ERBIL, June 19 (AKnews) - Iraq's Prime Minister has accepted the request of some Kirkuk journalists to give them land in exchange for reported on his visit.

Iraq's Journalists’ Syndicate told AKnews: "The syndicate received the journalist’s names and they will be given land later but the Kurdistan Syndicate of Journalists is concerned about the decision."

Maliki met with the Council of Ministers in Kirkuk in May. Some 61 journalists reported and broadcast the event. Later on a letter requested the PM to give land to each journalist. The PM's office sent the list of names to the Kirkuk branch of the syndicate for more information about the journalists to allocate them land.

An anonymous journalist who is in the list said: "We in all events and activities are asked to provide our names and signatures. I don’t know why they ask us."

Head of the Kirkuk branch of the Iraq's Syndicate Mohammed Daghstani said: "Maliki's office sent to the Kirkuk branch the list of the journalists’ names to check their continuity in journalism, where they work and informed us that they will each be given land."

Head of Kirkuk's branch of the Kurdistan's Syndicate of Journalists Mahdi Zryan said: "Maliki's visit was for creating chaos and confusion in the city. Giving land to Kurdish journalists without going back to the Kurdistan Syndicate is another problem.

"Earlier we talked with Kirkuk's deputy province council member Rebuar Talabani to allocate land for Kirkuk journalists and he agreed on giving 200 pieces of land. Thus if the journalists received land from Iraq they should quit the Kurdistan's Syndicate membership.”

Rebuar Talabani denied the whole land process, saying that he is unaware of land being allocated.

https://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/7/313047/