The Iraqi government has seized control of Kirkuk from the Kurds, taking just a day to take charge of the multi-ethnic city and the oilfields surrounding it. Kurdish forces have since rapidly withdrawn from several contested cities and towns, leaving Iraqi forces and their Shia militia allies in charge.
Last month voters in Iraq's northern Kurdish region as well as some disputed areas overwhelmingly voted to secede. But Baghdad, as well as neighbours Tehran and Ankara, has fiercely opposed the move.
So what will this mean for Iraq's Kurds?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Mowaffak al-Rubaie - ex-Iraqi National Security Adviser and current member of parliament for Baghdad
Karokh Khoshnaw - Kurdish political analyst and Professor, Byte Institute
Tallha Abdulrazaq - Researcher, University of Exeter's Strategy and Security Institute
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