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A weekly brief of events that occurred in the Kurdish regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- On Sunday, October 15, teachers across Iran, including the Kurdish region, held a general strike. The teachers’ strike was in protest of the living conditions and the economic crises caused by the Iranian regime. In the Kurdish region, the strikes extended into Monday, amid threats from Iranian security forces that they would arrest organizers (including school principals). Many of the Kurdish cities who participated in the teachers’ strike included Ilam, Marivan, Saqqaz, Sanandaj, and Javanrud.
- Iranian intelligence continues to imprison a prominent female Kurdish poet and activist Mina Rad after she was detained on October 6. Rad is from Dorud city in Lorestan Province. Prior to her arrest, she was called by Iranian intelligence office (Ettela’at) on several occasion for her activism in defense of youth and children against the police abuse and other Iranian regime personnel’s oppressive actions.
- On Sunday, Iranian border guards shot a group of Kurdish border Porters (Kolbars) near Piranshahr on the border between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK), a Kurdish man, Kawa Dashmir, was severely injured by Iranian border guards. In another incident, on Saturday, October 13, a Kolbar was also injured near Baryaji district- Sardasht city after a raid by Iranian border guards. In Mahabad, a Kolbar was shot by the police and was taken to the hospital where he remains in serious condition.
- On October 12, clashes occurred between a Kurdish opposition group and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). Following the clashes, the opposition group, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), released a statement claiming responsibility for the attacks on the IRGC. The KDPI statement said that “at least three members of the IRGC were killed and several others were injured.” According to the KDPI the clashes took place near Pawa city in Kermanshah Province. The KDPI also announced the death of two of Peshmergas in the clashes. In addition, the Kurdish opposition group accused the IRGC of heavy weapon bombardment and the killing a civilian.
Iraq
- A delegation comprising Iraqi Sunni and Shiite parties, known as the “Reform Coalition,” visited the Kurdistan region of Iraq to hold talks with both the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The main purpose of the delegation is the formation of the new Iraqi government. The Iraqi delegation was headed by both Ammar al-Hakim, the founder and president of the National Wisdom Movement, and Salih Motlaq, the President of the Dialogue Front. Meanwhile, Moqtada al-Sadr, the Shiite cleric whose party won the May 30th Iraqi elections, released a statement calling upon the Kurds to join the new Iraqi government in order to “save Iraq.” In his statement, Sadr vowed to defend the Kurds, saying “we will not allow you to be abused.”
- The Independent High Elections and Referendum Commission (IHERC) is continuing to count the votes and review complaints of violations after the announcement of 85% of the results of the Kurdistan region’s elections that were held on September 30. The Kurdish parties are holding unofficial talks to form the cabinet. Yet it remains unclear whether the opposition parties will join the next government or if only the KDP and PUK will form a majority government, especially after a rift in relations between the two ruling parties over Iraq’s Presidency.
- At least 19 Kurds from Duhok and Zakho cities drowned after their boat ran out of fuel in the Aegean sea near Turkey. The Kurds were attempting to seek refugee in Europe. One of the Kurdish women to survive the tragedy sadly lost her husband and five children. Over the past few years, many Kurds have sought to illegally migrate from Turkey and cross the Aegean sea to Greece. During these dangerous travels, smugglers generally avoid standard safety measures, putting many lives at risk. In response to the tragic drownings, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq said that it “has started a detailed follow-up about the incident.” KRG spokesperson Safeen Dizayee also expressed “condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.”
- On Saturday, a car bomb exploded in the Mamdoda neighborhood of Kirkuk, resulting in the injury of 6 civilians including children. In the past 10 days, several terror attacks have hit Kirkuk amid an ongoing security vacuum that resulted from the removal of Peshmerga forces from Kirkuk by Iranian-backed militias and Iraqi Federal forces.
Syria
- In a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart, the Syrian minister of foreign affairs Walid al Moalem said that after Idlib “their goal” is to attack east of Syria and control it. Moalem threatened the Kurds in Syria, telling them they must either seek dialogue with the Syrian regime based on the “constitution and a law regulating the relationship” or “pay the price” for sticking to the “American illusion” (i.e. the Kurdish partnership with the U.S.-backed coalition in the east of Syria against ISIS). In response to the Syrian regime’s threats, the former Co-President of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) Salih Muslim said that “anybody who tries to attack our liberated areas will face the same fate as DAESH [ISIS].” The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also rejected Molaem’s statements. SDF spokesperson Amjad Othman said “threatening language does not serve to move towards dialogue.” On October 11, the U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo praised the Kurds of Syria, describing them as “great partners.” Pompeo also revealed that the administration is trying to get a seat for the Kurds in the post-war political process for the formation of a future Syrian government.
- The SDF released statistics for the past month for their military operations against the last ISIS strongholds in three areas east of the Euphrates in Deir Ez Zor province. According to the SDF, hundreds of ISIS members have been killed in their campaign, called “the battle to defeat terrorism.” The SDF also continued operations on three fronts against ISIS: Hajin City, As Sosah village, and al Behra district. On October 12, in an area north of Hajin, ISIS terrorists took advantage of the sandstorm and attacked a camp set up for displaced people fleeing from the ISIS-held areas. ISIS kidnapped more than a hundred civilians despite SDF efforts to defend the camp.
Turkey
- As result of ongoing raids by Turkish police against Kurdish a activists and members of political parties during the two days between October 11-12, 40 people were taken into custody from Van, Istanbul, Bursa, Sakarya, and Antalya. These arrests come during a time when the Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) is preparing for the upcoming local elections. HDP Head of Foreign Affairs Hisyar Ozsoy said that “as we get closer to the local elections that are scheduled for late March 2019, the politics of detentions and arrests against HDP members have been reactivated,” adding that “over the last week more than 200 people were detained with violent police raids into houses in several provinces.” In 2016, the Turkish government removed more than 80 mayors and local administrators in the Kurdish region of Turkey. The Kurds are attempting to regain those positions in the upcoming elections. HDP officials voiced their concern about the government crackdown against the HDP prior to the elections. HDP Co-Chair Sezai Temelli said that “this country has lost its conscience, has lost its sense of justice” and that “this government has even shut down justice from the tribunals of this country.”