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Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) Chairman Mohammed Seman Agha was elected governor of Kirkuk province by the provincial council on Thursday evening, becoming the first Turkmen to hold the post in approximately 100 years.
The decision prompted thousands of Turkmen residents to take to the streets of the city in celebration, carrying ITC and Turkmeneli flags.
The Kirkuk Provincial Council session had been scheduled for the morning, but could not proceed due to an insufficient quorum. It was rescheduled for 6 p.m., at which point 14 members participated.
The council accepted the resignation of outgoing Governor Rebwar Taha and elected Agha with 12 of 16 votes. The KDP, led by Masoud Barzani, boycotted the session.
Agha arrived at the Kirkuk governorate building to a large and enthusiastic crowd ahead of the evening vote.
Thousands of Turkmen residents filled Kirkuk's central streets and neighborhoods in celebration following the vote, carrying ITC and Turkmeneli flags.
Residents who spoke to Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) described the moment as historic.
"I am very happy. This position carries as much responsibility as it carries significance," said a Kirkuk resident, wishing the new governor success.
Another Kirkuk resident called it "a historic day for Turkmen" and congratulated all Turkmen across Iraq, adding: "Turkmen have always known it as a duty to serve humanity on these lands."
He described the development as "a victory for democracy" that belongs to all Iraqis.
At a press conference at the governorate building, Agha said the 100-year longing of Turkmen for Kirkuk's leadership had come to an end.
"A promise we gave one year ago has been fulfilled today. We are witnessing a historic moment that ends a 100-year longing in Kirkuk," he said.
"Congratulations to all Turkmen people. Kirkuk now has a Turkmen governor," Agha added.
He said his administration would serve all of Kirkuk's residents without discrimination.
"We have come to be servants of Kirkuk," he said, adding that his words would not remain only on paper, he committed to concrete projects in health, education, security and infrastructure.
He said Kirkuk had suffered long years of victimization, hardship and terrorism and that brighter, more stable days lay ahead.
Türkiye's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party Deputy Chair and Head of Relations with Turkic States Kursad Zorlu congratulated Agha on behalf of the ruling party, saying the vote had been welcomed with satisfaction.
"As President Erdogan has emphasized at every opportunity, Kirkuk, the Turkmen homeland, has for centuries been a geography where different cultures have lived together in peace," he wrote on X.
"Our greatest wish is a Kirkuk where the rights and existence of our Turkmen brothers are guaranteed and where justice prevails. We will continue to support every step taken in this direction," Zorlu noted.
He expressed hope that the new period beginning with the historic decision would strengthen "peace, stability and the culture of coexistence in the city."
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