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A weekly brief of events that occurred in the Kurdish regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- Last week recorded more casualties among the border porters (Kolbars) who transfer goods semi-legally between Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. On December 14, a Kolbar from Baneh died from his wounds by Iranian border guards while another one was shot to death in the forests of Baneh. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KMM), on the same day, a Kolbar died due to an avalanche. On December 16, a rights group (Hengaw) reported the severe injury of a Kolbar and the arrest of two others by Iranian regime guards near Piranshahr. In Marivan city, the Iranian regime security forces prevented the Kurdish students from holding a seminar about the conditions of the Kolbars at Payame Noor University. On Tuesday after calls from Kurdish activists, most of the markets in Baneh city held a general strike against the killings of the Kolbars.
- In the Kurdish city of Kermanshah, the Iranian security forces detained Behnam Ibrahim Zada, a prominent civilian activist who spent five years in prison for his work toward the rights of the labors and participation in demonstrations. During a raid on his home, regime forces also confiscated his laptop computer and cellphone. An anonymous source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network that Ibrahim Zada was sentenced to 18 months by the Islamic revolutionary court in Kermanshah in his absence. Meanwhile, the Iranian regime also arrested fours Kurds in Marivan and transferred them to an undisclosed location run by the intelligence service.
Iraq
- In the continuation of the Turkish airstrikes in Iraq, on Thursday night Turkish warplanes bombarded Shingal mountain and a refugee camp for Turkey’s Kurds in Makhmour-Erbil. The airstrikes on the refugee camp resulted in the death of four civilians, all women from the same family (73 years old Asya Ali Muhammed, 26 years old Narinç Ferhan Qasım, 23 years old Eylem Muhammed Emer and 14 years old Evin Kawa). Turkey said it targeted positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The Rustem Cudi refugee camp in Makhmour is officially recognized as a refugee camp by the United Nations as hundreds of opposition Kurds are based there. The Turkish attack is the second of its kind in a year on the same camp. On Monday, more airstrikes allegedly hit PKK positions in Bradost region near Erbil.
- Talks continued on the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Both the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Change Movement (Gorran) held a meeting on the leadership level on December 12. A source told Rudaw that Gorran has demanded the position of the vice presidency and the deputy prime minister. The KDP announced that the Gorran party will join the government and will not remain as an opposition party. A U.S. delegation headed by Brett McGurk, the Special Presidential Envoy to the Coalition against ISIS met with Kurdish officials including Prime Minister Naichervan Barzani and his Deputy Qubad Talabani to talk about the government formation process. According to a statement by the KRG, the U.S. delegation congratulated Naichvan Barzani for his nomination to Kurdistan’s Presidency.
- On December 13, the Iraqi Speaker of the Parliament, Mohammed al Halbousi, arrived in Erbil and held several meetings with the Kurdish officials. During a press conference on Friday, Helbousi vowed to help displaced Yazidis return to their homes in Shingal and ensure compensation and reconstruction of their areas which was destroyed by ISIS. On Saturday, Halbousi met with Massud Barzani, the Head of the KDP and the former President of Kurdistan region. “Had a productive meeting with Mohamed al-Halbousi today at my office. I wished him continued success during his tenure as Speaker of the Council of Representatives” said Barzani.
- After receiving the Nobel Prize for peace, the Yazidi U.N. Goodwill Ambassador Nadia Murad visited her hometown of Shingal and announced the building of a hospital from the Nobel Prize grant she received. Nadia also held meetings with Iraqi and Kurdish officials demanding more aid for the Yazidis. The roads between the Kurdistan region and Shingal have reopened upon her arrival after it was shut down for over a year.
- On the anniversary of the Flag Day of Kurdistan on December 17, cities across the Kurdistan region held celebrations. Kurdistan Flag Day was banned in Kirkuk despite its recognition by Iraqi law. Units of Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Units raided the communist party of Kurdistan in Kirkuk and lowered the flag of Kurdistan. Schools were instructed not to hold celebrations. In April of 2017, the Kirkuk provincial council legalized flying the flag of Kurdistan next to the Iraqi flag; however, the Iranian-backed militias and Iraqi forces removed all the flags on October 16, 2017, when they took over control of Kirkuk Province.
Syria
- On Wednesday, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to invade the Kurdish region of Syria to eliminate the Kurdish forces fighting ISIS. On Thursday the Turkish military units and thousands of Jihadi groups of the Syrian opposition deployed alongside the Turkish Syrian borders especially in Ceylanpinar town near the Kurdish town of Sari Kani in Syria. A Pentagon spokesperson said that unilateral actions by Turkey would be “unacceptable.” On Monday the Department of State Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey said: “We think that any offensive into northeast Syria by anyone is a bad idea.” A senior commander of the SDF also replied to the Turkish threats by saying “our forces to respond strongly to Turkey if launched an attack.” Meanwhile, President Donald Trump phoned Erdogan on Friday about the same issue. The Kurdish towns in Syria held massive protests rejecting the Turkish invasion.
- After furious fights in the last stronghold of ISIS in the east of the Euphrates, the SDF, backed by the U.S.-led coalition airpower, were able to liberate the town of Hajin. However, a commander of the SDF warned that ISIS resistance in some pockets inside the city is still taking place. On Wednesday, the SDF announced the seizure of prepared car bombs, IEDs, and weapons. South of Hajin, the SDF repelled counter attacks by ISIS north of al Bagouz town. In a statement, the SDF declared the killing of 71 ISIS terrorists.
Turkey
- In response to Erdogan’s threats to invade the Kurdish region of Syria, the Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) denounced it. A statement from the HDP read: “President Erdoğan and his government should abandon this irrational stance which will lead to destruction and suffering in the region. We urge the national and international public to show alertness towards such threats and not to remain silent.” The HDP criticized the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish region of Afrin in March saying “nearly 200 thousand people have had to leave their homes, and hundreds of people lost their lives in Afrin.”
- On Monday, December 17, Turkish police detained eight Kurdish students in Darsim for ties with the Kurdish parties. In Urfa, a Turkish court sentenced a Kurdish Co-mayor to nine years and four and a half months in prison for “membership of a terrorist organization.” Mustafa Bayram was a Co-Mayor of Halfeti district before he was sacked by the government during the purge in 2016. Alongside Bayram, four more Kurds have been sentenced between eight to nine years in prison. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, Federica Mogherini criticized the Turkish government for the continuation of imprisonment of the Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas. “The independence of Turkey’s judiciary is being undermined. Fundamental rights, such as the presumption of innocence, are often ignored and violated,” said Mogherini during a European Parliament Plenary session for Human Rights.
- The Turkish military has set up several checkpoints in tens of districts in the Kurdish region. In Van and Hakkari, the Kurdish residents in the region complained about the checkpoints which have slowed down traffic for hours. The Turkish military has been conducting a military operation in the region since the end of the peace process between the PKK and the Government in July of 2015.