In Iraqi elections the balance lies with Kirkuk

•  Iraq

Kirkuk is a city of mixed population (Arab, Kurdish and Turkmen) in Northern Iraq. During the US invasion in 2003, Kurdish troops took over the city, which has remained under their control to date. The Kurdish authorities allege that the city was completely populated by Kurds until Saddam Hussein's regime applied a policy of forced 'arabisation', expelling many Kurds and bringing Arabs by force from other areas of the country. These authorities are now trying to revert the trend, helping Kurds relocate in Kirkuk, in a process they call 'normalisation' and its detractors 'kurdification'.