Iraqi journalist criticizes media campaign against Kirkuk governor

KIRKUK, Iraq — Iraqi journalist Yavuz İzzet has criticized a media campaign targeting Kirkuk Governor Muhammed Seman Ağa, arguing that it is intended to keep Iraq in a state of instability and dependency and draw it into regional struggles for influence. İzzet said the campaign was triggered by a new economic and political opening with Türkiye under the leadership of the prime minister’s office. He claimed Ağa was targeted because he worked with the government delegation to strengthen the initiative, while the exclusion and threats faced by the Turkmen component were being ignored. The article described the Turkish military presence in Iraq as a strategic file dating back three decades and shaped by the consensus of political forces in Baghdad. It said the presence protected minority communities, including Christians, from ISIS and militias that had escaped government control. İzzet also said Ağa secured the city, supported the authority of federal institutions and maintained a balance among Arab, Kurdish, Turkmen and Christian components. He added that the governor had received formal recognition from the prime minister and argued that the campaign sought to obscure these achievements.