Representative of Ayatollah Sistani Calls on Iraqi Government to Protect Kurdish People

As reports indicate the advance of the central government in Kirkuk province and the flight of many Kurds residing in the area, the representative of Ayatollah Sistani, the Shiite authority in Iraq, urged the central government to work to gain the trust of the Kurds and protect the Kurdish people in northern Iraq. According to Reuters and Al-Sumaria TV, Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalaei, the representative of Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Friday prayers in Karbala, called on Kurdish leaders to unite and engage in dialogue with the central government within the framework of the constitution. Ayatollah Sistani has played a significant role in forming Shiite militias in Iraq, and these remarks come at a time when these militias are also involved in operations in Kirkuk against the Kurds. Following the independence referendum of the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad's opposition to this referendum, relations between Baghdad and Erbil soured. On Tuesday, central government forces entered Kirkuk with little resistance from the Kurdistan Region forces and took control. The oil-rich province of Kirkuk has been disputed between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad for years. Kurdish officials say that with the arrival of central government forces, nearly 100,000 Kurds have left the city for Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Hemen Hawrami, a senior advisor to Masoud Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Region, tweeted that this population fled from 'looting and ethnic oppression.' He also accused the United Nations of neglecting this situation. The representative of Ayatollah Sistani also expressed gratitude to those who avoided armed conflict in Kirkuk. He stated, 'The presence of central government forces in disputed areas is not a victory for one side and a defeat for the other.' He also warned against revenge and called for all Iraqis, including Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen, to solve problems together. The representative of Ali Sistani stated that security, stability, wealth, and welfare can be achieved through the efforts of all and based on justice and equality. Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalaei emphasized that problems should be overcome by resorting to the constitution accepted by most of the people of Iraq. According to an Iranian news agency report, on Friday, a delegation consisting of members of the Gorran (Change) party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan traveled to Najaf to meet with Ayatollah Sistani. Ayatollah Ali Sistani had previously expressed his opposition to the Kurdistan Region's referendum and warned of its consequences and 'foreign intervention.' Meanwhile, on Friday, Iraqi central government forces took control of the last area of Kirkuk province after several hours of clashes with the Kurdistan Region forces.