Iraqi population census raises concerns of Kurds
Kurds and Turkmens in Kirkuk are concerned that the Iraqi population census, set to be held in 2020, could be used for political ends.
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraqi Kurdistan — Political concerns among Kurds and Turkmens in Iraq may impede the country's census, set to be held by late 2020, especially in the disputed oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
Iraq's last population census in 1997 put the country's population at 16 million, excluding Iraqi Kurdistan. It was estimated there were 3 million Kurds. Those figures are now out of date, and the real population unknown.
The Kurdish political parties in Kirkuk, except for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), met Aug. 26 to reject holding a census in the disputed areas, citing Article 140 of the constitution.
Iraqi troops took control of Kirkuk in October 2017 following the failed Kurdish referendum for independence. Since then, the KDP has deemed Kirkuk an “occupied” city, withdrawing its officials and headquarters.
