Arabs continue to claim the ownership of thousands of acres of Kurdish-own farmland.
Today, Saturday, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) delegation from the House of Representatives met with the newly appointed Kirkuk Joint Operations Commander.
KurdSat English reporter in Kirkuk said the delegation discussed the recent tensions between Arab and Kurdish farmers in the disputed territories. Last week Kurdish and Arab farmers clashed with stones and sticks as Arab farmers tried to plow Kurdish-owned lots in Daquq’s Haftaghar area.
PUK MP in the Iraqi Parliament Karim Shukur told Kurdsat English that the commander of the joint operations in Kirkuk listened carefully to our concerns and promised to follow up on them.
"As I observed, the commander is willing to bring about peace and stability in the region and to coordinate with us to settle the disputes,” Shukur noted.
The 2017 Kurdistan region referendum led to the expulsion of Kurdistan region peshmerga from Kirkuk and the rest of the disputed territories, leading to a renewed phase of Arabization in the region.
Currently, many Kurdish farmers are denied access to their farmlands, with some prevented from watering their crops, as Arabs claim ownership of their lands.