Mohammed Samaan Agha, newly elected Turkmen governor of Iraq’s Kirkuk, visited the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Monday. Agha met the party’s deputy chair, Kürşad Zorlu, who announced that the province would join the Union of Turkic World Municipalities soon.
For his part, Agha lauded President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strong policies in the region, which “led to the election of a Turkmen governor in Kirkuk.”
Zorlu emphasized that Kirkuk is a highly important center and a significant symbol of Iraq–Türkiye relations. “Under the leadership of our President, we have taken very important steps in our relations with Iraq. In particular, the Development Road Project has been one of the most important milestones in our relations. Security and stability are among the key issues for Kirkuk. Kirkuk is a center where everyone should live in peace and tranquility. Ensuring Kirkuk’s security and peace means ensuring Iraq’s security and peace. Therefore, every step taken in our region that serves its stability and security is very important.”
Pointing out that the appointment of a Turkmen governor in Kirkuk was a promising development for peace and harmony in the city and for its future, Zorlu said, “No matter how much some people try to create division and polarization, peace has prevailed in Kirkuk. In Kirkuk, not only Turkmens but all those living there, regardless of origin or sect, have benefited from the city’s opportunities. We are pleased to see this and derive great satisfaction from it.”
Zorlu stated that President Erdoğan is highly sensitive both about the future of bilateral relations and about protecting the rights, freedoms, identities, languages, and constitutional rights of the Turkmens living in Kirkuk, and said that he closely follows this process.
Agha, who was chairperson of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, was elected by the Kirkuk Provincial Council on April 16 as the first Turkmen governor in decades in the province.
Kirkuk has a sizable population of Turkmens and has been a contested area in terms of elections due to its diverse demographics. It has also been a place contested between the Iraqi administration in Baghdad and Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which controls most of northern Iraq. It was once part of Mosul province, which Türkiye wanted to control after the fall of the Ottoman Empire following World War I. Kirkuk’s last governor of Turkmen origin was Fettah Pasha, who governed during the Kingdom of Iraq, which was under British mandate.
Zorlu noted that during the visit, they especially discussed infrastructure projects, strengthening public services in Kirkuk, creating opportunities for young people and women, and similar issues.
“We also discussed the governor’s initiative to have Kirkuk join the Union of Turkic World Municipalities. In this regard, we held consultations. The Union’s President, the Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality, will also participate in the meeting. God willing, Kirkuk will join the Union of Turkic World Municipalities,” he said.
Agha said that the stronger Türkiye's foreign policy is, the more Turks abroad can stand strong and struggle.
Emphasizing that what they experienced in Kirkuk is proof of this, he said: "If it were not for this work by the instruction of the Republic of Türkiye’s Honorable President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his strong policy, and if it were not for the support of the institutions, a Turkmen governor could not have been elected in Kirkuk, this is a fact."
Agha said that after taking office, the Iraqi Turkmen Front engaged with all political groups without discrimination, noting that he delivered his first speech as governor in Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, and Syriac.
"We Turks, whichever country we live in, whatever country it may be, are a nation that respects our geography, the constitution, flag, land, and territorial integrity of the country we are in. A Turk never allows his country to be divided. That is why we stood against all division policies in Iraq. We stood up for Iraq's territorial integrity. We became the cement of Iraq, so to speak. We maintained the brotherhood between Kurds and Arabs. Today, what suits us is to protect our flag, our geography, and our sovereignty, and to cooperate with the State of the Republic of Türkiye,” he said.
Pointing out that there are matters on which the two countries should cooperate in many areas, Agha said that one of them is the Development Road Project, which is planned to be completed in 2028.
Describing the project as vital for both Türkiye and Iraq, the governor said it would provide substantial benefits to Iraq, foster stronger trade cooperation and receive all possible support from local authorities.
