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A weekly brief of events occurred in the Kurdistan regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- The Iranian regime’s intense campaign of repression began curbing anti-government protests this week. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) killed or arrested dozens of protesters in the Kurdish cities of Javanrud, Mehabad, Saqqez, Kamyaran, Sarableh, and Kermanshah. The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights claimed Iranian security forces have killed 118 Kurds since the latest anti-government protests began in mid-September, including 15 children, seven men, and seven women who were tortured to death. The Iranian regime also continues to jail at least 1304 Kurds and has arrested writers, teachers, activists, and a famous soccer player. Moreover, Iranian Kurdistan witnessed its fourth general strike since September after many of its residents heeded calls from the Cooperation Center for Iranian Kurdistan’s Political Parties (CCIKP). The CCIKP also released a statement that demanded the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General and the international community implement “decisive measures” to stop the Iranian regime from using deadly force and weapons of war against demonstrators and civilians. On November 24, the UN Human Rights Council voted to launch an “independent investigation” into Iran’s deadly crackdown on civilians, but Iran rejected the UN probe on Monday. That said, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned three Iranian officials for violating demonstrators’ human rights, including the governor of Sanandaj (Sena), on November 24. “Since countrywide protests erupted after the killing of Mahsa Amini by Iran’s morality police in September 2022, the Kurdish cities in northwestern Iran, such as Sanandaj and Mahabad, have faced a particularly severe security response,” read a Department of the Treasury press release. Elsewhere in Iran, truckers held a general strike in several cities, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s niece called for foreign governments to cut ties with the Iranian government, which she described as a “murderous and child-killing regime.”
Iraq
- The IRGC deployed tanks, armored vehicles, and additional personnel along Iran’s border with Iraqi Kurdistan, including a sizable force near the Haji Oman border crossing. The Iranian regime is still threatening to invade Iraqi Kurdistan under the pretext of countering Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq. On November 23, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shi’a al Sudani chaired a National Security Council meeting that was attended by Peshmerga Chief of Staff Issa Ozzery to discuss Turkish and Iranian attacks in Iraq. A post-meeting press release said the Iraqi government plans to task its border guards with securing the “zero line” along Iraq’s borders with Iran and Turkey. At the same time, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Head of Foreign Media Affairs Lawk Ghafuri said, “The military reinforcements that going to be deployed at the borders of the Kurdistan Region are Peshmerga forces alongside the Iraqi border guards – who are also Peshmerga units within the Iraqi border guards – to secure the borders and prevent further attacks or escalations.”
- On Monday, President of Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani met with Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister al Sudani, in Baghdad to discuss ongoing issues regarding natural resources, border security, and the KRG’s share of the federal budget. Separately, Prime Minister al Sudani attended a meeting between Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish leaders that was hosted by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and addressed Iran and Turkey’s most recent attacks on Iraq. The senior Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader, minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq Fuad Hussein also attended the gathering. Concurrently, the KDP and PUK announced their “readiness” to hold bilateral talks to resolve past disputes and “normalize” relations.
Syria
- Turkey continued to pound the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) with air and artillery strikes last week. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) released statistics on Turkey’s recent operations that show Turkish strikes have targeted the region’s towns and villages dozens of times. Further, SDF and Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) officials held several online press briefings to express concerns regarding the potential of another Turkish invasion akin to those of 2018 and 2019. The SDF temporarily suspended counter-ISIS(Da’esh) operations because of Turkey’s ongoing attacks. On November 29, Turkey renewed attacks by drones, hitting west of Giri Spi and a medical center in Kobani. Despite the Pentagon’s “concerns” of Turkish invasion derailing the fight against Da’esh and the Department of State’s calls for “de-escalation,” Turkey’s presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said the invasion could happen “anytime.” Moreover, Russia has also asked Turkey to “refrain” from a military operation in the Region. The Turkish attacks put US troops in danger, according to officials. Separately Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the possibility of normalizing relations with the Assad regime.
Turkey
- The Co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Mithat Sancar’ said there are “many contradictions” regarding Istanbul’s terrorist attack, noting “Very strong information and allegations pointing to links to jihadist gangs in Syria.” Sanacar said the information is “either ignored or manipulated.” The HDP’s parliamentarian group submitted several questions to Turkey’s ministries of justice and interior about the links between the bomber and a senior official in the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
- Six Turkish opposition parties proposed a new draft of the constitution of Turkey, limiting the president’s powers and empowering the parliament. The six opposition parties have yet to include the HDP in their meetings, and they struggle to have an electable candidate to challenge Erdogan. The HDP awaits a” direct dialogue” and “open negotiation and agreement” with opposition parties to back their candidate. Separately, the Turkish police arrested more than a dozen in Manisa and Tekirdag on Monday.