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A weekly brief of events occurred in the Kurdistan regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- The Iranian Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) was evicted from its headquarters in Kirkuk Governorate and disarmed after Baghdad and Tehran signed a “border security” agreement. PAK members were then relocated to a camp in Duhok Governorate’s Saedekan subdistrict by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which moved its own forces into the evacuated PAK compound. The Baghdad-Tehran security agreement also shut down the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and Komala.
- The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported the Iranian regime arrested 463 civilians across the country in September, a 75% increase from August. Roughly 44% (203) of those detained were Kurdish citizens, and 26% were Balochis. The release of Hengaw’s report coincided with the regime’s arrest of Kurdish activists in Dewalan, Qorveh, Bokan, Saqqez, Karaj, Swallaw, and Piranshahr. In addition, a regime court in Quchan sentenced a female Kurdish activist, Sakina Parwana, to seven years and six months in prison on charges related to anti-government protests. Another regime court sentenced a Kurd in Saqqez, Abdullah Hamza, to one year in prison for being a member of the PDKI.
- The U.S. sanctioned an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-linked network responsible for developing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), some of which were transferred to Russia for use in its assault on Ukraine. The sanctions targeted two individuals and three entities in China, Hong Kong, Turkey, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Separately, the U.S. Navy said Iranian forces aimed lasers at American helicopters in international waters near the Persian Gulf. Concurrently, the U.S. Department of Defense’s 2023 Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction report claimed Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapons program but could produce enough fissile material for a nuclear device in less than two weeks.
Iraq
- On Monday, Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources announced that the resumption of Kurdistan’s oil exports is expected “within this week.” The ministry did not provide specific details regarding any agreement reached with Baghdad but affirmed that the pipeline infrastructure is “ready” for operations. The suspension of Kurdistan’s oil exports since March has inflicted a cost of over seven billion dollars on Iraq, significantly affecting the economy of the Kurdistan Region. Matthew Zais, Vice President of HKN Energy, emphasized that the cessation of Kurdistan oil exports has had a notable impact on global oil prices. He underscored the substantial involvement of the US government, attributing it to the economic and political instability that has arisen due to the interruption of oil exports.
- For the second time, the Iraqi House of Representatives has postponed the vote on the formation of Halabja province in the Kurdistan Region. Initially, the Iranian-backed blocs had demanded the creation of a new province, Talafar, as a condition for their support of the Halabja province’s formation. However, on September 30th, the Speaker of the Parliament, Mohamed al Halbousi, requested a revised administrative border for Halabja from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in order to proceed with the voting process. Back in 2013, the Iraqi government had agreed to the creation of Halabja province, but political disagreements have consistently hindered the progress of this initiative.
Syria
- The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has announced the expulsion of pro-Assad regime fighters from its territory after they had infiltrated the SDF-held areas east of the Euphrates. The pro-Regime forces, which the SDF characterized as two separate pro-Assad groups or units, had crossed from west of the Euphrates under the cover of damaging and indiscriminate artillery fire to take the town of Dhiban in Deir Ez Zor. However, according to the SDF, these groups had been surrounded and dislodged from the town of Dhiban, which the pro-Regime forces had taken. These events come less than a month after the initial outbreak of conflict between tribes and pro-Assad regime militias and the SDF over the arrest of renegade SDF-aligned commander Abu Khawla. The undermining of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in the Deir Ez Zor is an ongoing crisis instigated by the Syrian regime and its patron Iran, and further attempts at infiltration or incitement of revolt are likely to occur in the future.
- Syrian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Bassam Sabbagh has asserted that, “Turkey has to withdraw its military forces [from Syria]. Any other aspects, yes, of course, we will be open to discuss with them, but not to do so and to insist on staying – that’s illegal occupation and then this will block all the efforts toward any kind of contacts and relations with Turkey.” While Damascus and Ankara have taken steps in recent months to repair their shattered relationship, the presence of Turkish soldiers in Northern Syria has resulted in an immovable roadblock to reconciliation. Turkish soldiers have aided anti-Assad opposition forces take portions of Northern Syria at the expense of the AANES. Previously, the Turkish Defense Minister Yaser Guler had responded to Syrian objections to Turkey’s presence in Syria by claiming that Turkey would only withdraw its forces after several requirements were met. These requirements included the drafting of a new constitution, the holding of democratic elections, and the formation of a government inclusive to all religious sects.
- As part of Ankara’s increasingly aggressive effort to return Syrian refugees to Syria, partly because of anti-refugee sentiment in the country and partly to undermine the Kurdish population of Syria, Turkey has deported an estimated 16,000 Syrians over the past month. This number is according to sources at the Syria-Turkey border crossings at Tel Abyad and Bab al-Hawa crossings, which have seen the vast majority of crossings of deportees from Turkey into Syria. According to these sources, the deportations occurred after Turkish authorities seized all forms of identification from the refugees, and after obtaining biometric data from them to ensure they cannot return to Turkey.
Turkey
- Two police officers sustained injuries in a suicide bombing attack in front of Ankara’s general security directorate building. This attack involved two suicide bombers, with one detonating his bomb while the other was “neutralized” by Turkish security personnel. The People’s Defense Forces (HPG), the military wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the HPG statement, this act was carried out in what they perceive as legitimate defense against the violation of human rights, which they argue are being disregarded in violation of both national and international laws. Their statement also condemned the inhumane practice and policy of isolation that they claim is being implemented in prisons across Turkey and Kurdistan. The HPG asserts that the attack was executed precisely as planned and intended to convey a message rather than causing casualties or significant damage. In response, the Turkish government, under President Erdogan’s leadership, has vowed to take aggressive actions against “terrorism,” which may lead to further threats and attacks against Kurds in Northern Syria and Iraq in the near future.
- The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has reported that numerous party officials and members were apprehended in police raids. The party stated, “This morning, dozens of our colleagues, including members of the Party Assembly, district co-chairs, provincial-district administrators, and members, were unjustly detained in İstanbul.” According to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya’s social media, a total of 20 individuals affiliated with the HDP were detained in raids across 11 districts in İstanbul and at 26 addresses in Kırklareli. This incident adds to a long history of political suppression and intimidation by the anti-Kurdish Justice and Development Party (AKP) government against the HDP and other elements of Kurdish civil society. The HDP has frequently faced threats of closure and banning, and in the 2023 election, their candidates ran under the Green Left Party.
- The Court of Cassation’s 3rd Criminal Chamber has upheld the conviction of Osman Kavala. Osman Kavala, a human rights activist, philanthropist, and vocal advocate for Kurdish rights in Turkey, had been sentenced to an aggravated life sentence for his alleged role in organizing and financing the 2013 Gezi Park protests, with the government accusing him of attempting to overthrow the government.