****Tuz Khurmatu (,, , also spelled as Tuz Khurma and Tuz Khormato) is the central city of Tooz District in Saladin Governorate, Iraq, located 55 mi south of Kirkuk. Its inhabitants are predominantly Shia Turkmen, with a minority of Arabs and Kurds.

Etymology

The name of the city is in the local Iraqi Turkmen dialect, meaning salt and dates.

History

Naphtha, oil and asphalt was found in the town in the 18th century. The city was populated by both Kurds and Turkmens in the 19th century. Claudius Rich visited the town in 1820 and stated that the town had a population of 50,000. In 1882 Major General Gerard visited the town and stated that the town had a bazaar, 300 houses, 100 regulars and 30 zaptiyehs. The town was captured by United Kingdom in May 1918 and were met with joy from the locals. The local Hamawand tribe would offer their assistance to secure the area. In 1925, Tuz Khurmatu’s population was entirely Turkmen, except for some Jewish families (35 out of 405 families). 40% of the population was Kurdish in the 1947 census. In 1976, Tooz District was separated from Kirkuk Governorate and attached to Saladin Governorate for Arabization purposes. The population of the town was 75,737 the subsequent year, and decreased to 51,998 in 1987. The town participated in the 1991 Iraqi uprising before being suppressed by the Ba'athist Iraqi army.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Operation New Dawn

Post-U.S. withdrawal and Iraqi Civil War