Dr. Sinem Cengiz

Last week, for the first time in almost a century, a Turkmen was elected to govern Iraq’s Kirkuk district. It is important to understand what this development means for Turkiye and its Iraq policy.

For more than two decades, Turkiye has lived with wars on its doorstep — first Iraq, then Syria, and now Iran. None of these conflicts have remained within the countries’ borders, and all have affected Turkiye’s security, economy, and domestic politics.