Mohammed Saman Agha, head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, has been elected governor of Kirkuk, marking the return of the post to Turkmen leadership for the first time in nearly 100 years.

The decision was made during a session of the Kirkuk Provincial Council, where members accepted the resignation of former governor Rebwar Taha before voting to appoint Agha as his successor.

The development is seen as a significant political milestone, as the governorship of Kirkuk returns to the Turkmen community after nearly a century. Turkmen are a Turkic-speaking minority whose total population is estimated at around 3 million.