KRG announces reforms in Ankawa amid protests, critics say core issues remain unaddressed

ANKAWA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — Amid intensifying protests in Ankawa, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced the implementation of what it described as “historic decisions” by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. The announcement, made by Minister Ano Jawhar Abdoka, detailed several initiatives aimed at addressing longstanding grievances in the predominantly Christian district.

The initiatives include compensating Ankawa farmers and the Chaldean Diocese of Erbil for lands previously used as an army camp, resolving land disputes in District 390, allocating land to political prisoners, and launching the “Beth Hadiab” housing project. Additional measures involve funding the “Gardens of Babylon” park, issuing new tourism regulations, and supporting a conference to revitalize Ankawa.

Despite the ambitious scope of the reforms, activists have expressed skepticism. They view the package as an attempt to pacify public outrage without addressing the root causes of Ankawa’s unrest, which include the proliferation of nightclubs in residential neighborhoods, systematic demographic changes, and land confiscation by politically connected individuals.

Critics argue that while the KRG’s announcement includes noteworthy projects, it fails to confront the core issues threatening Ankawa’s identity. They describe the measures as superficial, suggesting that the city’s fundamental challenges remain unresolved.

As protests continue, the Ankawa community awaits concrete action to preserve their cultural and historical heritage amid mounting pressure for substantial change.

Development of Demonstration in Ankawa

The Ankawa Protest Committee organized a series of coordinated global demonstrations to address systemic marginalization of Iraq’s indigenous Christian Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian communities. The protests, announced in response to land confiscations and cultural erosion in Ankawa and nearby villages in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), highlighted grievances against years of alleged discriminatory policies and land encroachments.

Organizers kept logistical details of the protests confidential to avoid potential infiltration, claiming that the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) underestimated Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian dissatisfaction. Activists emphasized that the seizures of historic Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian lands in the Nohadra (Duhok) and Ankawa regions reflected a broader disregard for the rights and heritage of Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian communities.

Demonstrations were held across Europe, the United States, and Australia, coinciding with protests and a general strike in Ankawa. Protesters demanded two key changes: 1) the protection of Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian youth’s right to remain on their ancestral lands, and 2) the removal of nightclubs and bars, which many residents viewed as a desecration of their cultural and religious identity.

Joseph Sliwa, leader of the Beth Nahrain Patriotic Union (Huyodo Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA), supported the movement but urged a broader focus on securing comprehensive political, cultural, and historical rights for all Christian communities in Iraq. Religious leaders, political figures, and civil society groups had also voiced growing concerns over what they described as “unchecked violations,” including the expansion of entertainment venues they believed eroded Ankawa’s moral and cultural fabric.