Tension Between Turkmens and KDP Forces In Northern Iraq

Mar 21, 2001
Ankara- Turkish Daily News

Tension between Turkmens and Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) forces have
increased in recent days in northern Iraq, reports said.

Local sources said there have been skirmishes in Irbil between Turkmens and IKDP
forces in recent weeks. They said the events had escalated after the killing of a
former governor close to the KDP in northern Iraq last month.

Last month gunmen armed with automatic weapons strafed the car of Francois
Hariri, who is the former governor of the Kurdish-controlled northern Iraqi city, killing
him and his driver. Hariri served as governor of Irbil for the KDP until last year.
Kurdish officials were investigating the killing.

Turkmen sources told the Turkish Daily News that KDP forces attacked one of their
centers in Irbil on March 9 and detained a number of officials, while Kurdish sources
deny any attack claims