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A weekly brief of events occurred in the Kurdistan regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- Despite a noticeable calmness in the wake of the first anniversary of Zhina Amini’s death, the Iranian regime has conducted a series of arrests targeting Kurds throughout the Kurdish region, Rojhelat. The Hengaw Organization has reported the arrest of at least 17 individuals from Amini’s hometown, Saqqez. Additionally, several activists and civilians have been detained in Senna, Ilam, Qorveh, Dar Shahr, Diwandara, Dewalan, Urmia, Marivan, and Sarpol-e Zahab. Among those detained are environmental activists and civilians. In addition to these arrests, the Iranian regime has also apprehended 110 students and 43 teachers across the country in 2023, with Kurds and Balochis comprising 85% of the victims.
- Following the Iran-Iraq security agreement, Baghdad announced the removal of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups previously stationed along the borders. Videos circulating on social media depict convoys of Kurdish groups relocating from Koya, where the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) headquarters was previously situated. However, hundreds of KDPI families now find themselves dispersed throughout the Kurdish region. Simultaneously, the Iranian regime is pressing for the deportation of 22 Iranian Kurdish individuals. This move coincides with a heightened crackdown on border porters (kolbar), with several being injured by the Iranian regime near Baneh and Hawraman just last week.
Iraq
- After reaching a fragile agreement with Erbil concerning Kurdistan’s federal budget and the salaries of public employees, the Iraqi government utilized the Supreme Court to dissolve the provincial councils in the Kurdistan Region. Furthermore, in May, the court also dissolved Kurdistan’s parliament. In both instances, the court cited the “unconstitutionality” of extending the terms of the parliament and provincial council. Nevertheless, these recent court rulings have been viewed through a political lens, particularly in light of Iran’s pressure on Baghdad to undermine the Kurdistan Region. Omed Khoshnaw, the governor of Erbil, told Rudaw that the court’s verdict appears to be more politically motivated than grounded in legal reasoning. Simultaneously, Haval Abu Baker, the governor of Sulaymaniyah called on Kurdistan’s presidency to schedule provincial council elections to coincide with the parliamentary elections slated for February 25, 2024. Meanwhile, the suspension of Kurdistan’s oil exports by Baghdad and Turkey has led to a revenue loss of five billion dollars, impacting both the governments of Baghdad and Erbil. To date, Turkey and Iraq have not reached an agreement to resume these exports, with Turkey making demands on Baghdad to withdraw various cases against it in international courts, among other conditions.
Syria
- Turkish-backed factions in the occupied Afrin region have continued their clashes over the past week, resulting in the loss of numerous militants in sporadic skirmishes. This ongoing conflict involves specific factions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian National Army (SNA). Within these factions, various cliques and militias maintain deep-seated rivalries that frequently erupt into violent confrontations. In the latest and deadliest clashes, factions affiliated with HTS, including the Eastern Branch faction, Brigade 50, and the Shahba Gathering, launched an attack against the SNA’s Second Legion. This violent escalation stemmed from a failure to reach an agreement on the shared control of the strategically important al-Hamran crossing located in the city of Jarablus. The conflict was ultimately brought to a halt when neutral factions within the Turkish-backed opposition forces intervened. Consequently, the expectation is that fighting is likely to resume in the future as these factions continue to vie for control and the associated financial benefits.
- The Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, has issued a statement alleging a conspiracy involving the Assad regime, Turkey, and the Iranian regime, aimed at undermining the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). This accusation follows a series of ongoing, low-level clashes between SDF personnel and Arab tribal fighters in the predominantly Arab Deir Ez Zor region. The hostilities initially erupted following the arrest of the former SDF-affiliated military commander, Abu Khawla. Since then, the SDF has claimed that both Tehran and Damascus have been actively working to subvert the AANES. According to the SDF, Iranian and Syrian regime forces have allegedly played a role in inciting and supporting tribal uprisings against the autonomous administration. Their purported objective is to sow chaos and ultimately topple the Kurdish-led autonomous zone. In this revised statement, the key points are maintained while providing a clearer and more concise description of the situation and allegations made by the SDF. Clashes in Deir Ez Zor have renewed, with Syrian and Iranian government-affiliated militias apparently crossing over from west of the Euphrates to infiltrate AANES. The infiltrating fighters crossed under the cover of indiscriminate artillery fire coming from the town of al-Mayadin on the Assad regime-controlled bank of the river, attacking SDF personnel and successfully taking the town of Diban. As a result, the SDF has announced that they have surrounded Diban and are carrying out a siege of the town.
- According to a report by Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ), the Turkish government has deported 29,895 Syrian refugees and asylum seekers using the Tell Abyad, Bab al-Hawa, and Bab al-Salameh border crossings. In 2022, President Erdogan announced his intention to resettle 1 million refugees in northern Syria, including areas historically inhabited by Kurds, despite the ongoing conflict and amid a growing anti-refugee sentiment within Turkey. While the Turkish government claims that these returns to Syria are voluntary, there are widespread reports suggesting that many of the refugees were deported forcibly or under coercive circumstances. Since Ankara initiated repatriation measures in 2019, the total number of returnees has reached approximately 540,000. Meanwhile, the Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has stated in a recent interview that Ankara will not withdraw Turkish forces from northern Syria
Turkey
- The Party of Greens and the Left Future, also known as the Left Green Party or YSP, has announced the adoption of a new name: the Democratic Peoples’ Party (HDP). This change will officially take effect following the upcoming party congress scheduled for October 15, as decided during a Central Executive Board meeting held on Monday. The decision to rename the party coincides with the current challenges faced by the pro-Kurdish left-wing party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which is facing a closure by the government. In the recent 2023 election, HDP politicians ran under the YSP banner, securing nearly 9% of the vote, although this marks a decrease from the 2018 election when the HDP received almost 12% of the vote. The YSP announced its readiness to initiate talks with all parties in Turkey, including the ruling party, in a new step leading up to the municipal elections on March 31, 2024.