Kirkuk Excluded from Federal Land Sale to Squatters, Provincial Council Deems It Unjust

Kurdistan 12:02 PM - 2025-01-16

Kirkuk Province.

The Federal Council of Ministers recently decided to sell residential land owned by the municipality in all governorates to squatters who have built homes on them, with the exception of Kirkuk Governorate.

This decision was announced by the Minister of Construction and Housing, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, who should have been advocating for the citizens of Kirkuk rather than depriving them of this right.

A Grave Injustice to the Citizens

Dr. Ahmed Kirkuki, a member of the Kirkuk Provincial Council from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc, told PUKMEDIA that the Minister’s decision is a grave injustice to the people of Kirkuk.

He added: "We believe this decision harms the people of Kirkuk, and those behind it seem intent on causing damage to the governorate, as there are large neighbourhoods in Kirkuk established after 2003 which still need to be organised, and the homes should be granted to their rightful owners."

He continued: "The Kirkuk Provincial Council will take a unified stance and will not accept the implementation of this decision or Kirkuk’s exclusion from it. We are awaiting the arrival of a special committee to Kirkuk to discuss the details of this unjust decision."

The Federal Council of Ministers' Decision

1. The Mayor of Baghdad and the governors shall sell the properly divided residential lands owned by the relevant municipality to squatters who built residential houses on them before 10th December 2024 (the date of determination of residential units by the population census committees), within the boundaries of the basic design, as an exception to the public auction, in accordance with the Sale and Lease of State Property Law No. 21 of 2013, as amended.
   
2. The sale referred to in paragraph (1) shall be subject to the following conditions:  
   A. The land must be within the boundaries of the basic design.  
   B. The construction must consist of permanent structures.  
   C. The sale must be made to the actual occupant of the property or their heirs, whom they were legally responsible for supporting.  
   D. An application must be submitted to the Municipality Directorate within 180 working days from the issuance of the regulations by the Ministry of Construction and Housing.  
   E. The application must include a notarised written declaration stating that neither the applicant, their spouse, nor any of their minor children own a residence or residential land.  
   F. The sale shall be for a real price determined by an assessment committee formed under Law 21 of 2013, as an exception to public auction.  
   G. Payment for the sale shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned law.

3. No more than one plot may be sold to any applicant, and Kirkuk Governorate is excluded from the provisions of this decision.

4. The committees formed within the Baghdad Municipality and other governorates, under Legislative Resolution No. 154 of 2001, shall assume legal responsibility for removing encroachments on municipal lands following the issuance of this decision.



PUKMEDIA