971
Iran
- The Iranian regime began a new crackdown aimed at political activity in Iranian Kurdistan, arresting Ahmed Reza Ha’air in Tehran, Mikael Manbiri in Sanandaj (Sena), and Nimat Fidadar in Malekshahi. Iranian authorities also arrested a woman named Stara Zadhisht in Marivan, Kawez Abdullahzadeh in Mehabad, 69-year-old Soliman Salik in Bokan, and four Kurdish activists in Oshinaveh (Shinno). The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported the Iranian regime arrested 93 Kurds and sentenced five activists to prison in June. The regime’s renewed campaign of repression is intended to hinder further strikes and protests against Iran’s deteriorating living conditions and economic crisis. According to the exiled Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), the regime has mobilized a large force near Baneh and deployed troops to Saqqez to head off potential protests.
- Iranian border guards wounded three Kurdish border porters (kolbars), Omar Abdi, Osman Ahmadit, and Afsheen Yousifi, near Nowsud last week. Iranian authorities wounded another kolbar named Kamal Ibrahim near Baneh on Sunday. Two kolbars were killed, and 19 were wounded in June.
Iraq
- The Iranian-backed parliamentary coalition known as the “Coordination Framework” gained 40 seats in Iraq’s Council of Representatives after the mass resignation of Muqtada al Sadr’s bloc. The “Coordination Framework” now holds 130 seats and is the largest in the Council of Representatives. That said, internal disagreements regarding the selection of the next prime minister continue to delay the formation of Iraq’s next government. At the same time, the “Coordination Framework” said the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) preferred presidential candidate, Barham Saleh, would be voted on if the PUK and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) fail to reach a consensus on a candidate. The KDP and PUK plan to meet and attempt to agree on a candidate after the Eid holiday, next week.
- Kurdistan’s Peshmerga prevented the Iraqi Army from advancing toward natural gas fields in Qadir Karim district. A Peshmerga commander told Kurdistan24 that the Iraqi forces wanted to “set up a checkpoint” near Kurdish forces in the area, ostensibly in response to three rocket attacks on the Khor Mor gas field from June 22 to June 24. The UAE’s Dana Gas Company operates the Khor Mor field and supplies gas to Iraqi Kurdistan’s power plants. Iranian-backed militias remain the prime suspects in the attack on the Khor Mor field, and the Peshmerga feared the Iraqi military was planning to seize the field under the pretext of security operations as part of ongoing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad regarding Iraqi Kurdistan’s oil and gas resources.
Syria
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again threatened to launch a new military incursion into Syria’s Kurdish region “as soon as preparations were complete.” Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Commander Mazloum Abdi previously expressed a willingness to talk with Turkey but warned of “confrontation” if Turkey attacks. The SDF has repeatedly asked the US and Russia to pressure Turkey to abide by the separate ceasefire agreements it has hashed out with both nations regarding operations in northern Syria. That said, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said, “Russia and the United States do not have the right to say anything to Turkey.” The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army held military parades in Afrin and Aleppo’s outskirts, and a large convoy of Turkish forces reached Afrin’s suburbs. Turkey’s proposed invasion would target Tel Rifaat and Manbij. Meanwhile, Turkey and its proxies launched several attacks on Ain Essa, Manbij, Tal Rifat, and Raqqa, killing two civilians and injuring three. Concurrently, on Monday, the SDF announced a Turkish drone strike killed a female commander named Mazgin Kobane near Raqqa on July 2. Separately, the SDF announced it arrested 17 ISIS (Da’esh) terrorists, including two senior leaders, during operations in northeastern Syria in June.
Turkey
- On July 3rd, the Pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) held its fifth ordinary congress with thousands of its members and supporters. The HDP executive leaders unanimously reelected the current Co-chairs, Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar. During the congress, several slogans were displayed, including “Democracy alliance will win” and “Peace and resolution, not war and isolation. During her speech, Co-chair Buldan criticized the government for planning a new invasion into Syria. “The Middle East and Syria will not be shaped by your hostility against Kurds, but by the will of the Kurdish people in favor of co-existence, and through the democratic alliances it forms with the peoples it lives side by side.” Several foreign politicians and leaders of international organizations attended the congress and delivered speeches supporting the HDP. Soon after the congress, which was held in Turkey’s capital Ankara, the police detained four people after the prosecutor’s office opened an investigation against slogans and banners in the congress. Separately, the Turkish police arrested 37 Kurds in Adana, mainly HDP supporters.