Iraqi Kurds Register in Kirkuk

YAHYA BARZANJIAssociated Press WriterAugust 2, 2005, 9:34 PM EDT
KIRKUK, Iraq -- Thousands of Kurds displaced from this northern city by Saddam Hussein began formally registering Tuesday as residents of Kirkuk in a bid to make themselves the majority in the province and bolster their claims to this oil-rich region. The move came as Iraqi officials are trying to draft the country's new constitution that is widely expected to turn Iraq into a federal state. Kurds would like to incorporate the Kirkuk area into their self-ruled region -- a move opposed by Arabs, Turkomen and the Turkish government in Ankara.

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Thousands of Kurds Register in Kirkuk
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 zaman.com
Thousands of Kurds have reportedly registered in the Kerkuk (Kirkuk) city of Iraq.
Strikingly, the Kurds registering in the region claim that they were displaced from the city during the Saddam Hussein regime coincides with a time when studies for a new constitution continue, which will introduce a federal structure into Iraq.
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=hotnews&alt=&trh=20050803&hn=22579