ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 40 Kurdish police officers in Kirkuk province have been removed from their posts and their military ranks frozen by a decree from the Iraqi government. "All the equipment, vehicles and guards were taken from us... We have been removed from our positions," Burhan Majeed, a former local official in Kirkuk, told Rudaw, asking the KRG to give them duties in Erbil "even if it is temporary." The 47 officials had taken posts in Kirkuk on the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) quota. After Kirkuk fell to Baghdad last month, their positions were filled with Arabs and Turkmens. Danial Jabar, another military official from Kirkuk said, when they returned to Kirkuk, they were "badly treated." Shakawan Abdullah, a Kurdish MP from the Iraqi parliament from Kirkuk denounced the removal of the Kurdish military and police officials as a political decision and vowed to speak with the Iraqi Interior Ministry to return them to their posts. "We make all efforts for the officers to return to Kirkuk and continue in their duties," Abdullah, said. He said if they failed to convince Baghdad, they will work to transfer their military ranks to the KRG's Interior Ministry. More than 22 security and administration positions have been taken away from Kurds since Hashd al-Shaabi and the Iraqi army seized control of Kirkuk, namely, positions of governor and the head of the department of agriculture. "The Arabization process has resumed," Rebwar Talabani, head of the Kirkuk Provincial Council, told Rudaw. After the events of Oct. 16 which led to the takeover of Kirkuk by the Iraqi army and Hashd al-Shaabi forces, thousands of people including officials from the city fled home in Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu. Earlier this month exiled Kirkuk police officers told Rudaw that they had reached an agreement with the Iraqi interior ministry to allow them into their posts and resumption of their duties. That however, depends on wider agreements and outcome of negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad.
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