Iran
- After more than three weeks of demonstrations by the Kurdish businessmen and workers in several cities, the Iranian regime officials vowed to reopen the border crossing between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran. Despite reopening their businesses and ending the strikes many Kurdish demonstrators promised to resume the demonstrations if the regime does not deliver their promises. The closure of the border crossing near Baneh City with Iraqi Kurdistan caused thousands to lose their jobs. Meanwhile, the regime forces have detained several activists and organizers of the demonstrations. On the border crossing, the regime forces have shot and killed a Kurdish border porter (Kolbar). Further, demonstrations by teachers in other cities like Kermanshah, Mariwan, Zewe, and Saquez took place in front of the education department according to reports by the Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK) due to low salaries and poor retirement benefits for them.
Iraq
- On May 12 the Iraqi parliamentary elections took place. Soon after the process ended tensions among Kurdish parties over the early results occurred. The unconfirmed early results in the Kurdistan region and the disputed territories were as follows:
- Democratic Party of Kurdistan(KDP) 26 seats,
- Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) 17 seats,
- Change party (Gorran) 5 seats,
- New Generation party 4 seats,
- Islamic Group (Komal) 3 seats,
- The Islamic Union (Yagarto) 2 seats, and
- The Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ) 3 seats
Soon after the ballots closed the Gorran party accused the PUK of rigging the election results by “hacking” the voting devices. Later on May 13. Five more parties joined Gorran and announced rejection of the results of the elections. On May 14, six Kurdish parties leaders (Gorran, Komal, CDJ, Yagarto, Communist party, and the Islamic movement) held a meeting in Erbil. After their meeting the parties released an official position on the election in the Kurdistan region. The statement expressed their “rejection” of the preliminary results and called for “redoing elections” in the Kurdistan region and the disputed territories. In Kirkuk the early results showed PUK winning 6 seats then 2 seats for the Arab coalition and 2 for the Turkmen front, while awaiting the fate of two more seats. Turkey’s backed Turkmen front and the Arab coalition threatened to take to the streets if the election commision would not conduct a manual recount as they blamed the Kurdish parties especially the PUK for rigging the elections. However, on May 14, the PUK in Kirkuk warned against the allegations and stressed a regional plot against the Kurdish votes in the city. The election turnout was less than 50% which is the lowest since Iraq’s liberation of Saddam in 2003.
- On May 10, the Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani visited Moscow and participated in Russia’s Victory Day parade at the Red Square. During his visit to Russia, Barzani met Vladimir Putin and discussed “bilateral relations, particularly in the economic and energy fields.” Meanwhile a senior U.S. delegation visited the Kurdistan region that included Brett McGurk and U.S. Ambassador Douglas Silliman and held a meeting with Kurdish officials about the elections.
Syria
- The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) operation of “Al Jazeera Tempest” continued their advances against the last strongholds of ISIS east of the Euphrates river near the Iraq-Syria border in Deir Ez Zor countryside. Last week in support of the U.S. led coalition the SDF liberated Baghouz village, which opened the way for them to counter the terror group at their last position in the region by Hajin district. The SDF were able to seize light to medium weapons from ISIS last week. On May 10, the SDF also fired back at sources of fire believed to be from Russian backed Syrian regime militias. “We and our partners have repeatedly emphasized our non-negotiable right to self-defense,” said Maj. Gen. Felix Gedney, deputy commander for strategy and support for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. “Al Jazeera Tempest’s” second phase launched on May 1 to clear eastern Syria of ISIS after they lost their “capital” to the SDF last October.
- Kidnapping and assassination of Kurds continues in the Turkish occupied Afrin-Syria. Last week Omar Memo Abo Hanna, a Yazidi man, was kidnapped by Turkish-backed Jihadi groups. After missing for three days his family found him killed with a bullet in his chest. Hanna was from Qibar village, which has been controlled by Jihadi groups since March 18 when Turkey invaded Afrin. Also in Afrin, 4 more Kurds were kidnapped in unclear circumstances. In the past, several reports by human rights organization criticized Turkey for supporting the Jihadi groups to abuse the Kurdish population.
Turkey
“Change with You,” “Change with Women,” and “Change with the Youth” are the election manifestos for the Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) for the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. The slogans were announced on Monday in a rally in Ankara. In the rally, Sezen Temelli, the current HDP co-chair said: “Today is the right time to get a fresh start. We come to open all the locks that have been put on democracy, economy, joy of life, emotion, the desire of people to live together without fighting, without conflict.” Meanwhile the former co-chair of the HDP, Selahattin Demirtas voters from prison despite ‘unfair’ campaign conditions. The HDP submitted an appeal to Turkey’s High court demanding the release of Demirtas as he is a presidential nominee of the HDP. In a social media post, Demitras stressed that the government has banned him to receive certain newspapers and news about the HDP.