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Kirkuk Shines Spotlight On Turkey’s Iraq Policy

The recent terrorist bombings in Kirkuk have highlighted Turkey’s interest in protecting the Turkmen community there, while its strong relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government strain its ties with Baghdad, writes Ilnur Cevik.
Iraqi security personnel are seen at the site of a suicide bomb attack in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad February 3, 2013. A suicide bomber driving a car and gunmen disguised in police uniforms killed at least 33 people in the Iraqi city Kirkuk on Sunday when they tried to storm the police headquarters. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3DAK7

Turkish authorities fear that three deadly bomb attacks in Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu in the past month aim to further fuel the tensions between Iraqi Arabs and Kurds and push the country into chaos and disruption, creating a new source of instability at Turkey’s doorstep.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry was quick to strongly condemn the latest bomb attack on the police headquarters in Kirkuk on Feb. 3, which left 36 dead and 105 wounded, saying, “The instigators of these attacks aim to create friction among the Iraqi people in Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu, where different ethnic and religious groups live. We believe the Iraqi people will stand firm against these dark scenerios in Iraq.”

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