Kurdish–Turkmen clashes dissipate in Kirkuk
Shafaq News – Kirkuk
Calm returned to the northern Iraqi town of Altun Kupri on Saturday, after overnight clashes between Kurdish and Turkmen supporters over political flags, a source told Shafaq News.
According to the source, the unrest erupted Friday night when rival groups raised party banners, triggering arguments that escalated into fistfights.
No injuries were reported.
“Army and riot police spread across the area,” the source added.
Deputy Parliament Speaker Shakhawan Abdullah urged residents to exercise restraint, describing Altun Kupri as “a model of coexistence.” Kirkuk Provincial Council member Ahmed Ramzi Koprulu said a police officer fired shots during the incident and was disciplined, emphasizing that “all political supporters have the right to celebrate peacefully.”
Altun Kupri, known as Perde in Kurdish and meaning “Golden Bridge” in Turkish, lies along the Erbil–Kirkuk highway between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. The town has a history of ethnic and political tensions, including a Saddam Hussein-era 1991 massacre of Turkmen civilians.
Friday’s unrest comes around two weeks before Iraq’s November 11 parliamentary elections, as rival blocs step up campaigning in disputed areas like Kirkuk — a province of about one million voters divided among Kurds, Sunni and Shia Arabs, and Turkmen.
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