Asia

Home page

Asia

Arshad Al-Salihi: Kirkuk under control of Iraqi army and federal police

16 October 2017 17:05 (UTC +04:00)

“We’re in talks with Iraq’s central government for the application of a new form of governance,” Iraqi Turkmen leader Arshad al-Salihi told APA’s Turkey bureau.

With regard to the Kirkuk issue, Salihi said the city is now under full control of the Iraqi army and the federal police.

“The peshmerga have been pushed out of here. The army and the federal police have also seized an oil company and other state facilities. However, the situation in the city is still tense. The PKK terrorists are still showing resistance, but the Iraqi army and the federal police are going to wipe them out from Kirkuk in a couple of hours,” he said.

Asked about the situation of the Turkmen, Salihi said missiles thrown by the Peshmerga forces hit several houses.

“One of the commanders of the Turkmen Front was martyred and several others were wounded. I advised our people to stay calm to overcome this tedious period. We are negotiating with the central government in order to form a new government and appoint a new governor for Kirkuk. The negotiations will end soon and a new government will be formed in Kirkuk,” he said.