History Kirkuk

1 history

1.1 ancient history
1.2 after islamic conquests
1.3 british occupation
1.4 entry kingdom of iraq
1.5 discovery of oil
1.6 1970 autonomy agreement
1.7 kirkuk after 2003

history
ancient history

it suggested kirkuk 1 of places occupied neanderthals based on archeological findings in shanidar cave settlement. large amount of pottery shards dating ubaid period excavated several tells in city.

ancient arrapkha part of sargon of akkad s akkadian empire (2335–2154 bc), , city exposed raids of lullubi during naram-sin s reign.

later city occupied around 2150 bc language isolate speaking zagros mountains dwellers known gutian people semitic , sumerian of mesopotamians. arraphkha capital of short lived guti kingdom (gutium), before destroyed , gutians driven mesopotamia neo-sumerian empire c. 2090 bc. arrapkha became part of old assyrian empire (c.2025–1750 bc), before hammurabi briefly subjected assyria short lived babylonian empire, after again became part of assyria c.1725 bc.

however, middle of 2nd millennium b.c. indo-aryan mittani of anatolia formed ruling class on language isolate speaking hurrians, , began expand hurri-mitanni empire. in 1450s attacked assyria, sacking assur, , bringing cities of gasur , arrapkha under control. c.1450 1393 bc kings of assyria paid tribute kingdom of mittani.

the middle assyrian empire (1365–1020 bc) overthrew hurri-mitanni in mid 14th century bc , arrapha once more became incorporated assyria proper. in 11th , 10th centuries bc city rose prominence, becoming important city in assyria until fall of neo-assyrian empire (911–605 bc).

the hurri-mitanni domination of assyria broken in 1390s bc, , arrapkha once more became integral part of assyria middle assyrian empire (1365–1020 bc) saw hurrian population driven region. remained such throughout neo-assyrian empire (911–605 bc) became important assyrian city.

after fall of assyria between 612–599 bc still integral part of geo-political province of assyria – achaemenid assyria, athura, seleucid syria, assyria (roman province) , assuristan. in parthian , sassanid eras kirkuk capital of small assyrian state of beth garmai (c.160 bc-250 ad).

the city briefly came part of short lived median empire before falling achaemenid empire (546–332 bc) incorporated province of athura (achaemenid assyria).

later became part of macedonian empire (332–312 bc) , succeeding seleucid empire (311–150 bc) before falling parthian empire (150 bc-224 ad) part of athura. parthians seemed exercise loose control, , number of small neo-assyrian kingdoms sprang in region between 2nd century bc , 4th century ad, 1 such kingdom named ܒܝܬܓܪܡܝ , (that bit garmai in syriac) had arrapha capital. christianity arose during period, arrapha , surrounds being influenced assyrian church of east. sassanid empire destroyed these kingdoms during 3rd , 4th centuries ad, , arrapha incorporated sassanid ruled assuristan (sassanid assyria).

in ad 341, zoroastrian shapur ii ordered massacre of assyrian christians in persian sassanid empire. during persecution, 1,150 martyred in arrapha. city appears on peutinger map of time. city remained part of sassanid empire until islamic conquest in mid 7th century ad.

after islamic conquests

arab muslims fought sassanid empire in 7th century ad, conquering region. city part of islamic caliphate until tenth century. kirkuk , surrounding areas ruled seljuk turks many years. after divided empire collapsed, city became part of turkic zengid dynasty century. after mongol invasion, ilkhanate state founded in region , city became part of mongol ilkhanate. ilkhanate region conquered black sheep turkomans , white sheep turkomans. ottoman empire took control of iraq, syria, palestine, egypt , hejaz in 16th century. turkish rule continued until world war when ottoman empire overthrown in region british empire.

british occupation

at end of world war i, british occupied kirkuk on 7 may 1918. abandoning city after 2 weeks, british returned kirkuk few months later after armistice of mudros. kirkuk avoided troubles caused british-backed shaykh mahmud, attempted defy british , establish own fiefdom in sulaymaniyah.

entry kingdom of iraq

as both turkey , great britain desperately wanted control of vilayet of mosul (of kirkuk part), treaty of lausanne in 1923 failed solve issue. reason, question of mosul sent league of nations. committee travelled area before coming final decision: territory south of brussels line belonged iraq. treaty of angora of 1926, kirkuk became part of kingdom of iraq.

discovery of oil


baba gurgur

in 1927, iraqi , american drillers working foreign-owned , british-led iraq petroleum company (ipc) struck huge oil gusher @ baba gurgur ( st. blaze or father blaze in kurdish) near kirkuk. ipc began exports kirkuk oil field in 1934. company moved headquarters tuz khormatu camp on outskirts of kirkuk, named arrapha after ancient city. arrapha remains large neighborhood in kirkuk day. ipc exercised significant political power in city , played central role in kirkuk s urbanization, initiating housing , development projects in collaboration iraqi authorities in 1940s , 1950s.

the presence of oil industry had effect on kirkuk s demographics. exploitation of kirkuk s oil, began around 1930, attracted both arabs , kurds city in search of work. kirkuk, had been predominantly turkmen city, gradually lost uniquely turkmen character. @ same time, large numbers of kurds mountains settling in uninhabited cultivable rural parts of district of kirkuk. influx of kurds kirkuk continued through 1960s. according 1957 census, kirkuk city 37.63% iraqi turkmen, 33.26% kurdish arabs , assyrians making less 23% of population.

some analysts believe poor reservoir-management practices during saddam hussein years may have seriously, , permanently, damaged kirkuk s oil field. 1 example showed estimated 1,500,000,000 barrels (240,000,000 m) of excess fuel oil being reinjected. other problems include refinery residue , gas-stripped oil. fuel oil reinjection has increased oil viscosity @ kirkuk making more difficult , expensive oil out of ground.

over all, between april 2003 , late december 2004 there estimated 123 attacks on iraqi energy infrastructures, including country s 7,000 km-long pipeline system. in response these attacks, cost iraq billions of dollars in lost oil-export revenues , repair costs, military set task force shield guard iraq s energy infrastructure , kirkuk-ceyhan oil pipeline in particular. in spite of fact little damage done iraq s oil fields during war itself, looting , sabotage after war ended highly destructive , accounted perhaps eighty percent of total damage.

the discovery of vast quantities of oil in region after world war provided impetus annexation of former ottoman vilayet of mosul (of kirkuk region part), iraqi kingdom, established in 1921. since , particularly 1963 onwards, there have been continuous attempts transform ethnic make-up of region.

pipelines kirkuk run through turkey ceyhan on mediterranean sea , 1 of 2 main routes export of iraqi oil under oil-for-food programme following gulf war of 1991. in accordance united nations mandate @ least 50% of oil exports pass through turkey. there 2 parallel lines built in 1977 , 1987.

1970 autonomy agreement

on paper, autonomy agreement of 11 march 1970, recognized legitimacy of kurdish participation in government , kurdish language teaching in schools. however, reserved judgment on territorial extent of kurdistan, pending new census.

baghdad interpreted virtual declaration of war, and, in march 1974, unilaterally decreed autonomy statute. new statute far cry 1970 manifesto, , definition of kurdish autonomous area explicitly excluded oil-rich areas of kirkuk, khanaqin , shingal/sinjar. in tandem 1970–1974 autonomy process, iraqi regime carried out comprehensive administrative reform, in country s sixteen provinces, or governorates, renamed , in cases had boundaries altered. old province of kirkuk split in half. area around city named at-ta mim (arabic: التأميم‎) ( nationalization ), , boundaries redrawn give arab majority.

according human rights watch, 1991 gulf war until 2003, former iraqi government systematically expelled estimated 500,000 kurds , assyrians kirkuk , other towns , villages in oil-rich region. have settled in kurdish-controlled northern provinces. meanwhile, iraqi government resettled arab families in place in attempt reduce political power , presence of ethnic minorities, process known arabization.

the arabization of kirkuk , other oil-rich regions not recent phenomenon. successive governments have sought @ various times reduce ethnic minority populations residing there since discovery of significant oil deposits in 1920s. mid-1970s, ba ath party government seized power in 1968 embarked on concerted campaign alter demographic makeup of multi-ethnic kirkuk. campaign involved massive relocation of tens of thousands of ethnic minority families kirkuk, sinjar, khanaqin, , other areas, transferring them purpose-built resettlement camps. policy intensified after failed kurdish uprising in march 1991. expelled included individuals had refused sign so-called nationality correction forms, introduced authorities prior 1997 population census, requiring members of ethnic groups residing in these districts relinquish kurdish or assyrian identities , register officially arabs. iraqi authorities seized property , assets; expelled areas controlled peshmerga stripped of possessions , ration cards withdrawn.

kirkuk after 2003

iraqi personnel graduate kirkuk

american , british military forces led invasion of iraq in march 2003, driving saddam hussein , ba ath party power. caretaker government created until establishment of democratically elected government.

since april 2003, thousands of internally displaced kurds have returned kirkuk , other arabized regions take homes , lands have since been conquered arabs central , southern iraq.

under supervision of chief executive of coalition provisional authority l. paul bremer, convention held on 24 may 2003 select first city council in history of oil-rich, ethnically divided city. each of city s 4 major ethnic groups invited send 39-member delegation allowed select 6 sit on city council. 6 council members selected among 144 delegates represent independents social groups such teachers, lawyers, religious leaders , artists.

kirkuk s 30 members council made of 5 blocs of 6 members each. 4 of blocs formed along ethnic lines—kurds, arabs, assyrian , turkmen—and fifth made of independents. turkmen , arabs complained kurds allegedly hold 5 of seats in independent block. infuriated representative @ council s helm assistant mayor whom considered pro-kurdish. abdul rahman mustafa (arabic: عبدالرحمن مصطفى‎), baghdad-educated lawyer elected mayor 20 votes 10. appointment of arab, ismail ahmed rajab al hadidi (arabic: اسماعيل احمد رجب الحديدي‎), deputy mayor went way towards addressing arab concerns.

on 30 june 2005, through secret direct voting process, participation of widest communities in province , despite political legal security complexities of process in country , in kirkuk in particular, kirkuk witnessed birth of first elected provincial council. independent electoral commission of iraq ieci approved , announced outcomes of process, filled 41 seats of kirkuk provincial council follows:

26 seats 367 list kirkuk brotherhood list kbl
8 seats 175 list iraqi turkmen front itf
5 seats 299 list iraqi republic gathering
1 seats 178 list turkmen islamic coalition
1 seats 289 list iraqi national gathering

the new kirkuk provincial council started second turn on 6 march 2005. inaugural session dedicated introduction of new members, followed oath ceremony supervised judge thahir hamza salman, head of kirkuk appellate court.

five churches in kirkuk targeted bombs in august 2011

on 12 july 2013, kirkuk hit deadly bomb, killing 38 people in attack on café. blast happened shortly after 22:00 local time (19:00 (gmt). comes after more 40 people died in series of bombings , shootings across iraq, including in kirkuk, on 11 july 2013.

on 12 june 2014, town taken kurdish forces when iraqi army fled following success of isis 2014 northern iraq offensive in securing control of nearby tikrit, neighboring areas in syria.

on 21 october 2016, isil launched multiple attacks in kirkuk divert iraqi military resources during battle of mosul. witnesses reported multiple explosions , gun battles in city, centered on government compound. @ least 11 workers, including several iranians, killed suicide bomber @ power plant in nearby dibis. attack brought end 24 october, 74 militants being killed , others including leader of attackers being arrested.

on 16 october 2017, iraqi national army , pmf militia retook control of kirkuk, had been under kurdish peshmerga control since 2014..