Kirkuk Under Control Of Talabani/Flags in different colors/Turkmen front/Turkmen Islam/PUK/KDP(Barzan)/4/26/turkishpress

http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=10060
Sunday, April 27, 2003

Kirkuk Under Control Of Peshmergas Of Talabani

Anadolu Agency:4/26/2003

KIRKUK - Kirkuk, where there is a majority of Turkmen population, is under the control of peshmerges under the command of Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani.

A.A correspondent said forces under the command of Talabani carry out inspection from control points in entrance and exit of the city. There are posters of Talabani at control points.

Flags in different colors on many buildings decorate the city. Blue flags symbolize Turkmen front, pink flags symbolize Association of Turkmen Islam, green flags symbolize PUK, yellow flags symbolize Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) under the leadership of Massoud Barzani.

There is a calm atmosphere in Kirkuk. U.S. soldiers patrol the city at night, while police comprised of peshmergas under the command of PUK control the city in daytime. It was stated that there are about 1000 police under the command of PUK in Kirkuk.

All roads in the city are open to traffic. There is no water and electricity cutoff in the city. Water shortage has not occurred during war and after war.

There are some economic problems in the city due to war. Rules of war economy are being implemented in Kirkuk. Price of food and beverage increased a lot after the war.

Sources said that Arabs who were settled in the city to make Kirkuk an Arab city during Saddam Hussein regime left the city since they were afraid of Kurdish peshmerges.

Meanwile, there is not any looting in Kirkuk. While there is smoke over Baghdad since some buildings were burnt after lootings, smoke is not seen over Kirkuk.

According to official records of Saddam Hussein regime, it was stated that there are not any Turkmen in Kirkuk. People can go anywhere by speaking Turkish. Iraq Turkmen Front said that Turkmens constitute 60 percent of population of Kirkuk, while Kurdish groups said that they have majority of population of the city.