Committee established to analyse Euphrates water in North-East Syria after Erzincan mine disaster

Following the allegations that poisonous water mixed with the Euphrates water after the soil collapse in Erzincan, the Euphrates Canton Executive Council established a committee to analyse the water.


ANF
KOBANÊ
Wednesday, 6 March 2024,

On February 13, the Çöpler gold mine in the İliç district in the province of Erzincan was the scene of a catastrophe. A huge slope of rubble contaminated with cyanide slid down and buried several workers. At least nine workers still remain trapped under the earth. A toxic dust cloud rose up, threatening the surrounding settlements. The disaster is expected to affect the Euphrates basin and the Tigris and all of Mesopotamia.

Following the disaster, images of cyanide water mixing into the Euphrates River were circulated on social media. According to reports, the poisonous water mixed with the river water and spread over a long area with the current due to the AKP government's failure to take precautions.

In the face of the allegations, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria took action to analyse the water flowing into the Syrian part of the Euphrates River. Since the Euphrates River water is an important source of drinking and agricultural irrigation water in the region, concerns have increased.

The Euphrates Canton Executive Council established a committee to analyse the water.

A total of 8 members, 2 from the Environment Committee, 2 from the Local Administrations Committee, 2 from the Health Committee and 2 from the Executive Committee, were elected to the committee established under the name of Euphrates Canton Emergency Situations Committee.

Following the appointment of the Committee, work was initiated. According to initial analyses, no toxic substances were found in the river water.

The members of the committee stated that there is a possibility that the poisonous substances will be transferred to Northern and Eastern Syria in the coming days and that they will carry out analyses continuously and inform the public about the issue.


Kahraman: Iliç mine disaster will have serious consequences for at least a century

Tuğba Kahraman from Polen Ekoloji, said that the ecocide in Iliç covers a very large area, and added that “cyanide and heavy chemicals will mix with the Euphrates as the result of a disaster that will have consequences for at least a century."


ANF
NEWS DESK
Sunday, 25 February 2024, 

Tuğba Kahraman from Polen Ekoloji answered ANF's questions about the before and after of the disaster in the Iliç mine. Nine workers who were trapped under the rubble of the Çöpler Gold Mine in Iliç in the province of Erzincan could not be reached, and the search efforts stopped.

Various expert reports have been published regarding the mining accident in Iliç. From the first day, it was claimed that waste from Iliç did not reach the river and precautions were taken. First of all, if we put all these explanations aside, is it possible to calculate the estimated destruction toll of the mining disaster?

It is very difficult to predict the toll of an ecocide of this magnitude. The destruction covers a very large area. There is a destruction that will affect the Euphrates basin and the Tigris and all of Mesopotamia. Cyanide and heavy chemicals will mix with the Euphrates. The consequences of the disaster will last at least 100 years... Considering that two million cubic meters of this toxic soil were scattered here and there, mixing with the groundwater through rainfall, and that the chemical mass weighed approximately 27 million tons, it is very difficult to imagine the size and destruction of the massacre. People, animals, soil, our waters will die. Unfortunately, the responsible companies and their collaborators will continue their way with ostensible fines and trials.

The air analysis carried out by the Ankara Branch of the Chamber of City Planners using photographs and satellite images revealed that it is almost impossible for the chemicals not to mix with the waters of the Euphrates River. It was also stated that Keban, Karakaya and Atatürk Dam were at risk. What danger does this pose?

As environmental engineers and other experts in the field point out, cyanide and other chemicals remain suspended in the air when mixed with the air through evaporation. They can be directly in contact with living creatures in that environment through inhalation, and if inhaled, they will cause public health and environmental health problems. If the chemicals affect the soil, animals and people will be affected through the plants growing there. This will affect the entire endemic structure, the health of living beings and human health through the food chain. COPD and cancer-like diseases will gradually emerge in subsequent generations. In the case of leakage into groundwater and water leakage, the width of the basin is very bad in terms of the scale of the disaster.

It is clear that the responsibility lies primarily with the Ministry of Environment, as permission was given to expand capacity despite the previous infiltration. Now new mining areas are being opened. What can we expect?

One of Turkey's largest gold mines is not going to give up so easily on the benefits it gets from favourable agreements with the government. The number of EIA positive reports and capacity expansion permits for all mines, not just Iliç, is increasing day by day. The ostensible closure of the mine in the previous leak in Iliç and the efforts to minimize the seriousness of the incident by saying that this disaster was in reality just a landslide, are the result of the agreement of the capital and the state. This result paves the way for other disasters.

To what do you attribute the ability of international monopolies to carry out, in countries like Turkey, many practices that are otherwise normally prohibited?

Turkey has become the dumping ground of the EU. The ease with which cyanide and asbestos can be used is an indication of how capital's greed for profit is superior to the right to life of humans and all living things, and how deep Turkey's relationship with international capital actually is. With the practice of ecological struggle that has developed in the last few years, there is more awareness that the problem stems from capitalism. The massacre can be stopped by developing these practices and increasing the struggle.


Miners buried in cyanide-laced landslide at gold mine in Erzincan

Several mine workers were buried in a landslide at a gold mine in the province of Erzincan. The DEM party blames the disaster on the negligence of the AKP/MHP government and the unscrupulousness of the mining companies.


ANF
ERZİNCAN
Wednesday, 14 February 2024,

A serious landslide occurred at the Çöpler gold mine in the İliç district in the province of Erzincan on Tuesday. A huge slope of rubble contaminated with cyanide slid down and buried several workers. According to the Ministry of the Interior, nine of the 667 workers in the mine are unaccounted for, and search efforts continue. It remains unclear whether this figure is correct and whether the 667 officially employed people are all those who were at the site of the disaster at the time. The governor's statement that the landslide was caused by the dumping of overburden points to negligence as the cause of the accident. According to the Ministry of Justice, four public prosecutors have begun investigations into the matter.

Governor conceals the toxicity of the earth

While the governor of the province claimed that it was soil under which the workers were buried, environmental initiatives are warning of the highly toxic earth. In view of the disaster, the İliç Environmental Platform stated: "We have said that the disasters in İliç will not end. The governor of Erzincan says it's a landslide, no, it's the cyanide-contaminated overburden, millions of tonnes of toxic soil!"

The spoil is highly toxic, so, according to mining engineers, the rescue workers would have to wear protective clothing to avoid being poisoned. Images from the scene show that this, however, is not the case. Apparently, fine cyanide dust was released during the landslide and formed a toxic cloud that spread over the surrounding area. Cyanide is still used in many places as a means of extracting gold from the ground by amalgamation. This causes massive environmental problems.

Departures to Erzincan banned, 4 detained

In the meantime, Tunceli Governorate "banned" the departure of the provincial organisation of Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and Dersim Environment Association members from Dersim due to disaster in Erzincan. 4 members of the Human Rights Association (IHD) who wanted to go to Erzincan were detained.

DEM Party Dersim Provincial Co-Chair Özcan Gürtaş stated that they were stopped at the exit of the province and said: "They justified the decision of Erzincan Governorate to ban entry and exit to the city. They stated that no one would be allowed to enter the scene of the incident in İliç. They cited the Tunceli and Erzincan Governorate decisions on leaving Dersim and entering Erzincan. They said they would intervene if we insisted on going."

DEM party holds the government partly responsible

"The government and its capitalists are responsible for every loss of life in İliç," said the DEM Party Commission for Ecology and Agriculture. "This is a massacre with a number of people responsible! The Canadian company Anagold as the operator of the mine, Çalık Holding as one of the shareholders of the mine and the AKP government and its bureaucrats, who turned a blind eye to this blatant disaster, are successively and equally responsible for this catastrophe. As a result of the landslide, carcinogenic cyanide was released into the air, water and soil. The effect of cyanide, which is poisoning the water resources, the entire soil and the atmosphere in the region, will continue for a very long time. The AKP government, which has always been at the service of capital and corporations, has not even taken into account that the active Bingöl-Yedisu fault line is located in the region where the Çöpler complex mine is operating. A favourable Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out for this mining project in 2008. In addition, the capacity was increased twice with new EIA reports in 2014 and 2021. In 2019, the mine was converted from cyanide production to production with 39 types of chemicals plus sulphuric acid plus cyanide. In August 2023, Anagold received approval to expand the open pit within the mine site by a further 5.83 hectares, with the decision being 'EIA not required'."

DEM Party: "Close the mine - hold those responsible to account"

Calling for the mine to be closed, DEM Party stated: "The mining licence for this mine, which continues to pose a threat to nature and the people in the region, must be revoked immediately and the mine closed. Urgent steps must be taken to remove the heavy metals and toxic chemicals that have been released into the air, water and soil as quickly as possible. Effective measures must be taken to achieve this. Immediate action must be taken to protect local residents, neighbouring communities and the environment affected by the cyanide cloud created by the soil spill. This incident is a massacre! As the DEM party, we will continue to pursue the issue until all those responsible for this massacre are held accountable."

Previous toxic disaster caused by gold company

The US-Canadian gold company Anagold, which operates the mine together with Çalık Holding, made the headlines back in 2022 when up to 20 tonnes of cyanide and large quantities of sulphuric acid flowed into the Euphrates. The company denied this and claimed it was only eight kilograms. Although this was a huge ecological disaster, the company's licence was not revoked. Instead, it was sentenced to a small fine of 16.4 million lira (far less than one million euros).

A gold company with AKP involvement

Instead, the company made record savings through the state. As part of a tax amnesty on 12 March 2023, the Group was waived taxes, interest and penalties amounting to USD 7.2 million. Instead, the company only had to make a cash payment of USD 1.4 million instead of USD 8.6 million. A paltry sum in view of the USD 1.5 billion in income from the mine between 2020 and 2023, including USD 334.6 million in net profit. This support for an extremely dangerous mine cannot be explained by neoliberal policies alone. If we take a closer look at the mine's co-operator, Çalık Holding, the background becomes clearer.

Çalık Holding is responsible for around 20 per cent of the mine and is one of the fastest growing companies under the AKP government. Thanks to privatisations, TOKİ (Housing Development Administration) tenders, agreements and favourable credit conditions, the holding company has grown rapidly in many sectors from energy to telecommunications, finance to textiles, construction to media. According to its annual reports, the holding company increased its equity approximately ninefold from 2012 to 2020, from 1 billion 600 million liras to 13 billion 900 million liras. Ahmet Çalık, the owner of the holding company, is listed in the 2021 Forbes list with a fortune of 1.5 billion dollars. In the Forbes list of the "100 richest Turks" of 2020, Çalık ranks 15th. At the same time, Çalık Holding has smuggled millions past the tax authorities in offshore companies. The holding company is known for its closeness to the AKP.

Close ties between the Erdogan family and Çalık Holding

In 2010, the Çalık Group company DAPRAŞ received a subsidy certificate for an investment totalling 14.8 billion liras for a refinery project in Ceyhan. Erdoğan's son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, was appointed General Manager of Çalık Holding in 2007.

The holding company has won numerous tenders in the telecommunications, construction, energy and mining sectors and was also the winner of the December 2007 tender of the seized media group Sabah-ATV. All participants withdrew from the tender and the only bid came from the holding company, whose general director at the time was Berat Albayrak. During its entry into the media sector, the group received a loan of 750 million dollars from public banks. The sale of Sabah-ATV to Çalık Group was a turning point in the media sector. After that, the process of transferring the majority of mainstream media to government-affiliated companies began. On 20 December 2013, Çalık Holding transferred its subsidiary Turkuvaz Medya to the Kalyon Group and ended its activities in the media sector.

A marriage of state and capital

The connection to the AKP was particularly evident at the wedding of the son of Ahmet Çalık, the chairman of Çalık Holding. Mehmet Tevfik Göksu, Mayor of Esenler, performed the wedding ceremony. The former Prime Minister of Turkey, Binali Yıldırım (AKP) was the best man. Former intelligence chief and current Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and many other high-ranking AKP government officials attended the wedding. The bride was Öznur Çalık, who has been a member of parliament for the AKP for four terms.

TAJÊ: Against femicide, be the voice of self-defense

The Freedom's Movement of Êzidî Women launched a new international campaign against femicide.


WOMEN CAMPAIGN AGAINST FEMICIDES
ANF
NEWS DESK
Wednesday, 13 March 2024

The Yazidi women's liberation movement TAJÊ has launched an international campaign against femicide and for the self-defense of women worldwide.

This campaign, which kicked off on 8 March, aims to bring together voices of women and women's organizations until August 3, the tenth anniversary of the genocide and femicide in Shengal.

TAJÊ invites everyone to participate using a variety of methods, such as photos, videos, texts, songs, poems, rallies and demonstrations.

The manifesto for the campaign names five central demands of the Yazidi women's movement. TAJÊ demands that femicide be recognized as a war crime and that all perpetrators and supporters be convicted. Women's right to organized self-defense must find social and institutional acceptance. The massacre committed by ISIS in Shengal ten years ago must be officially classified as genocide at all levels and prosecuted accordingly. TAJÊ also calls for the recognition of the self-administration and security forces established in Shengal after 2014 as the legitimate representation and defense of the community. The cessation of all attacks on Yazidi society, especially the air raids by the Turkish state, is also called for as necessary for survival.

The manifesto reads as follows:

"To the women of the world,

As TAJÊ (Tevgera Azadiya Jinên Êzidî), the Freedom's Movement of Êzidî Women in Şengal, we send our warmest greetings and respect to all the fighting and resisting women in the world. To all those women standing up against the violence against our bodies and souls. To all those women organizing to make a better life possible. To all those women defending their lives, lands and cultures.

The times we live in are marked by brutal wars and inhuman violence. As women, we are beaten, raped, sold, killed and burned. Our lands are occupied and nature destroyed. However, with every new attack, our global resistance and struggle against war, violence and femicide is growing. This gives us hope and strength. Our pain and our resistance is one.

For us as Êzidî women, the year 2024 is a special year. It marks the 10th anniversary of the genocide and femicide committed by the so-called Islamic State (Daesh) in Şengal. On August 3rd, 2014, tens of thousands of Êzidî were murdered, abducted and taken as slaves. Children were forcibly recruited as child soldiers. On top of that, hundreds of thousands of inhabitants of Şengal were expelled from their homeland. Our holy places were blown up and tens of buildings were detonated. However, despite all the difficulties and dangers, hundreds of families remained on the soil of Şengal, took up weapons and resisted against Daesh. They participated in the offensive to liberate Şengal and created their own protection forces, called Yekîneyên Berxwedana Şengalê (YBŞ; Şengal Resistance Units) and Yekîniyên Jinên Şengalê (YJŞ; Şengal Women's Resistance Units).

In all massacres and genocides, women are the ones suffering most. The assimilation and killing of women are frequently adopted as a means to wipe out the identity, culture and belief of a society. When, in 2014, women fell into the hands of Daesh, they were raped, sold as slaves and/or forced into marriage with jihadist fighters. Until today, 2.941 persons, most of them women and children, still remain in the hands of Daesh. The genocidal and femicidal attacks against Şengal are a cruel wound in all our hearts. We assess these attacks as the brutal face of patriarchal violence and therefore as attacks against all women.

We do not accept that, so far, no state and institution has judged Daesh and its accomplices, such as the Turkish State or KDP, for the systematic attacks carried out against the people of Şengal. On August 3rd, 2014, Şengal’s security was under the responsibility of the KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) and its ruling party, KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party). However, when Daesh attacked the first villages, 12,000 PDK-peshmerga left Şengal without shooting a single bullet and delivered our people to Daesh. We demand that the responsibility of all forces will be proved and convicted.

The genocide and femicide of August 3rd, 2014 caused lots of pain, trauma and deep losses within our community. However, today this pain is the soil for our resistance. Many fighters have lost their lives for the sake of defending our land and people. We call them Şehîds. They are our light and hope.

After 2014, the people in Şengal organized in all fields of life based on the thoughts of Abdullah Öcalan. As Êzidî women we built the Freedom's Movement of Êzidî Women in Şengal called TAJÊ with the philosophy of JIN JIYAN AZADÎ. With proudness we can say that the mothers of Şengal are at the forefront of our resistance. We are organized in women's councils and work in the fields of culture, health, economy, press and diplomacy.

Our history is a history of struggle and resistance but also a history of 74 genocides. It taught us that we cannot trust in the protection of other forces. After the genocide of August 3rd, 2014, we therefore built our own protection forces, YBŞ, YJŞ and Asayîş Êzidxan (a security structure to meet the daily security needs of the population). YJŞ is a woman’s-only military force and our greatest honor. Today, as Êzidî women, we know how to self-defend. This is our revenge against all the pain we suffered.

However, also ten years after the genocide and femicide, the attacks against our people continue. The Turkish state, with the support of the KDP, is continuously committing air strikes against members of our military forces as well as against civilians. Dozens of our brothers and sisters have been killed in these airstrikes since 2017. Furthermore, the Iraqi state as well as the KDP are trying to abolish our self-organization and self-administration in Şengal through diplomatic pressure and their agreement of October 9th, 2020.

We claim that all suppressed people, societies and beliefs have the right to defend themselves against the danger of genocide and femicide. We consider the self-defense of the people and women of Şengal – that in other ways would be eliminated – as the only legitimate one.

As the freedom movement of Êzidî women, TAJÊ, and the Şengal Women's Resistance Units, YJŞ, we carry out an active struggle against nationalism, religious fundamentalism and especially against sexism, so that in the future no women, people or community of belief will ever again have to face genocides and femicides. We believe that in the countries we live in, we will only reach democracy, freedom and peace if we as women lead the way on the basis of self-determination and free will.

The best response against the atrocities carried out against the Êzidî women is the solidarity and worldwide organization of women.

We therefore declare that the year 2024 will be marked by raising our voices against femicide and for self-defense.

We demand:

1. That femicide will be recognized as a war crime and that all perpetrators are convicted of committing or supporting the systematic killing of women.

2. That the right of women to organize for the defense of their lives, lands and culture will be accepted by all people and institutions.

3. That the genocide of August 3rd, 2014 in Şengal will be offcially recognized as a genocide. This also indicates, that the responsibility of all perpetrators and supporters, including ISIS, KDP, Turkey and Iraq will be proved and convicted.

4. That our self-administration in Şengal as well as our protection forces YBŞ, YJŞ and Asayîş Êzidxan will be accepted as the legitimate representation and protection of our people.

5. That all attacks against our people in Şengal, especially the airstrikes committed by the Turkish state, stop.

From March 8th, International Women’s Day, until August 3rd ,the tenth anniversary of the genocide in Şengal, we will therefore collect the voices, signatures and participation of various women and women’s organization to call on all women across the globe:

Let us unite our voices in the spirit of JIN JIYAN AZADÎ. Let us raise them against femicide and for self-defense.

Together we will demand accountability for the massacres of women in Şengal and every other place on earth."

Croatia becomes third EU country to pass femicide law

In Croatia, with a population of 3.8 million, 13 women were murdered in 2022, 12 of them by a close relative, and 9 in 2023.


FEMICIDE
ANF
NEWS DESK
Thursday, 14 March 2024

Croatia became the third country in the European Union to give femicide a separate legal status.

"With these amendments, we are protecting the rights, safety and dignity of women and sending the message that violence against women is unacceptable," Croatia's conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in late February when presenting the proposed law.

The text adopted by parliament stipulates that sentences could range from 10 to 40 years in prison, the maximum penalty under Croatian law.

The amendments to the penal code were adopted with 77 MPs voting in favor and 60 against, the official Hina news agency reported.

According to local NGOs, Croatia has the third highest per capita femicide rate in the EU.

According to EU data, 2,300 women were murdered by their husbands or family members in Europe in 2022.

In Croatia, with a population of 3.8 million, 13 women were murdered in 2022, 12 of them by a close relative, and 9 in 2023.

The government decided to propose this law after the murder of 20-year-old law student Mihaela Berak in September by a police officer with whom she had a brief affair.

Mihaela Berak's death sparked a heated debate about the failures of a system designed to protect victims and the law itself. Demonstrations were organized across the country to demand justice for Mihaela and to call for femicide to have a legal cover.

Prior to Croatia, Cyprus and Malta also gave femicide a separate legal status.

Turkey's Kurdish policy and the future of the KDP

KDP officials who make statements with cheap political calculations by saying that the PKK is the cause of the Turkish state's attacks on Southern Kurdistan should once again think about what their own fate will be in the future.


KDP-AKP COLLABORATION
RAUF KARAKOÇAN
ANF
Monday, 11 March 2024

The PKK's freedom struggle against the Turkish state did not end with the captivity of Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan), but its intensity was reduced militarily. It has been 25 years since Leader Apo's captivity. The International Conspiracy led to developments in many areas. While the paradigmatic change brought about a reorganization due to the need for a change-transformation in the organization, on the other hand, the so-called 'solution process' came up. As a result of the ceasefires and aborted processes that were intended to contribute to the process and a democratic solution to the problem, the organization was forced to fight the most relentless war in its 50-year history of the struggle.

Leader Apo's captivity also paved the way for the collaborator leadership in Bashûr (Southern Kurdistan). The KDP is not an organization that came to power by its own means. Regarding the formation of the federal region in Bashûr, Erdoğan has repeatedly stated that it is a "faulty formation".

The Kurdish policy of the fascist AKP-MHP government in Turkey has been entirely oriented towards the extermination of the Kurds and the elimination of their gains. The problem has long gone beyond the liquidation of the PKK. The fascist-occupying Turkish Republic is intensifying its invasion attacks against the Autonomous dministration of North and East Syria, citing the PKK issue as an excuse. It carries out assassinations with UCAVs. It creates civil unrest and applies unimaginable special warfare methods to disperse the society. It continues with similar attacks in Shengal and Maxmur.

Unfortunately, this Kurdish hostility of the Turkish state is not sufficiently comprehended by the Federal Regional Government of Southern Kurdistan. The Turkish state's occupation of Bashûr is not an ordinary temporary occupation. The ground beneath the regional administration has shifted, but the failure to realize this is a blunder, if it is not intentional. KDP officials who make statements with cheap political calculations by saying that the reason for the Turkish state's attacks on Southern Kurdistan is the 'PKK' should once again think about what their own fate will be in the future. If only the KDP officials, who are dizzy with the current power opportunities in Bashûr, who reign in pleasure and enjoyment, could correctly read the political developments that concern them in recent times, they would be ashamed of the aggressive rhetoric they use against the PKK.

The Kurdish policy of the Turkish state is the product of a concept with international dimensions. Whatever the requirements of the Middle East project are, they will place the Kurds on the basis of the requirements of this project. As a matter of fact, the future of the KDP is only a part of the big picture.

In order to analyze the issue a little more, listing some topics may help us to read the sad end that awaits the KDP.

The decisions of the Iraqi federal court concerning Southern Kurdistan and especially the KDP are very important. It is not a spontaneous situation that the KDP's political powers, economic situation, electoral gains and even the federative status of the region are almost unrecognizable.

It is not spontaneous for the court to make decisions that undermine the KDP’s political powers, its economic situation, electoral gains and even render the federative status of the region almost unrecognizable.

It is also quite meaningful that the US court decision concerning the Barzani family coincided with the decision of the Iraqi Federal Court, while some news reports accusing Masrour Barzani were circulating. Even the fact that the fascist government of Erdoğan, in which the Barzanis put a lot of trust, creates a ground for attacks by labeling the PKK, cannot save the Barzanis from a sad end.

Even the Barzanis' assets in Turkey are under threat. They have made themselves so dependent on Turkey that they are forced to act as spies, they have become weak-willed. The KDP's relations with Turkey are also noted by Arab countries. We think that they cannot be so politically blind that they do not know that being in a close embrace with a dictatorship that speaks in every direction will have a cost. Let us just emphasize that some Arab countries, Iran, Israel and sometimes even the US, do not approve of the relations between Turkey and the KDP.

Even in history, some Kurds who betrayed their people to curry favor with the Turkish state on a collaborative basis could not escape punishment. Now it is the turn of the KDP. The fate of the treasonous Kurds who were punished with the idea that "He who betrays his own people will betray me one day" has always been similar.

No matter how close the Barzanis get to Turkey, no matter how much they establish brotherhood and friendship with Erdoğan, no matter how hostile they are to the PKK, they should know that they will have difficulty finding a place for themselves in the political conjuncture of the future. They have fed on the collaborationist line as much as they could, but they have brought themselves to the brink of extinction. They must realize that their current power will not last.

For the KDP to draw conclusions on Dictator Erdoğan's Kurdish policy, we suggest that they examine Turkey's relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. Erdoğan hosted the Muslim Brotherhood leadership in Turkey. He allocated them an office in Ankara. Just as he supported Hamas against Israel, he allowed them to open offices and political representation in Ankara. Fascist Erdoğan was one of the most ardent supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood coming to power in Egypt. He uttered unspeakable words against Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew Morsi's government. He symbolized the Rabia sign and used it for his interests in domestic and foreign politics. A lot of water has flowed beneath the bridge. 'Murderer' Sisi became 'Brother' Sisi. Just as he expelled Hamas' representative Aruzi in exchange for improving relations with Israel, he first used and then discarded the Muslim Brotherhood in exchange for improving relations with Egypt. The reward for his visit to Egypt was the approval of the execution of 8 members of the Brotherhood.

Fascist Erdoğan does not even tolerate the existence of the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) today. They are making threats to subjugate Bafil Talabani. Erdoğan, the fascist dictator, took the Barzanis under his sway, turned the KDP like a spinning top and made it a servant for his political interests. As if this was not enough, he is now trying to turn the PUK into a satellite political organization. They have become reckless enough to threaten it openly. In order to make the Kurds serve their own political interests, they immorally threaten, attack and, when necessary, slaughter them.

If Ankara's pro-extermination and pro-occupation Kurdish policy does not change, all the Kurds' vested rights, including the autonomous administration in Southern Kurdistan, are in danger. The political statuses in Bashûr and Rojava are also in danger. This is the purpose of Erdoğan's latest threat. He wants to annex the 30-40 kilometer borderline to his territory and take it under his political control. This includes Bashûr. Unfortunately, the KDP has become the biggest supporter of this danger.

With the idea that ‘it is never too late to mend’, we say that the collaborative line established and developed on the basis of PKK hostility will do them no good. History is full of examples of this.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s visit to the United States: Enhancing and Strengthening the Partnerships Between the Kurdistan Region and the U.S.

2024/02/29 

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani's visit to the United States represents a significant milestone in the advancement of partnerships between the Kurdistan Region and the U.S. Engaging in a series of high level discussions with the U.S. officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Following his meeting with Prime Minister Barzani, Secretary Blinken conveyed a crucial message, stating, "The U.S. remains supportive of a resilient Iraqi Kurdistan Region as a cornerstone of our 360-degree relationship with Iraq”. This message reinforces America's unwavering support for the stability and prosperity of the Kurdistan Region and underscores the deep-rooted historical ties.

The United States has maintained a strong relationship with the Kurdistan Region, dating back to the aftermath of the First Gulf War in the 1990s. The imposition of a no-fly zone by the U.S. and coalition partners provided protection to the Kurdish people in Iraq, enabling the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government in 1992. Since then, the U.S. has been a key ally of the KRG in its efforts towards political stability, economic development and in providing security and military support.

However, challenges persist in Iraq due to the Iraqi federal government's failure to comply with the constitution, ratified by all Iraqis in 2005. The federal government's disregard for the principles and provisions outlined in the constitution has led to political tensions, disputes, and governance challenges, particularly concerning issues over oil and gas revenue-sharing, budget allocations, and the governance of disputed territories. Disputes over oil and gas resources between Baghdad and Erbil have intensified due to the federal government's neglect of constitutional mandates on revenue sharing. Budgetary issues have also been a contentious point, with the federal government failing to meet its obligations under the constitution by allocating KRG’s share of the budget. The cutting and uncertainty surrounding budget allocations has affected and contributed to economic challenges and financial uncertainties in the Kurdistan region. Also, the non-compliance with Article 140 on the status of disputed territories has sustained instability and insecurity in areas of Kirkuk, Sinjar, and the Nineveh Plains. The recent decision by the Iraqi High Supreme Court's to remove minority seats, which includes representation for Christians and Turkmen, in the Kurdistan parliament has further exacerbated tensions between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region.

Prime Minister Barzani's visit to the United States demonstrates a commitment to address these challenges and forge a path toward greater cooperation and stability in Iraq. By engaging with US officials and reaffirming the importance of upholding constitutional rights, Kurdistan Region aims for a more inclusive, democratic, and prosperous future for all Iraqis.

The ties between the U.S. and the Kurdistan Region continue to serve as a foundation for building a strong partnership that addresses pressing issues of constitutional compliance and political governance in Iraq. Prime Minister Barzani has played a crucial role in addressing the challenges facing the Kurdistan Region through dialogue and commitment to upholding the principles of the constitution. His efforts to resolve disputes with the federal government have been characterized by a spirit of goodwill and dedication to find peaceful and constitutional solutions to all issues.

Prime Minister Barzani has also focused on strengthening the Kurdistan Region's democratic institutions and upholding the rule of law. The KRG’s 9th cabinet has implemented key reforms to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance, laying the foundations for a more inclusive and equitable society, and to build a stronger and more resilient Kurdistan Region that is responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people. Prime Minister Barzani has played a significant role in advancing the Kurdistan Region's foreign policy strategy, engaging with the world leaders to promote peace, stability, and cooperation. His recent participation in the World Government Summit (WGS) conference in Dubai highlighted the Kurdistan Region's commitment to foster international partnerships and engage in constructive dialogue on global challenges. By participating in key international forums, conferences and engaging with world leaders, Prime Minister Barzani has demonstrated the Kurdistan Region's willingness to contribute to regional and global efforts towards peace and prosperity.

Prime Minister Barzani's leadership and his commitment to dialogue, adherence to constitutional principles, and focus on democratic governance reflect a visionary and pragmatic approach to governance, has been instrumental in driving the Kurdistan region towards sustained stability, prosperity, and growth, and under his leadership the Kurdistan region is positioned to play a significant and influential role in shaping a more peaceful and prosperous future for Kurdistan, and the continued support and partnership between the U.S. and the Kurdistan Region serve as a critical foundation for advancing common goals, fostering stability in Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the wider region.

Protest march in Aleppo calls for action for Afrin under Turkish occupation

Masses protested in Aleppo against the Turkish occupation of Afrin and the crimes against humanity committed by the Turkish state in the city, as well as the silence of the international community.


OCCUPATION OF AFRIN
ANF
ALEPPO
Monday, 18 March 2024

A march was organised in Aleppo on the 6th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Afrin.

During the march, participants displayed photographs of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and Martyrs of the Resistance of the Age, as well as banners with the inscriptions "No to Turkish occupation", "No to Turkish attacks on North and East Syria", "No to the occupation of Afrin", "Afrin is our honour, let's protect it" and "Rise up against the Turkish occupation and expel it from all Syrian lands".

The young people marching at the front carried the letters of the name "Efrîn" made of olive branches.

On the main streets of Şêxmeqsûd (Sheikh Maqsoud) and Eşrefiyê (Ashrafiyah) neighbourhoods, the slogans "Bê Serok jiyan nabe" (No life without the leader), "Şehîd namirin" (Martyrs are immortal), "Bijî Berxwedana Serdemê" (Long live the resistance of Serdem), and "Bê Efrîn jiyan nabe" (No life without Afrin) were chanted.

Addressing the crowd, Behcet Ebdo, a migrant from Afrin, commemorated the Martyrs of the Resistance of the Age. Stating that Russia and Iran also played a role in the invasion of the Turkish state, Ebdo said, "All states occupied our lands with their silence."

Calling for action to lift the darkness over Afrin and establish peace, Ebdo said, "Let us defeat the occupation and return proudly together with our military forces (HRE)."

Remziye Salih al-Kurdî, a member of the Council of Martyrs' Families, recalled the crimes committed in Afrin and called on the UN and democratic forces to end the Turkish occupation by upholding their responsibilities and to ensure the people’s safe return to Afrin.

Thousands march in Shehba on the sixth anniversary of Turkish occupation of Afrin

On the sixth anniversary of the occupation of the Kurdish city of Afrin by the Turkish state, thousands of people participated in a protest march in the Shehba region.


OCCUPATION OF AFRIN
ANF
SHEHBA
Monday, 18 March 2024, 

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the occupation of the northern Syrian city of Afrin by the Turkish state and allied mercenaries.

The brutal campaign began on 20 January 2018, when Turkey launched air strikes on 100 locations as the onset of an invasion they dubbed ‘Operation Olive Branch.’ After two months of resistance, civilians fled and the SDF retreated to avoid further losses as hundreds of civilians died during the course of the genocidal campaign in violation of international law.

Efrin and Shehba Canton Council organised a protest march in the Ahdas district to mark the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Afrin. The demonstration was participated by thousands of people from Shehba and Afrin IDPs who took refuge there after the occupation of their homes and lands.




The demonstrators carried olive branches, photographs of the martyrs of the Resistance of the Age, images from the massacres committed by the occupying Turkish state and its gangs against the people of Afrin and Shehba.

The march to the ‘Leader Öcalan Garden’ was followed by a rally, where Xedîce Îbo, member of the Assembly of Martyrs' Families in Afrin and Shehba Canton addressed the crowd and said: "The occupying Turkish state wants to revive the Ottoman Empire and implement the Misak-ı Milli [Project for establishing the borders of the Ottoman National Pact].”

Xedîce Îbo called for the expansion of the struggle for the liberation of Afrin.

Fewzî Mistefa, Co-Chair of the Ehdas District Council of Efrin and Shehba Canton, reacted against the international powers that remained silent against the occupation and the crimes committed in Afrin and said, "The occupying Turkish state is committing genocide crimes in front of the eyes of the world and the Security Council."

Fewzî Mistefa emphasised that they would struggle until Afrin and all other occupied territories are liberated.


YPG: Our struggle will continue until Afrin and all occupied regions are liberated

In a statement on the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Afrin by the Turkish state, YPG Command said that they will "continue the struggle until the liberation of Afrin and all occupied regions."


OCCUPATION OF AFRIN
ANF
NEWS DESK
Monday, 18 March 2024

Afrin Canton was the westernmost canton of Rojava and North and East Syria, home to 200,000 ethnic Kurds. Though the population was overwhelmingly Kurdish, it was home to diverse religious groups including Yazidis, Alawites and Christians alongside Sunni Muslims.

On 20 January 2018, Turkey launched air strikes on 100 locations in Afrin, as the onset of an invasion they dubbed ‘Operation Olive Branch.’

The Turkish Air Force indiscriminately shelled civilians as well as YPG/YPJ positions, while a ground assault was carried out by factions and militias organised under the umbrella of the Turkish-backed National Army.

By 15 March, Turkish-backed militias had encircled Afrin city and placed it under artillery bombardment. A Turkish airstrike struck the city’s only functioning hospital, killing 16 civilians.

Civilians fled and the SDF retreated, and by 18 March Turkey was in de facto occupation of Afrin. Between 400 and 500 civilians died in the invasion, overwhelmingly as a result of Turkish bombing. Other civilians were summarily executed in the field.

Prior to the Turkish invasion, Afrin had been one of the most peaceful and secure parts of Syria, virtually never seeing combat during the civil war bar occasional skirmishes between YPG/YPJ and jihadist forces on its borders. As a result, Afrin offered peaceful sanctuary to over 300,000 internally displaced people from elsewhere in Syria.

The YPG (People’s Defense Units) Command released a written statement on the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Afrin and stated that the occupying Turkish state organised a comprehensive attack on Afrin for 58 days in 2018 with the support of international forces and the most advanced war technology with the involvement of gang groups.

"It is clear that the Afrin attack was carried out with the approval of the imperialist powers that have influence in Rojavayê (Western) Kurdistan and Syria. Afrin Resistance of the Age is an unprecedented process and event in history. The sacrifice and resistance of our people and forces in Afrin put a strain on the occupying state and proved once again that our people can defend themselves against any attack with their own power. Hundreds of our comrades and the people of Afrin, taking part in the relentless resistance with limited means, such as Avesta Xabûr, Îlan Dara, Artêş Hakkarî and commander Karker Êrîş, were martyred whilst fighting with great sacrifice."

Reminding of the crimes against humanity committed by the Turkish state and its gangs for six years, the YPG Command stated the following:

"In the last 6 years, the demographic structure of Afrin has changed, the Kurdish people have been displaced, the human rights granted by international laws and agreements to which the Turkish state is a party have been violated, and the Kurds in Afrin have been deprived of their rights. Afrin is being cleansed of Kurds and the aim is to change the identity of the region. For this purpose, Kurds who want to return to Afrin are subjected to pressure and attacks by the occupying gangs. For this reason, we, as the YPG, reaffirm that we will continue our struggle until Afrin and all occupied regions are liberated. We respectfully commemorate all our comrades who were martyred in the Afrin Resistance of the Age, and we reiterate once again that we will enhance the struggle for freedom in their footsteps."


Autonomous Administration: We will mobilise all our means for the liberation of Afrin

The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria announced that they will mobilise all their means for the liberation of Afrin, which has been under the occupation of the Turkish state for six years.


OCCUPATION OF AFRIN
ANF
NEWS DESK
Monday, 18 March 2024, 

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria made a written statement on the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Afrin and presented a six-point road map.

Stating that Afrin was occupied as a result of conspiracies and negotiations by international and regional powers, the Autonomous Administration noted that the region has been experiencing a tragic situation since the occupation.

The Autonomous Administration said, "The reason for this situation is the practices of the gang groups acting under the directives of Turkey, disregarding all moral principles, international law and laws. The demographic structure of the region is being changed; massacres, abductions, all kinds of torture, rape and killing practices against women continue. While historical artefacts are being destroyed, the geography is being destroyed."

Noting that the presence of the Turkish state and its gangs in Afrin also means the occupation of Syria, the Autonomous Administration said, "The path of the martyrs and heroes of Afrin will be our path to victory and the liberation of the occupied areas. In this context, we wholeheartedly salute the resistance of our people in Shehba."

The struggle to be waged for the liberation of Afrin and other occupied areas was listed in five points:

1- The liberation of Afrin and other occupied areas is our strategic option. We will mobilise all our means for the liberation of Afrin and the honourable return of our people.

2- There can be no solution and peace in Syria without the liberation of Afrin and other occupied areas. We call on all nations to support our forces for the expulsion of Turkey from the region and the liberation of Afrin.

3- What is happening in Afrin is the trampling of all values. We call on the relevant international institutions and organisations to investigate the facts in Afrin and bring those responsible, including Turkish officials, to justice. The crimes committed there are happening on the directives of the Turkish state. International law and human rights organisations must fulfil their moral duty.

4- We want to inform the Syrian public opinion that the presence and practices of the occupying Turkish state in Afrin have exceeded the borders of Afrin.

5- We call on all Syrian national forces to form unity and support the resistance of our people by mobilising their means for the liberation of Afrin. The liberation of Afrin and other occupied areas is the liberation of all Syria from the politics of discord, contradiction and fragmentation.

KNK: New Turkish threat, same old war

The KNK said that "whenever the Turkish state faced economic, social, domestic, and foreign policy crises, it utilized warfare against the Kurds to distract the Turkish people from its own failures."


KNK POLITICAL ANALYSIS
ANF
NEWS DESK
Tuesday, 19 March 2024,

The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) released a comprehensive analysis titled "New Turkish threat, same old war".

We publish excerpts of the first part of the analysis. Excerpts from part two will be published tomorrow.

The analysis recalled how "since 1978, the Turkish state has been engaged in an armed conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Over the past four decades, the Turkish military has burned down more than 4,000 Kurdish villages. Historically, the goal of such war crimes has been to “defeat the PKK.” But in actuality, Turkey’s genocidal policies are as old as the Republic itself (founded in 1923). For the last century, Turkey has tried to discredit Kurdish freedom struggles, both within Turkey and to the outside world, slandering resistance leaders as uncivilized bandits, criminals, and separatists. The Turkish state has used such defamation as pretexts to commit many atrocities, such as the Zilan Massacre (1930) and Dersim Genocide (1938), and to hang Kurdish leaders such as Sheikh Said (1925) and Seyid Riza (1937)."

The document underlined that "the Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, was abducted in 1999 and has been held in a state of illegal and inhumane isolation on a Turkish prison island for the past 25 years. Moreover, since March 25, 2021, Mr. Öcalan has been intentionally disappeared, as Turkey has barred him from speaking with his lawyers or family, while providing no public information on his health or safety. It pursues this policy of incommunicado detention and solitary confinement - defined as torture under international law - to cause psychological trauma to the Kurdish people and to collectively punish them for following his political philosophy of liberation."

Indeed, continued the KNK, "whenever the Turkish state faced economic, social, domestic, and foreign policy crises, it utilized warfare against the Kurds to distract the Turkish people from its own failures. To justify its attacks, the Turkish state has weaponized a new epithet against the Kurds: “terrorists.” Today it uses this term much as it once wielded the terms “bandits” and “separatists” but with much more potent affect. Turkey has invested huge amounts of its wealth in propping up the notion that the Kurdish activists who protested its torture chambers, as well as the murder of Kurdish journalists in broad daylight by JITEM death squads, were all “terrorists” with no human rights to due legal process.

The Kurdish struggle for self-determination resulted inevitably from such depravities and continues to this day, but regrettably, a nationalist backlash and Kurdish phobia has also emerged within Turkey. The PKK, like its predecessor movements, is not the cause but the consequence of Turkish colonialism and the brutalities it inflicts in order to sustain its own power. But unlike other mass uprisings of the last century, the PKK enjoys the sympathy and support of Kurds in all four parts of occupied Kurdistan and the Kurdish diaspora. This is because the PKK has given the Kurds a sense of national self-confidence and motivates them to unapologetically fight for their destiny against all obstacles."

Turkey plans a renewed war on Kurds

The analysis then continued, underlining that "since October 2023, Turkey has been carrying out a relentless barrage against the Kurds of Syria and Rojava, in an attempt to eradicate all infrastructure and means of productive life in the region. On February 29, 2024, the internationally renowned organization Human Rights Watch published a report showing that Turkey is responsible for apparent war crimes in occupied Syria.

Now Erdoğan’s regime is planning a renewed war against the Kurds. A military offensive in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is set to begin immediately after the local elections on March 31, 2024. Turkey will launch a major military attack on the PKK guerrillas in the mountains of Southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq). Already some 161 villages in the region have already been forcibly evacuated and a further 602 are facing imminent displacement, journalist Botan Germiyanî reported.

After a cabinet meeting on March 4, Erdoğan declared: “Hopefully, this summer, we will have permanently resolved the issue regarding our Iraqi borders. Our will to create a security corridor 30-40 kilometres deep along our Syrian borders remains intact. We have preparations that will give new nightmares to those who think that they will bring Turkey to its knees with a ‘terroristan’ along its southern borders.”

Turkey’s governing coalition of AKP-MHP Islamists and ultranationalists needs external support for this new war, geopolitical cover for this unprovoked planned aggression. So diplomatic traffic between Ankara and Washington, Ankara and Baghdad, and Ankara and Erbil has recently intensified. Meanwhile, the Turkish intelligence agency MIT, the foreign ministry, and the army have been preparing for the covert illegalities and assassinations that typically accompany such operations.

On March 6-8 the Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan visited Washington to help plan the new war against the Kurds. Relatedly, the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK ) issued a response to allegations made by US Secretary of State Blinken Concerning the PKK” and asked for clarification: Was the United States giving the green light for future Turkish military aggression?"

The KNK underlined that "Turkey is trying to force the Iraqi government to actively participate in its renewed war on the Kurds, as revealed in a barrage of diplomatic traffic between Ankara and Baghdad. The Kurdish issue has thus risen on the agenda of Iraqi politics as well, as The New Arab has announced with the headline: Turkey is considering a military incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan, aiming to penetrate 40 kilometers into the region to pursue PKK militants.

On 14 March the Foreign Relations Committee of KCK (Kurdistan Democratic Communities Union) warned of a Turkish war against Southern Kurdistan and Iraq and called on all organizations to refuse to be a party to the Turkish state’s calls for genocide, proclaiming: The Turkish state under the fascist chief Erdoğan is the biggest security threat for Iraq."

KDP will not participate in the elections

"We will not comply with the decisions of the Iraqi Federal Court. We will not participate in the elections that are illegal, unconstitutional and overshadowed by an imposed system,” said the KDP, referring to the Iraqi Federal Court ruling.


KURDISTAN REGION ELECTIONS
ANF
HEWLÊR
Monday, 18 March 2024, 


In February 2024, the Iraqi Federal Court issued a new ruling declaring the quota number of seats in the Kurdistan Regional Parliament unconstitutional and ordered the division of the Kurdistan Region into four constituencies. With the new ruling, the number of seats in the regional parliament was reduced from 111 to 100. The court also stated that oil and all other revenues of the Kurdistan Region should be handed over to Baghdad.

In light of the decisions, the election date was set as 30 June.

Following the decisions taken by Baghdad for the Kurdistan region, which has not renewed its parliament for years and has not established a regular election system, the KDP announced that it would not participate in the elections.

The KDP Politburo stated, "We will not comply with the decisions of the Iraqi Federal Court. We will not participate in elections that are illegal, unconstitutional and overshadowed by an imposed system."

Although the Kurdistan Region Parliament and the government have been in office for nearly two years, the KDP was not in favor of the elections. The elections were repeatedly postponed on arbitrary grounds and various disagreements.

Some observers are skeptical about the KDP's decision and think that the KDP chose the "boycott" route as an escape since it will not be able to get the desired result from the elections.

KDP says 'unconstitutionality' is why it will boycott Iraqi Kurdistan region's parliamentary elections

The KDP’s political bureau firmly expressed its stance against participating in an electoral process it views as fundamentally flawed and imposed.

Dana Taib Menmy
Iraq
19 March, 2024

The KDP, led by the Barzani family, dominates Erbil and Duhok provinces. [Getty]

In a decisive move, the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) announced on Monday its refusal to partake in the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, scheduled for 10 June.

This decision was made in protest against what the party deems as "illegal" and "unconstitutional" alterations to the region's electoral framework by Iraq's Federal Supreme Court, specifically the elimination of minority quota seats.

The KDP's political bureau firmly expressed its stance against participating in an electoral process it views as fundamentally flawed and imposed.
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Main Iraqi Kurdish party to boycott local elections
MENA
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

On 23 February, Iraq's Supreme Federal Court ruled that the Kurdistan region parliament's minority quota seats are "unconstitutional", stating that the region's parliament consists of 100 lawmakers, thus terminating the existence of eleven quota seats for the Turkmen, Christians, and Armenian minorities in the region that have been enacted in the legislature since 1992.

The court's recent decisions stemmed from lawsuits filed by politicians from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK— a rival party to the KDP—challenging the constitutionality of the Kurdish region's election law.

Labelling the court's decision as part of a broader trend of unconstitutional rulings against the Kurdistan Region over the past four years, the KDP criticised the move as a "blatant violation of the region's constitutional rights and an encroachment on its autonomy."

The party emphasised its commitment to upholding the democratic principles and federal system enshrined in Iraq's constitution.

Furthermore, the KDP underscored the importance of fair electoral laws that ensure the representation of all segments of Kurdish society. The removal of minority seats, according to the party, contradicts the will of the people and undermines the integrity of the electoral process.

Last week, political parties representing the Christian and Turkmen communities in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region announced they would boycott the elections.


Citing provisions of the Iraqi constitution recognizing the Kurdistan Region's federal status and the supremacy of its laws in disputes, the KDP argued against the implementation of an unconstitutional ruling and the imposition of a system without the consent of the region's populace.

Additionally, the KDP warned about potential repercussions, including withdrawal from the political process in Baghdad, should the State Administration Coalition fail to fulfil its constitutional obligations and honour political agreements within the current Iraqi government.

The 10 June election, set to take place amidst these controversies, represents a departure from past electoral practices in the Kurdistan Region. With fewer legislative seats, a revamped constituency system, and federal oversight due to internal Kurdish disputes, the election poses significant challenges to the region's political landscape.

Meanwhile, Iraq's Independent Electoral High Commission (IHEC) remains undeterred by the KDP's boycott, asserting its commitment to the scheduled election date of 10 June. Despite the challenges posed by the KDP's refusal to participate, IHEC reassures the public that preparations for the parliamentary elections are proceeding as planned.

On her part, Alina L. Romanowski, the United States Ambassador to Iraq, expressed her concern in a post on the X platform, previously known as Twitter. She urged the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) "to ensure that elections are free, fair, transparent, and credible."

Minorities to boycott Iraqi Kurdistan's general elections

"All the people of Iraqi Kurdistan Region should have a voice in determining their future," she added.

The KRG is a coalition among the two main ruling and rival parties: KDP and PUK. The KDP, led by the Barzani family, dominates Erbil and Duhok provinces, while the PUK, led by the Talabani family, rules Sulaimaniyah and Halabja provinces.

The PUK politburo convened late Monday to discuss the KDP's decision and is yet to announce its formal stance on the issue.

Both parties have separate peshmerga forces and security and intelligence agencies. They fought an internal conflict from 1994 until 1998, in which thousands of fighters and innocent civilians from both sides were killed, wounded, and displaced.

The parliamentary election, held in September 2018, witnessed a low turnout of 57% and was marred by alleged large-scale voter fraud by the two main rival parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

The KDP is often accused by the PUK and the opposition parties of manipulating the minority's quota to claim the majority in the parliament. In all past elections held in the region, all minority seats were allocated to Erbil province, while there are minority populations in other Kurdish provinces.

The minorities refuted those claims and stressed that 99% of Turkmen, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Assyrians, and Armenians reside in the provinces of Erbil and Dohuk.

Canadians Fighting in Gaza: Charge the Genocidaires

March 13, 2024 

Engler: Dozens, possibly two hundred, Canadians are currently fighting in Gaza. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

By Yves Engler

Imagine growing up in a comfortable Toronto or Montréal home and deciding to cross the globe to slaughter a long-colonized people. It’s appalling Canadians are killing Palestinians, but can they be held criminally responsible?

Canada’s legislation on universal jurisdiction is weak but individuals can be pursued for war crimes committed abroad. Dozens, possibly two hundred, Canadians are currently subjugating Palestinians in the West Bank and slaughtering them in Gaza. Global, National Post, Le Devoir, CBC, La Presse and CP24 have reported Canadians fighting in the Israeli occupation forces.

A Canadian Jewish News article quoted the parent of a genocidaire in Gaza and cited Israel’s consular general in Montreal saying he meets regularly with Canadians in the IOF. According to CBC, 230 Canadians were in the IOF in 2017 while in 2020 the embassy counted 78.

Six weeks ago, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East sent a letter to Justice Minister Arif Virani. It says, “Canada must take action to discourage Canadian involvement in the Israeli military, which carries the risk of complicity in criminal activities, and ensure that any person who is involved in the commission of war crimes is held accountable.” The letter points out that the Department of Justice and RCMP operate a Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program, which should be tasked with investigating Canadian Genocidaires.

In December a French parliamentarian made a similar appeal to the Justice Minister. “It is imperative that France examines the culpability of its nationals involved both in Gaza and the West Bank,” wrote Thomas Portes of La France Insoumise. “I therefore request your intervention, under your general powers of inquiry, for French nationals, including dual nationals, guilty of war crimes to be brought before French justice.”

In a number of other European countries, there are efforts to charge their nationals for killing Palestinians. Two months ago a new group was formed to “initiate legal proceedings against all Israeli soldiers holding dual Belgian or Dutch citizenship.”

The March 30 Movement assisted an individual’s complaint against Dutch-Israeli citizen Jonathan Ben Hamou who has allegedly engaged in war crimes and genocide in Gaza. Last month they posted images of Hamou in Amsterdam and demanded the authorities detain him. The March 30 Movement also lodged a complaint to Dutch authorities against Leah Rachmani. Their complaint outlines allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and potential genocide.

In the UK, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians has asked the government to clarify the legality of British nationals fighting in the IOF, warning they may be complicit in war crimes.

South Africa’s foreign ministry has said South Africans risked being stripped of their citizenship for serving in the IOF. Recently Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor told the Pan-African News Agency that South Africans participating in combat with the Israeli army will be prosecuted.

Considering the wanton destruction in Gaza, it’s hard to imagine that someone fighting there hasn’t committed war crimes. The International Court of Justice’s provisional ruling that it is “plausible” Israel is committing genocide bolsters the prospects of prosecuting Canadians in the IOF.

The first step in holding Canadians participating in war crimes accountable is compiling their names. Philip Eden, Nir Maman, Noy Leyb, Nir Koren, Temima Silver and Michael Zenou are some of the Canadian Genocidaires. The Canadian Jewish News mentioned group chats for the parents of Canadians fighting. Activists should scour social media for information on Canadians in the IOF and create a database of names and actions.

At the same time progressive MPs should be pressed to echo CJPME’s call to investigate those fighting. In a recent interview NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice agreed with me that Canadians fighting in Gaza should be investigated for war crimes. We need lawyers to instigate legal complaints.
While individuals should be pursued for violating international law, the IOF promoting network also needs to be challenged.

In 2020, a formal legal complaint and public letter signed by numerous prominent individuals were released calling on the federal government to investigate individuals for violating the Foreign Enlistment Act by inducing Canadians to join the Israeli military. According to the Act, “Any person who, within Canada, recruits or otherwise induces any person or body of persons to enlist or to accept any commission or engagement in the armed forces of any foreign state or other armed forces operating in that state is guilty of an offence.”

The Trudeau government effectively ignored the public letter and legal complaint even though it was published on the front page of Le Devoir. Then Justice Minister David Lametti responded by simply saying it was up to the police to investigate. For their part, the police refused to seriously investigate. Partly in response to the police’s unwillingness to take the matter seriously, a case was launched through a private prosecution against Sar-El Canada, which brings Canadians to volunteer on Israeli military bases.

A Justice of the Peace agreed the evidence warranted a hearing, but the Crown interceded to dismiss the case against Sar-El. By failing to enforce its own laws, the state is complicit with the Canadians assisting the IOF.

The significant number of Canadians killing Palestinians are also an indictment of a network of institutions that indoctrinate young Jews into wanting to enforce occupation and slaughter Palestinians. Various schools, community institutions and wealthy individuals induce Canadians to join the IOF. Canadian Genocidaires are also celebrated by community leaders and media outlets.

Last week, the Canadian Jewish News published a sycophantic interview with a Canadian who describes spending four months terrorizing Palestinians in Hebron and preparing to enter Gaza.

The IOF promotion network must be challenged through both political and legal means. Criminal proceedings must be initiated against Canadians participating in Israel’s war crimes.

 – Yves Engler is the author of Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid and a number of other books. He contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle. Visit his website: yvesengler.com