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A weekly brief of events that occurred in the Kurdish regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- The casualties among border porters, known as kolbars, reached 70 killed and 101 wounded by the Iranian border guards in 2018. This week the Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK) reported injury of four Kolbars after falling under ambushes by Iranian guards in Piranshahr and Sardasht. In Kamyarn city, on December 20, the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced two Kurdish labor activists to a year in prison. Mihredar Saboury and Omed Ahmadi were both charged for participation in the International Labor Day on May 1. In Urmia, on December 19, security forces of Warmia arrested two Kurdish citizens (Reza Jafaar and Akbar Qlizada) and took them to an undisclosed area. In addition, a Kurdish social media activist who was arrested last year was sentenced to three years in prison. The Islamic Revolutionary Court of Urmia sentenced Faroukh Abdi for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”
Iraq
- Talks continued among the political parties amid intangible progress for the formation of the new government of the Kurdistan region. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) did not yet reach an agreement, while the KDP will resume talks with other parties this week including the Change party (Gorran). The KDP-PUK disagreements include PUK’s demand to receive the Justice Minister of Iraq’s position while the KDP is also after that position. The PUK is also demanding the KDP to return to Kirkuk and elect a new governor of the province.
- Due to corruption allegations by the Integrity Department of Kirkuk, a judge issued a warrant against the appointed governor, Rakan Saed, by the Iraqi government. Saed, who is also accused of demographic changes in Kirkuk, fled to Baghdad and filed an appeal. Saed won a seat in the parliamentary elections in May but refused to take the oath as he vowed to continue his position as the governor of Kirkuk. In Kirkuk city, all the Kurdish parties held a joint meeting, except the KDP, to discuss the future of the administration and the Arabization wave facing the province. In a press conference, the Kurdish parties called upon the KDP to return in order to elect a new governor amid KDP’s rejection to return under the current status of military ruling imposed by Baghdad on the province.
- In Shingal, (Sinjar) the Iranian-backed Badr Militia raided the headquarters of a Yazidi force who are affiliated with the Peshmerga forces. During the raid, about 30 members of the Yazidi Peshmergas were taken custody. After several hours, they were released. A source from the Shia militia told the Kurdish media, Rudaw, that that force is based in the town without permission from the Iraqi security forces. Shingal is a Yazidi town where ISIS massacred its people in 2014.
- The Turkish government extended the flight ban on Kurdistan Sulaymaniyah international airport for another three months. The Turkish authorities banned all the European airlines from using Turkish skies if they fly to Sulaymaniyah six months ago. The Turkish government accuses the PUK of supporting the PKK and its affiliates.
- On two different days, both foreign ministers of Germany and Holland visited Kurdistan and held meetings with Kurdish officials.
- After several attacks and the reorganization of ISIS south of Kirkuk near Tuz, the Iraqi forces jointly with the Peshmerga forces raided ISIS positions south of Kirkuk near Tuz town. The operation was supported by the U.S. led coalition. ISIS terrorists had conducted several bombings and assassinations in Mosul, Diyala, and Kirkuk.
Syria
- The SDF continued their advance again ISIS terrorist in Hajin town. On December 23, the SDF announced that it prevented an ISIS counterattack on the city of Hajin. The SDF also announced the death of 97 ISIS members and the seizure of weapons.
- Following President Trump’s decision to pull the troops out of Syria, the Turkish-backed Jihadi groups and the Turkish military massed troops near the Syrian border by the Kurdish towns. The Jihadi groups are waiting for the Turkish orders to launch an attack on the Kurdish forces and the U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Clashes took place between the Jihadi groups and the SDF near Manbij but stopped on December 25. In order to avoid the Turkish invasion after the U.S. withdraws, the SDF held meetings with Russian officials in Moscow to cut a deal with Assad’s regime. The SDF criticized the US decision and expressed concerns. “The White House announcement that they are withdrawing from Northern and Eastern Syria will have a negative effect on the operation to end terrorism as well as lend military and political strength to those who support terrorism and terrorist acts in the region,” read SDF’s statement. Meanwhile, the French President Emmanuel Macron, received the Co-Presidents of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) to discuss the French role after the U.S. departure. The SDC called for No Fly Zone over the Kurdish region upon the U.S. departure to prevent the Jihadis and the Turkish military from attacking the region. The Kurds in most of the Kurdish towns in Syria held mass protests against the U.S. withdrawal and the Turkish invasion plans. Meanwhile, the Turkish President and the foreign minister reaffirmed the Turkish plan to invade the Kurdish region of Syria.
Turkey
- The Turkish government continued the wave of arrests against members of Pro-Kurdish parties. On Monday, in Lice district of Diyarbakir Province, the Turkish military conducted raids and detailed three Kurdish activists. In two districts of Van Province, the Turkish police detained 12 people. After massive arrests among the HDP members, tens of Kurds held a protest in Van city to denounce the arrests. The Turkish parties are preparing for a local election in March of 2019 and the HDP accuses the ruling party of Justice and Development headed by Erdogan of “political genocide” against the Kurdish politicians and party members. The HDP Co-chair called Turkey to withdraw from Syria after the US announcement.
- A Kurdish father and his son were shot by an armed Turk in Sakarya. The Kurdish man and his son were shot after the attacker who is an ultra-nationalist Turk asked whether they were Kurds or Syrians. Once the said they were Kurds, the attacker shot them and said”I don’t like you [Kurds]”. The father (43) is severely injured and his 16-years old son was announced dead on the scene.