Kirkuk administration has decided to demolish two illegally built houses in a bloc as a message of evacuation for other houses.
The teams of anti-violation on government real estate supported by security forces and Kirkuk municipality vehicles started the process of cleaning the area Inzibatkhana bloc of houses built on government lands without permission.
“We have not been warned beforehand, the committees came and destructed two houses,” Ismael Hussein, a resident of Old Inzibatkhana bloc said. “They told us to evacuate in the few coming days.”
“We have not been warned beforehand, the committees came and destructed two houses,” Ismael Hussein, a resident of Old Inzibatkhana bloc said.
Deadline for evacuation is February 23, 2021. “They have decided to give the lands to investors, that’s why they push hard to kick us out,” Hussein added.
Two houses demolished by Kirkuk municipality in illegally built houses of Inzibatkhana bloc in Kirkuk on Feb. 18, 21. Vidoe by Mayor office media.
The problem of this bloc and several others is dated back to 2003 when Kurdish parties gave away these lands after toppling Saddam region to these families whom built the houses without official permission or documents proving its ownership.
After ousting Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, thousands of houses were built illegally all over Iraq and particularly in Kirkuk. Kirkuk local authorities decided to launch campaigns to impose law and put an end to these trespass on government properties in celebration square and Panja Ali but all were suspended temporarily due to the complicated texture of Kirkuk community.
The oil-rich city of Kirkuk, 240 km north of Baghdad, is Iraq’s 5th largest with an estimated population of 900,000 Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmens. It is one of the main disputed areas that a three-stage process outlined in Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution in 2005, stipulating normalization, a population census and a referendum on the status of the territories, was drawn to put an end to Kurdistan region government KRG-Iraqi Federal government dispute over these areas.
The ownership of this bloc belongs to ministries of Awqaf (Religious Endowment) and finance. After 2003, about 57 families who were displaced decided to return to Kirkuk and build houses there.
Residents say they are living in poor living conditions and are willing to evacuate once they are compensated.
“We are all poor and displaced people. If we are not poor, how we could have endured life here? We asked for compensation, otherwise we will not leave,” Hussein insisted.
“We are all poor and displaced people. If we are not poor, how we could have endured life here? We asked for compensation, otherwise we will not leave,” Hussein insisted.
Last year, local authorities called on the residents to evacuate.
Falah Yaychili, acting mayor of Kirkuk city center, has published photos of the campaign of two houses torn down by support of special brigade 61 and local police. No futher details mentioned.
Early February, Kurdish residents of 280 houses of Musayaja bloc in Arafa neighborhood protested the decision demolishing by local authorities. Kurdish MPs of Kirkuk in Iraqi parliament pushed for delay of the process till fair compensation of the residents.
“The houses are to be destructed as the land is for ministry of finance and it gave it away to investors and pushes to get back the entire land,” Ismael Jalal, director of properties’ department in Kirkuk municipality said.
“It was not our decision. Only our equipment was used to demolish the hoses. We are member in a committee and the decision has been taken by ministry of finance,” he added.
Iraqi government has decided to officially register the illegally built houses on Nov. 19, 2019 to its residents. The statement was dictated to the local administrations in all Iraqi provinces.
