew from the region with no remarkable resistance.

The Peshmerga forces controlled the disputed areas in the provinces of Kirkuk, Ninawa (Mosul), Diyala and Salahuddin, following the withdrawal of the Iraqi army, in the face of the invasion of the terrorist “Daesh” organization north and west of the country in the summer of 2014.