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A weekly brief of events that occurred in the Kurdish regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- On November 24 two border porters known as Kolbars were injured by direct shots fired by Iranian border guards near Sardasht city and the Iraqi Kurdistan border. Additionally, another Kolbar was arrested by Iranian guards near Piranshahr. The Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK) reported that the regime forces have arrested an 18-year old (Zainaden Shikha) and was taken by the security forces to an undisclosed location. The Iranian border guards have also set up a number of ambushes targeting the Kolbars in the past months.
- In Baneh city, members of the Iranian regime intelligence officers (Ettela’at) arrested two Kurdish youth as they raided their homes. The reason for the arrests is unknown, as the members of the Ettela’at didn’t show any warrant during the raid. In addition, several Kurdish teachers were arrested including two from Divandarreh for participation in a teachers’ strike two weeks ago.
- On November 25, an earthquake hit the Kurdish regions of Iran and Iraq. The 6.3- magnitude earthquake hit the Kurdish province of Kermanshah which resulted in the injury of more than 700 people. On November 12, 2017, an earthquake in the same area resulted in the death of more than 600 people and the destruction of thousands of buildings.
Iraq
- On November 22, Massoud Barzani, the former President of the Kurdistan Region and the head of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP), visited Baghdad and met with Iraqi leaders. During his two-day visit, Barzani met with both Shiite and Sunni leaders, including the Speaker of the Parliament and the newly elected Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. Barzani discussed the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad. He stressed his support for Prime Minister Mahdi and described him as a “brother and friend.” Barzani also met with the winner of the last election, the Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr – head of the Shiite Fatah coalition, Hadi al Ameri; Ammar al-Hakim, the head of al Hakma block; and two leaders of the Shiite Dawa party, Noori al Maliki and Haider al Abadi. This was the first visit to Baghdad by Barzani since the deterioration of relationships between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The United Nations, the U.S. government, and Iran welcomed Barzani’s initiative to normalize the relationship with Baghdad.
- No tangible progress was made among the Kurdish parties to form the new KRG. According to unconfirmed reports, the KDP(45 seats) has given the second winner the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK, 21 seats) an option to choose between the speaker of the Parliament or the deputy prime minister while the Change party will negotiate with KDP once the PUK and the KDP agree on the positions.
- Following Sunday’s earthquake, two people suffered fatal heart attacks in Kalar from shock and fear, while 50 people suffered minor injuries.
- The public security forces known as Asayesh have confiscated 31 kilograms of heroin in Soran district-Erbil. The drug shipment was smuggled from Iran illegally and the Asayesh forces detained the driver of the car. Iraqi and Kurdish forces often times bust illegal drugs made in Iran and smuggled into the country.
Syria
- After Turkish attacks against the U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Kobani last month, the U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis announced the set up of “observation posts” in some areas of the border between Turkey and Syria. “We are putting observation posts in several locations up along the northern Syrian border because we want to be the people who call the Turks and warn them if we see something coming out of an area that we’re operating in.” After the Turkish attacks, the Kurds who dominate the SDF suspended the fight against ISIS in protest of Turkey’s bombardment, while they are engaged with the U.S. led coalition to defeat ISIS in their last stronghold east of the Euphrates.
- As the SDF continued a slow progress on the frontlines of Hajin against ISIS terrorists, on November 23 and 24, ISIS terrorists took advantage of the foggy weather and launched a counterattack on the newly liberated areas north and west of Hajin city. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 79 members of the SDF lost their lives in the attacks. However, backed by the U.S. limited air support the SDF repelled the ISIS attacks and regained the areas by November 26. Since the beginning of September, the SDF have liberated a large area in the last stronghold of ISIS east of the country, near the border of Syria-Iraq.
- On Thursday, November 22, the SDF and U.S. Special Forces captured the second commander of ISIS near al Tayyana village in a tunnel. Usama Awaid Al-Ibrahim (aka Abu Zaid) is the deputy of ISIS leader Abu Bakir al Baghdadi. During the raid, the forces also seized mobile phones and ISIS terrorism documents.
- In Afrin, clashes continued among the Jihadi groups backed by Turkey for the second week. Kurdish media reported several homes were destroyed and civilians suffered casualties as these groups continue infighting over the wealth of the Kurdish olive farms.
Turkey
- As the Turkish parties prepare for the local provincial elections in March, the Turkish government has intensified the crackdowns against the Kurdish activists and party members. On November 22, the Turkish police raided the homes of members of the Kurdish cultural center known as the Mesopotamia Cultural Center (MKM) in Adana. During the raids, the police arrested several artists. The MKM was shut down by the Turkish government last year. On November 27, the Turkish police detained members of the Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul, Urfa, and Malatya. As a result of these raids, 55 people were taken into custody for political activism, including Mulkiye Birtane, the former lawmaker of the HDP. On November 26 the Turkish police also detained the former HDP lawmaker Mülkiye Birtane in Diyarbakir (Amed).
- Following the ruling to release Selahattin Demirtas, the Kurdish former co-chair of the HDP, by the European Court for Human Rights, the current co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Sezai Temelli of HDP also demanded his immediate release. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refused the European ruling calling for the release of Demirtas and described it as “not binding to us.” Demirtas, in response to Erdogan’s comment, released a letter from his prison saying: “We will never bow down, and we will stand tall with determination, our spirits high. We will, sooner or later, emerge victorious in our struggle for law, justice, freedom, and democracy.” Demirtas is a Kurdish politician who has been jailed by the Turkish government since November 6, 2016.