Kurdish farmers say restored land remains unusable as military patrols and harassment block agricultural work
Acting as if they have no other duty, Iraqi forces have been relentlessly pursuing Kurdish farmers day and night with full military presence, blocking them from even setting foot on their property. Land and agricultural disputes in Kirkuk province have already been addressed in the Iraqi Parliament, and decisions issued by the Revolutionary Command Council remain in place. However, these decisions have yet to be implemented in Kirkuk.
Following the events of October 16, 2017, incoming Arab settlers—backed by the Iraqi army—have targeted approximately 30,000 donums of farmland belonging to Kurdish and Turkmen farmers in southern Kirkuk. Sagvan Sindi, a member of the Iraqi Parliament from the KDP list, told The Kurdish Globe: “In addition to banning them from using their lands, Arab settlers, supported by the army, often file fabricated charges against Kurdish farmers. This has led to arrests and even imprisonment. All of this is part of the Arabization policy that has been enforced against Kurdish farmers since October 16.”
Sindi added that overturning the Revolutionary Command Council decisions is one of the farmers’ main demands. Kurdish farmers insist on holding onto their lands within the territories covered by Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, viewing this as a key measure to counter Arabization efforts. Article 140 lays out three stages—normalization, census, and referendum—intended to be completed by the end of 2007. To date, only about 20% of the first stage has been carried out.
The Iraqi government’s longstanding failure to uphold laws and agreements has deepened the problem. Even constitutional provisions have been undermined, with 55 articles related to the Kurdistan Region suspended.
Under the policies of the former Ba’ath regime, Kurdish farmland was confiscated and redistributed to Arab settlers. Although legal ownership has since been restored, the army still prevents farmers from working on their land. Farmers report that their villages are heavily militarized, with soldiers patrolling constantly, detaining anyone found farming, confiscating equipment, and subjecting them to harassment.
Since October 16, 2017, in areas such as Sargaran and Kirkuk, Kurdish farmers have faced repeated blockades by the Iraqi army, and there have been incidents of attacks on villagers.
On the matter, Dr. Shakhawan Abdullah, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, said: “As parliament, we passed a law to prevent Arab settlers and the Iraqi army from seizing these lands. Our colleagues in the government should have implemented it. In July, we secured the Iraqi Prime Minister’s agreement to form a committee to work on two points—first, enforcing Article 2 of the law to reverse the confiscation of agricultural lands, and second, enabling farmers to return to their properties. We are committed to working with them until they can fully enjoy their lands again.”
The Kurdish Globe