The Kurdish New Year, Newroz, was celebrated in Kirkuk four days late. Thousands of people took part in the festival, which offered a varied stage program of music and dance performances as well as political speeches. The festival square in Riya Şîwesûr was covered in a colorful sea of flags.

The Newroz celebration in Kirkuk kicked off with a message from the organizing committee. Afterwards, Mihemed Ebdullah, co-chairman of the Tevgera Azadî ya Civaka Kurdistanê movement, gave a speech. Ebdullah wished people a happy and prosperous new year and said, "Kirkuk is a city of Kurdistan and a center of peaceful coexistence of all peoples of Iraq."

Soma Ferhad then read out a statement from the women's organization RJAK (Rêxistina Jinên Azad a Kurdistanê). The activist stressed that the key to the liberation of the Kurdish people lies in the unity of women and spoke in favor of expanding the campaign "End isolation, fascism and occupation - Time for freedom." The campaign, initiated by the KCK last September, is directed against the regime in Turkey and is being waged worldwide.

Peace Mother: Celebrate Newroz as a day of unity and solidarity

Residents of the Maxmur refugee camp also came to Kirkuk. Activist Dayê Helîme, who belongs to the Council of Peace Mothers, described Newroz as a national holiday that should be celebrated by Kurdish society as a "day of unity and solidarity." The celebration ended with musical contributions by Diyar Dersim, Jina Seqizî, Berhem Şemamî, Ebas Salih Dawidî, Diyar Elî and Sîrwan Şiwanî, as well as exuberant dancing.

Kirkuk, center of the Iraqi oil industry

The city of Kirkuk, which is disputed between Iraq and South Kurdistan autonomous region, represents the center of Iraq's oil industry. Until the "independence referendum" in September 2017, the city, historically part of Kurdistan, had been controlled by the peshmerga. Before a month had passed after the referendum, the Iraqi military, federal police, and the Shia militia Hashd al-Shaabi intervened and occupied the city. At first, Kirkuk and the disputed areas were lost; in total, the autonomous region lost 51 percent of its territory.