743
Iran
- Amid multiple ongoing Turkish bombing operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraqi Kurdistan and Iranian incursions at the border against Kurdish opposition groups, the Turkish gendarmerie and the Iranian border police met in Boralan district (Iran) and discussed their mutual determination to fight the PKK and its Iranian offshoot, Kurdistan Free Life (PJAK.) In response, PJAK called for cross-party unity against Tehran in on Sunday. According to PJAK’s statement, it “invites Kurdish academics, experts and parties to preserve the future fate of their community in a pluralistic and collective way and struggle for a secular and democratic community,” and calls for the creation of a multiparty council “to monitor the positions of all Kurdish political parties; a national army; and a mutual diplomatic council to attend international events.”
- The Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) reports killing 10 Kurdish fighters near the Iraqi border during clashes near Oshnavieh on Friday. According to the IRGC website, the Kurds belonged to a “terrorist group affiliated with global arrogance,” (the United States) and confiscated arms, ammunition and communication equipment. They did not mention any casualties on their own side but the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) reported clashing with the IRGC and killing 12 near Oshnavieh. Three Kurdish groups are fighting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC): PJAK, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) and Komala. Until this year, violent clashes with the IRGC were relatively rare, but this year amid tensions from economic protests, there have been several battles
- Iranian border guards shot a Kurdish kolbar (border porter) on Iran-Turkey border near Salmas district. The Kurdistan Association Network (KMMK) reported that the shooting of the Kurdish Kolbar, Chawidan Hikari, took place on August 9. Last week also a raid by Iranian security forces resulted in the arrest of a dozen Kurdish kolbars in Birwan near Sardasht city according to KMMK. Also in Sardasht city, on August 8, Kurdish municipality workers launched a strike for not receiving their salaries for months.
Iraq
- Following the manual recount of Iraq’s contested elections in May, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) released the results: no changes from the preliminary results for the Kurdistan region: for the ruling parties, in Erbil, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) kept its 8 seats, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) kept its two seats. In Kirkuk, PUK retained its six seats and in Duhok, KDP’s ten seats remained unchanged, and six seats in Nineveh. The Kurdish opposition parties like Gorran reject the final results.
- 57 illegal oil refineries have been shut down for health/safety violations. There are 200 illegal refineries in Erbil that have little to no safety or environmental standards, but they are generally allowed to operate in order to supply Kurdistan’s energy needs, but without regulation, they have been polluting land so badly it is no longer fit for agriculture.
- The Erbil-Kirkuk road, blocked since Kirkuk was taken over by Iraqi forces on October 16th, 2017 in response to the KRG’s independence referendum, will finally reopen in two weeks. There are plans to build an iron bridge before the road reopens, which will be for civilian traffic. (The previous bridge was destroyed by Iraqi attacks.) Peshmerga will control two checkpoints, and Iraqi forces another.
- The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq has postponed the ruling on the oil sales’ dispute case between the federal government and the KRG for the fourth time. The court decided to hold another session on August 29. Last year, the Iraqi federal government took the KRG to the Supreme court for independently selling oil since 2014, but the KRG argues that articles in the constitution does allow some exports without Baghdad’s permission. Due to the presence of two seemingly contradictory articles in Iraq’s constitution over exporting oil extracted from the Kurdistan Region, the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq appointed a technical expert to submit a report on the case.
Syria
- The Department of Defense released a statement announcing further successful airstrikes against the Islamic State in the Hajin region, the last major pocket of ISIS territory east of the Euphrates. This is expected to be the initiation of Phase 3 of Operation Roundup, the joint campaign to destroy ISIS conducted by the US-led coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces. The Coalition has provided critical air support, advisors, and material, while the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has served as the ground forces and fighters. The Operation has so far been a sweeping success, with ISIS all but eliminated from the areas of its territorial control. At its peak, the terror group controlled approximately a quarter of Syrian land, whereas they are currently limited to tiny pockets accounting for less than 5% of the country.
- Hessen Eli, member of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) has stated the liberation of Afrin “is a priority” for the SDF and its leadership. Afrin has been occupied by the Turkish military and jihadist rebel forces since March 2018, after a pitched siege against the Kurdish YPG. Eli went on to expound on the ongoing talks between the SDF and Damascus, stating that both parties “agree Turkey is an occupying force” with “no right to be anywhere in Syria”.
- Kino Gabriel, the SDF spokesman, clarified that SDF fighters will not be present in Idlib Operation, denouncing rumors of their participation in the government’s upcoming campaign to retake the last bastion of rebel control in Syria. Gabriel stressed that the SDF is still committed to combating the terrorist presence in Syria as well as the Turkish invasion, but for now does not feel comfortable moving troops so far from the fight against ISIS and its own borders. The SDF and YPG have endeavored to remain largely neutral in the conflict between the regime and the disparate rebel groups. Exceptions have been made, when jihadist rebel groups threatened Kurdish communities and aided Turkish forces in the invasion of Afrin. This statement comes at a time when the Damascus-based government and the primarily Kurdish SDF are looking to reconcile and come to a power-sharing agreement, as the regime seems poised to achieve victory in the Civil War.
Turkey
- Selahattin Demirtas, the former co-chair and former presidential candidate of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) has released a rare statement from prison, urging his party to push harder in politics and not limit their activity to parliamentary debate. Unusually critical of his group, Demirtas told the members of parliament’s third largest party, and second largest opposition group, to get out of their “vacation mood”. He encouraged more visible action in society, taking to the streets and protesting against what he has described as a fascist regime. Demirtas has been imprisoned by Turkey since 2016, and during the entirety of his presidential campaign in 2018. He faces charges of separatism and supporting terror groups during his tenure as co-chair of the HDP.
- Garo Paylan, HDP vice co-chair decried Erdogan’s rhetoric on the lira’s fall. The Turkish currency has dropped in value by 10% in the last week, and since 2012 has lost 65% of its value against the dollar. The enormous drop in value has shocked markets across the world and led to fears of a financial meltdown in Turkey. Vice-chair Paylan stated that “No one… trusts Erdogan anymore” following the president’s calls for citizens to sell their dollars and euros to boost the lira’s value. The tumble in the currency’s worth has been the result of worsening relations with the US over issues including Syria and the contentious detainment of American pastor Andrew Brunson.
See our interactive map below for locations of these events.