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A weekly brief of events that occurred in the Kurdish regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- On October 1, the Iranian regime fired a number of missiles into eastern Syria from the outskirts of the Kurdish city of Kermanshah. A video recorded by a Kurdish activist shows the failure of at least one missile moments after it was launched, which caused a fire in the area where it exploded. According to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the missiles were in “revenge” of the recent attacks against the military parade in Ahwaz city. The missiles targeted Albo Kamal town in Syria where it’s considered to be the last stronghold of ISIS. The missiles landed “within three miles” of US troops who are supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to defeat ISIS east of the Euphrates. On September 8, the Iranian regime also attacked Kurdish opposition parties in the Kurdistan region of Iraq where their headquarters are based.
- As crackdowns intensified against the Kurdish activists in Iran, the Kurdish Human Rights Organization, Hengaw, reported that in September alone the Iranian regime arrested 80 Kurds. The reasons for the arrests were due to political or civilian activism in the Kurdish cities of Uromiyeh, Kermanshah, and Sanandaj.
- Two more Kurdish border porters (Kolbar) have been shot by the Iranian border guards near Uromiyeh. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK), two Kurdish Kolbars from Salmasa district were shot on the Iranian-Turkish border near the city of Uromiyeh. One of them remains seriously injured.
- On Sunday, September 30, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) announced that one of their Peshmerga forces was injured due to aerial strikes by drones belonging to the Iranian regime on their base near Iran’s border with the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
Iraq
- On September 30, the Parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan region took place. According to the preliminary results based on political party observers, the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) won the most seats followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Meanwhile, the Change Movement (Gorran) came in third, losing several seats to the newly formed party of the New Generation. The Islamic group (Komal) came in fifth place while the Islamic Union (Yakgrtu) suffered the biggest loss compared to elections in 2013. Most of the parties accused each other of voter fraud. The PUK first denounced the results in certain areas and the KDP also complained about the process in Sulaymaniyah province. Meanwhile, the New Generation announced their boycott of the next parliament legislative term (four years) if the early results remain the same. Further, the Change Party threatened to boycott the results of the elections if the commission does not void the “fake votes.” On October 1, the Kurdistan Electoral Commission spokesperson told Rudaw that among 1,260 voting stations they received the results of 947, while working to receive the rest as they faced technical issues. In initial international reaction to the elections, the European Union (EU) released a statement in support of the election process in the Kurdistan region. “It is positive that first reports confirm a peaceful and orderly ballot. Vote counting should now be completed speedily and transparently, the results should be accepted by all parties,” said Maja Kocijancic, the Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs of EU. Al Shams Network, an Iraqi organization which observes elections, acknowledged some cases of violation but overall praised the election process. “Generally, the elections were held in a peaceful environment,” said Hoger Chato, the director of Al Shams. The turnout passed 55% in Kurdistan, however, it is less than the 2013 elections. The preliminary results, while unofficial, are as follows:
1-KDP 38-40%
2-PUK17-20%
3-Change Movement 10-13%
4-The New Generation 6-8%
5-Islamic Group 5-7%
6-Islamic Union 4-6%
- The ruling Kurdish parties of KDP and PUK continued their disputes over the final nominee for Iraq’s presidency. After a week of talks between the KDP and the PUK in Baghdad with all the non-Kurdish parties, no consensus was reached as the majority of the Shiite and Sunni blocks chose neutrality rather than voting for the KDP nominee Fuad Hussein or the PUK nominee Barham Salih. The Kurdish disagreements led to the second postponement of the presidential nomination vote, which has been rescheduled for October 2. After reaching the quorum and during the first round, the lawmakers voted in favor of the PUK’s nominee Barham Salih as he received 165 votes while the KDP nominee Fuad Hussien received 90. Following the first voting round, the KDP President Massud Barzani rejected the process. “The current method is never acceptable and the near future we will declare our position,” said Barzani. During the second round, Barham Salih won 219 votes as the KDP withdrew their nominee Fuad Hussein. Salih became the third elected President of Iraq since 2003. However, the disagreements over the presidency have created more disputes between both the KDP and the PUK partnership in the Kurdistan region which might affect the formation of the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
- In Kirkuk province, an IED attack by ISIS killed at least three people in Twela’a village near Dibis district. In the city of Kirkuk, the people of Kirkuk expressed frustration due to the rise in prices for most goods after Iraq’s Prime Minister imposed new customs between Kirkuk and the Kurdistan region.
Syria
- The U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces continued its advance to eliminate ISIS terrorists east of the Euphrates on several fronts. Last week after the complete liberation of As Susah village the SDF advanced west of the village. The SDF also repelled several ISIS counter attacks in al Shajla village after it was liberated by the SDF. The ISIS attacks included car bombs and bombardment by heavy weapons amid the continued air support by the U.S. to the SDF. According to the latest SDF status, ISIS terrorist lost 49 militant as the U.S. led coalition struck them 17 times.
- In the Kurdish region of Afrin, the Turkish backed Jihadi groups imposed a tax of 15% on the harvest of olive trees owned by the Kurds. The tax will be spent on the councils run by the Jihadi groups. Tens of thousands of olive tree farms remain under the Jihadi groups’ management as many Kurdish locals fled Afrin when Turkey and its proxies occupied it in March 2018.
- In Qamishlo, the vast majority of the Kurdish parties in Northern Syria within the framework of The Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV DEM) held their 3rd conference. The TEV DEM parties include the Democratic Union Party, Kurdistan Liberal Union, Kurdistan Democratic Peace Party, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria. After the conference, the Kurdish parties vowed to pursue the political process in the Kurdistan region of Syria jointly.
Turkey
- More crackdowns on the Kurdish political activists and members of parties took place by the Turkish police. In Diyarbakir (Amed) the police raided and detained the co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Hani district. In Izmir, the Turkish police detained seven Kurds. In Siirt, the Turkish police detained Idris Ilhan, the HDP Provincial Council member for posts on social media related to the deteriorating Turkish economy. Ilhan had tweeted: “We are not sinking because the Dollar is rising, but to the contrary, the Dollar rises because we are sinking. The dollar is at 7.15 TL.”
- The Turkish government sentenced a renowned Kurdish signer, Ferhat Tunc for 1 year 11 months and 12 days in prison for “propaganda for an organization.” Tunc’s charges included praising the sacrifices of the Kurdish fighters who defeated ISIS terrorists in Kobani, Syria in 2014.
- In Odunpazarı district-Eskişehir province, a hate crime was reported when armed ultra-nationalist Turks attacked a Kurdish lawyer’s office. Later the attackers hung signs saying: ”we do not want HDP in Odunpazari.”