Kurds want Kirkuk in Kurdistan region

Kurdish councillors called on Thursday for the disputed Iraqi city of Kirkuk to become part of the Kurdistan region, a move that could stoke tensions with the city's Arab and ethnic Turkmen communities.

The call was made at a provincial council session boycotted by Arab and Turkmen members. It followed several days of street protests by Kurds against a local election law that would delay voting in the oil-rich northern city in future local polls.

Kurds regard multi-ethnic Kirkuk, which lies just outside the largely autonomous region of Kurdistan, as their ancient capital. Arabs and ethnic Turkmen want Kirkuk to stay under central government authority.

"The Kurdish list put forward a request that Kirkuk be included in Kurdistan," said Mohammed Kamal, a Kurdish member of Kirkuk's provincial council.

The call was for both the city and surrounding province, which some also call Kirkuk, to join Kurdistan.

Arab and Turkmen councillors reacted angrily.

"We completely reject Kirkuk becoming a part of Kurdistan and consider this the beginning of a crisis and strife in the city. It could lead to civil war in Kirkuk," said Mohammed al-Jubouri, an Arab member of the provincial council.

Kurds hold more than half the seats of Kirkuk's provincial council. But the head of the council, a Kurd, acknowledged that the absence of the other two main factions made the call to include Kirkuk in Kurdistan unconstitutional.

Kurds are among Iraq's largest minority groups. Reuters