According to Shafaq News, representatives of the Arabs and Turkmen of Kirkuk announced in a press conference that they are against connecting Kirkuk and the disputed areas to political disputes to create a vacuum in the security situation and the formation of a joint force with the presence of Peshmerga forces.

Arabs and Turkmens in Kirkuk on Sunday rejected the formation of joint forces between Peshmerga and Iraqi military for the disputed areas.

“Commander-in-chief of the armed forces has ordered to join one of the brigades of the Peshmerga forces into the Iraqi military, while the Iraqi Council of Representatives was dissolved and the government has become a transitional government,” a representative for the Arabs and Turkmens said in a press conference.

In an official document signed by Kadhimi on October 20, the premier authorized the registration of the 20th Brigade of the Peshmerga forces within the structure of the Iraqi defense ministry so as to form joint forces.

The attempt to form joint forces came after Islamic State (ISIS) militants increased attacks against civilians and security forces in the disputed territories, claimed by both Baghdad and Erbil.

The Turkmen and Arab political figures added: "Remaining this issue exclusively in the context of the interaction between Baghdad and Erbil and the lack of knowledge of the Arabs and Turkmen of Kirkuk about its details, will cause doubts and concerns about the reasons and consequences of the joint force."

The Kirkuk political forces also called on the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces to cancel the dubious move, maintain Kirkuk's social security, and keep Kirkuk, Salah al-Din and Ninawa security files under the control of the central government.

Representatives of the Arabs and Turkmen of Kirkuk called on all Iraqi national political forces to support their call for "maintaining the security and stability of Kirkuk province and not agreeing to changing the legal and security situation in Kirkuk in order to form a future government."

It is to be noted that last Thursday, the Iraqi authorities initially agreed to form two joint divisions of the joint forces and the Iraqi army in the disputed areas claimed by Baghdad and Erbil.

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