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The Kirkuk Conundrum

This paper examines the changing nature of the Kirkuk problem in Iraq and the implications for its long-term resolution. It is argued that different state-building policies have transformed the Kirkuk problem from an ethno-territorial conflict between Kurdish elites and Baghdad to power struggles between representatives of local governing bodies, political parties and regional actors. The more complex space that defines the contemporary Kirkuk problem in post-Saddam Iraq has also encouraged shifts in identity politics. The notion of being ‘Kirkuki first’ has become salient alongside Kurdish nationalism. These transformations demand a more nuanced policy that addresses the diverse socio-economic and political components of the Kirkuk problem, alongside the ethnicized nature of political identities in which the dispute is centered. Before any referendum can be implemented, certain requisites and confidence-building measures must be established to assure stability and create a minimal level of trust between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Baghdad.