Seman Ağa, selected as Iraq’s State Minister, said in Baghdad that in the new period they would represent not only the Turkmen but all ethnic and political groups in Iraq. Ağa said they would also contribute to the development of Iraq–Türkiye relations.
Ağa said that, for the first time, a person raised within the Iraqi Turkmen Front would take up a ministerial post in the Iraqi government. Saying that this position had been made possible by the support and votes of the Turkmen, Ağa thanked the Turkmen community.
"For the first time, as someone raised within the ITC, we will take up a ministerial post. We could not have achieved this without the support and votes of the Turkmen people behind us. Congratulations to the entire Turkmen people."
The start of the ministerial process
Ağa said the process of granting the Turkmen a ministerial post began with a proposal from Prime Minister Ali ez-Zeydi, and stressed the importance of the Iraqi Turkmen Front and the Turkmen being represented in the Council of Ministers.
Ağa said the position he had assumed did not belong solely to the Iraqi Turkmen Front, adding that they would represent all Turkmen political parties and the Turkmeneli region. He said they aimed to serve the entire Iraqi people through the ministerial post.
Kirkuk governorship to remain with the Turkmen
Ağa announced that another Turkmen would take over the Kirkuk governor’s office he would vacate. He said the governorship would remain with the Turkmen for several more months until the local elections expected to be held in approximately 14 months, after which the position would pass to the Arabs for the remainder of the term.
Ağa said the Kirkuk Provincial Council would convene within the next few days and that the new governor would be Turkmen.
"Within the next few days, the Kirkuk Provincial Council will convene, and a Turkmen brother of ours will take over as governor. Let our people rest assured."
Ağa said they had previously promised to hold the Kirkuk governorship on a rotating basis, a position that had not been held for 100 years, and that they had achieved this goal.
Emphasis on serving all ethnic groups
Ağa said Iraq and the Middle East were going through a critical period and that he would be the voice of all Turkmen political parties in his ministerial role. He also said the Turkmen had a vision of taking part in future elections as a single electoral bloc with the Iraqi Turkmen Front and other Turkmen political parties.
Ağa said the Turkmen needed to act in unity, adding that during his tenure as Kirkuk governor they had made no distinction between Turkmen, Kurds, Arabs and Christians. He said they would represent all ethnic groups in the Council of Ministers and serve all of Iraq’s provinces.
Iraq–Türkiye relations
Ağa said that, as an Iraqi Turkmen minister, they would contribute to developing relations between Türkiye and Iraq, adding that they would work in cooperation with other Iraqi ministers on common issues concerning the two countries.
Ağa listed the Development Road Project, water, energy, trade and security among these issues. Saying that Prime Minister Zeydi would assign him responsibility for working on important files, Ağa said he aimed to contribute to the Iraqi people and his country over the next four years.
