Erman Topçu, the Republic of Türkiye’s Consul General in Erbil, visited Kifri on 21 September 2026, meeting Turkmen institutions, community representatives and educational organisations in the district. His programme included visits to the Bayat Tribe Diwan and the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) district headquarters in Kifri, as well as the opening of a renovated Turkmen school.
Topçu and his accompanying delegation were received by the Bayat Tribe Standing Committee at the tribe’s diwan in Kifri. During the visit, Al-Fatiha was recited in memory of the late Sheikh Hussein Alloush al-Bayati. Discussions focused on the Bayat tribe’s social role in Kifri, preserving unity and solidarity, keeping traditions and customs alive, and developing social, cultural and tribal relations.
The consul general also visited the ITF’s Kifri district headquarters, where he met Turkmen representatives. Speaking there, Topçu said Kifri held a special place for them through its people, culture, geography and schools. He also commented on Iraqi Turkmens serving in different positions and roles in the country.
Renovated Turkmen school opens
One of the key stops on Topçu’s Kifri programme was the opening of the Turkmen school. Following the completion of restoration work, the building, which houses a Turkmen high school, primary school and kindergarten, reopened to students at a ceremony.
Alongside Consul General Topçu, the opening ceremony was attended by Kifri District Governor Sahir Ali, Turkish Maarif Foundation representative in Iraq Ali Arıkmert, Turkmen politicians, local officials and political party representatives.
Topçu said he had been saddened when he saw photographs showing the school building’s physical condition last year. He expressed his hope that the Turkmen children who would study in the renovated building would receive a good education. Describing Kifri as a town with a special place for them, he thanked those who had contributed to the school’s restoration.
The institutional history of Turkmen education in Kifri dates back to the 1990s. Improving the physical conditions of the Turkmen educational institutions that have operated in the district for many years, and making the renovated building available to students with the new school year, marked a new stage in sustaining Turkmen-language education in Kifri.
Consul General Topçu’s visit brought together contacts with different parts of the Turkmen community on the same day. After his meetings at the Bayat Tribe Diwan and the ITF’s Kifri district headquarters, he attended the Turkmen school opening, completing a programme covering community, institutional and educational affairs in Kifri.