Tensions flared in Duhok, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), when an unidentified man distributed balloons adorned with the Turkish flag to children leaving Haji Said mosque after Friday prayers. The incident, as originally reported by the Kurdish Front News Telegram channel, occurred amid ongoing Turkish military operations in the region, which have already heightened local sensitivities.
The man, described by eyewitnesses as a stranger speaking Turkish, handed out the balloons to unsuspecting children, who, along with their families, initially did not notice the flags. However, once the Turkish flags were spotted, some young men intervened, stopping the distribution and demanding the man leave the area.
Fikri Doski, the imam of Haji Said mosque, later related that the man and three others had visited the mosque, identifying themselves as tourists. “They asked me to offer them tea,” Doski said, adding that the group confirmed they had distributed the balloons “as a gesture” and did not see anything wrong in their actions. Following the incident, local security forces (Asayish) arrived at the imam’s house and took the four individuals in for questioning.
The distribution of Turkish flag balloons has caused significant public outrage in Duhok, where tensions are already high due to Turkey’s ongoing military incursion, ostensibly targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) but extending into regions beyond PKK presence. Since July, Turkish forces have established numerous bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), leading to clashes that have displaced civilians and caused extensive damage to local livelihoods.
