ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the former President of the Kurdistan Region, on Monday slammed the Iraqi army forces for attacking Kurdish farmers in Kirkuk, calling it a “chauvinistic” act, and urging Baghdad to pursue legal measures against the perpetrators.

Tensions erupted between Kurdish farmers and Iraqi army forces in northern Kirkuk’s Sargaran subdistrict on Monday morning after the forces surrounded the area, preventing the farmers from entering and cultivating their lands.

"The scenes of harming a Kurdish farmer and the inappropriate act of preventing Kurdish farmers from returning to their lands bring to mind the images of the Anfal, chemical bombing, and genocide that our people were subjected to during the last century," read a statement from President Barzani.

The escalation comes despite the recent passage of a law in the Iraqi parliament to return real estate properties confiscated under the previous Ba’ath regime to original Kurdish and Turkmen owners in areas that were subjected to the Arabization process.

"This act is chauvinistic, shows a lack of conscience, and is a crime committed against the innocent Kurdish farmers of Kirkuk province who have no guilt other than being Kurds and the original owners of the land,” President Barzani added.

Footage shows an Iraqi army soldier pulling a Kurdish farmer by his scarf, after he refused to allow the forces to confiscate his tractor, during Monday's escalations in northern Kirkuk pic.twitter.com/4EbXc1Lp5P

— The New Region (@thenewregion) February 17, 2025

The Kurdish leader called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani to prevent the repetition of such violations and arrest the perpetrators and hold them legally accountable.

President Barzani commended the Kurdish farmers for standing up to the army’s advances, reassuring them that “they are not alone and without support; we stand with them with all our strength to support their struggle and defend their rights and legitimate demands.”

Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha said that the soldiers who attacked the farmers have now been arrested, and an investigative committee has been formed over the incident. He added that relevant authorities have been directed to withdraw the forces from the area.

“After contacting and informing the [Iraqi] Prime Minister, he decided to send a committee headed by the Deputy Minister of Justice to assess the situation. We will hold a special meeting with them tomorrow in the governor's office,” read the statement from Taha.

The Kirkuk governor urged the Kurdish farmers to exercise restraint and patience until the federal government begins the implementation of the recently-passed but long-awaited land restitution law, advising against “wasting this opportunity.”

The New Region has learned that the army has now withdrawn from the areas and that the farmers have called off their sit-in protests, granting Baghdad 48 hours to permanently resolve the issue.

The land restitution law, ratified by the Iraqi presidency last week, seeks to address property disputes stemming from resolutions enacted during the Ba’ath regime’s Revolutionary Command Council era. The regime transferred the ownership of hundreds of Kurdish and Turkmen properties in Kirkuk to the defense ministry and the municipality starting from the 1970’s.

Iraqi army forces have repeatedly prevented Kirkuk’s farmers from entering the areas in recent years, stating that the lands belong to the state.