Iraq
The Peshmerga statue in Kirkuk, which used to hold the flag of Kurdistan, but has been replaced with the Iraqi flag since October 16, 2017. Photo: Rudaw/screengrab
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - On Kurdistan Flag Day, security forces in Kirkuk prevented a group of Kurdish youths from raising the Kurdistan flag on the Peshmerga statue, briefly detaining two individuals.
The youths, carrying a huge Kurdistan flag, attempted to place it in the hand of the Peshmerga statue, but were blocked by a heavy security presence. The gathering was later dispersed.
Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha said the local government would address the issue of the Peshmerga statue.
“As the government, we will resolve the matter of the Peshmerga statue ourselves," Taha said.
Following the events of October 16, 2017, when Kurdish forces lost control of Kirkuk to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi), the display of the Kurdistan flag was banned in the city. Since then, Kurds in Kirkuk have been required to obtain special permission to mark national celebrations, while the prohibition on the Kurdish flag has remained in place.
On the very day of Kirkuk takeover, the PMF replaced the Kurdistan flag that had originally been placed in the statue’s left hand with the Iraqi flag.
The towering Peshmerga statue, which symbolizes the sacrifices of Kurdish Peshmerga forces, was unveiled at the entrance of Kirkuk in mid-2017 to honor the fighters, particularly those who lost their lives battling the Islamic State (ISIS).
Created by a Kurdish sculptor, the monument stands 21 meters tall and 12 meters wide, constructed from reinforced cement and steel, and is regarded as a central symbol of the Peshmerga legacy.
Sherzad Mawfari, deputy head of the Kirkuk Police Command, told Rudaw that security forces dispersed the gathering to prevent potential harm to the youths, adding that their priority was to maintain stability and calm in the disputed city.
Of note, in mid-November, President Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party issued a strongly worded statement stressing that “great sacrifices and much blood have been shed” to protect the Kurdistan flag. He emphasized that “the flag belongs to every Kurd, and every Kurd has the constitutional and legal right to take pride in both their flag and the achievements of their people.”
President Barzani made the remarks during a meeting with a Kurdish youth who was reportedly beaten by Iraqi security forces in Kirkuk for carrying the Kurdistan flag on federal legislative election day. Footage of the incident circulated widely online, triggering public and official outrage and prompting calls for accountability.
He further asserted that “no person or party has the right, under any pretext, to insult the Kurdistan flag or prevent it from being raised.”
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