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A weekly brief of events occurred in the Kurdistan regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei endorsed adding Chinese to the list of languages offered in Iranian schools. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi approved the change, which reflects the growing ties between Iran and China, on Sunday. In 2016, Khamenei criticized the promotion of the English language in Iran. Separately, an Iranian lawmaker said the country’s annual inflation rate was much higher than official government figures and currently stands at 120 percent. Lastly, on Wednesday, the U.S. Navy announced it stopped Iran from seizing two more oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian authorities arrested dozens more Kurds last week, including ten in Shinno, five in Piranshahr, four in Naquadah, a female Kurdish journalist in Tehran, an athlete in Saqqez, and a civilian in Urmia. Most of the detained are accused of protesting the death of Zhina Mahsa Amini. Concurrently, a female protestor named Halima Hasannazhad died after being in a coma for nine months after she was struck by a military vehicle in Saqqez. Further, Iranian authorities told the families of two jailed Kurds to collect their remains in Mehabad and Piranshahr. According to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, 20 inmates, including 13 Kurds, have died in Iranian jails in 2023. Concurrently, Iranian courts sentenced a teen in Mehabad to two years in prison for “assembly and conspiracy to commit crimes against the internal security of the country” and an activist in Senna named Hashem Saadi to six months and 15 days in prison and 40 lashes.
- The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) announced a former member killed two of its personnel near Iraqi Kurdistan’s Qaladze District before fleeing to Iran. Several local human rights organizations claimed the assassin was working on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iraq
- Iraq and Turkey remain unable to resolve their differences and restart oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan. The exports were halted after Iraq successfully sued Turkey in the International Chamber of Commerce for unauthorized imports from Iraqi Kurdistan on March 25. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced he would visit Iraq and seek a resolution to the ongoing freeze that has cost Iraq billions in exports and threatens to cause an economic crisis in Iraqi Kurdistan. On another note, on July 10, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) began sending oil to Iraqi government refineries as stipulated by the new Iraqi budget law. Exports from Kirkuk also resumed, but they are being directed through Basra and Jordan instead of through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey.
- Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) spokesperson Emad Jameel told Rudaw English Kurdish elections could not be held on November 18, 2023 – the date set by President of Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani. Jameel insisted the IHEC would need at least six months to prepare for the elections, but the KRG responded by continuing to get ready for elections in November. Eschwan Caf, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Central Committee, commented that Iraq’s Kurdish parties would be able to insist that elections be held in 2023 if they united under a “strong will.” This comes after Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court made elections necessary by dissolving the Kurdistan Parliament’s fifth term for extending its period in an “unconstitutional” manner.
- 185 Yazidi families who were forced to flee their homes from Da’esh in 2014 returned to Shingal from internally displaced persons camps in Duhok. That said, over 60,000 displaced people are still living in temporary camps. The Iraqi government is closing the camps, and the Sinjar District remains plagued by various issues, including the spread of militias, lack of reconstruction, and a lack of compensation for genocide victims. Meanwhile, according to the latest report, 250 Yazidis have left their region and embarked on risky journeys to Greece.
Syria
- U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced U.S. forces, along with coalition and other partners, conducted 37 anti-Da’esh operations in Iraq and Syria in June that resulted in the deaths of 13 Da’esh operatives and the capture of 21. Moreover, CENTCOM announced a U.S. drone strike killed Da’esh leader Usama al-Muhajir in eastern Syria on July 7. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested two Da’esh terrorists on July 8 and captured a Da’esh emir in Deir Ez Zor on July 9. Meanwhile, more Da’esh relatives were repatriated to their countries of origin from the al Hol camp, including ten women and 25 children from France, two women and three children from Canada, and 168 Iraqi families.
- Russian SU-35s forced three U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones conducting a mission against Da’esh targets over Turkish-occupied northwest Syria to take evasive maneuvers on July 5-6. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder responded by calling for Russian forces to cease their reckless and unprofessional behavior. The Russian military then accused the U.S. of violating Syrian airspace 12 times and claimed Syrian airspace is off limits due to Russian training exercises with the Assad regime. Approximately 900 U.S. personnel remain in Syria to assist the SDF with combating Da’esh. Simultaneously, the use of the Bab al Hawa border crossing without the Assad regime’s permission will be voted on by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) this Friday. The crossing has served as the main conduit for humanitarian aid into crisis-stricken areas in Idlib and Aleppo governorates. It is unknown whether the Russians will veto the measure or use the vote to extract political concessions.
Turkey
- On Monday, July 10th, NATO’s General Secretary, Jens Stoltenberg,announced Turkey’s agreement to Sweden’s bid for joining the alliance. Stoltenberg stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey will present Sweden’s application to the parliament for final approval. Sweden has made revisions to its anti-terrorism laws in order to satisfy Turkey’s demands. These changes include taking action against the activities of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) within Sweden and repatriating Swedish Kurdish activists back to Turkey. On Tuesday, a two-day NATO summit commenced in Lithuania with the participation of US President Joe Biden. The primary focus of the summit is the ongoing Russian invasion into Ukraine. Erdogan’s request to purchase US F-16 fighter jets has been rejected by Congress, while the administration has conditioned its approval on Turkey’s acceptance of Sweden’s application to NATO.
- The Commission of Labour and Social Policies of the Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) refuted the government’s announced statistics of inflation. The commission said that the government’s inflation rate of 38.21% is biased, as it is significantly lower than the inflation rate announced by Turkey’s Inflation Research Group (ENAG), which is 108.08%. That said, the Turkish Lira is at the lowest level ever, demonstrating evidence of the country’s economic problems. Turkey’s minister of Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, defended the government’s tax hike in light of the budget deficit.
- The Turkish police raided the HDP’s Esenyurt district office in Istanbul on Thursday, confiscating several publications, portraits, and documents. The government had arrested several leaders of the HDP branch in January 2023. In a press conference, the HDP responded, “Those who try to criminalize us are criminals themselves.”