Latest news with #Kurds'
Shafaq News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Leader Barzani to tribal chiefs: Political rifts must not divide communities
Shafaq News/ Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani met, on Sunday, with tribal leaders from central and southern Iraq, underscoring that political disputes should not divide Iraq's communities. According to Barzani's media office, the meeting at Salahuddin resort gathered tribal chiefs, emirs, and prominent figures from across the country. Barzani recalled the Kurds' past suffering under former regimes and stressed that tensions have been with governments—not the Iraqi people, calling for unity, dignity, and development for all provinces. Barzani also warned against 'politicizing essential services,' reiterating that Iraq's stability relies on constitutional principles, consensus, and genuine partnership. In turn, the delegation praised Barzani's leadership, Kurdistan's support for displaced Iraqis, and the Region's stability. It expressed solidarity with Kurdish demands, calling them 'fair and justified.'
Morocco World
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
PKK Decides to Dissolve, Halt Armed Struggle in Turkiye
Rabat — The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group announced today its decision to dissolve and end all its armed struggle against the Turkish state. The decision comes after four decades of bloody conflict that killed over 40,000 and exerted a huge economic burden, fueling social tensions. Turkiye welcomed the PKK's decision as it is paving the way to a legal framework for security, disarming the group. The group was designated by Ankara, as well as its Western allies, as a terrorist group. The decision was taken following the PKK's 12th congress on Monday A statement from the group on Monday announced that its '12th Congress decided to dissolve the PKK's organizational structure…and end the armed struggle.' The decision emanated from the congress that was held in response to the PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan's February call to dissolve. Ankara has not confirmed or agreed that Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island south of Istanbul since 1999, will lead the dissolution process. However, the statement did not outline how the PKK's disarmament would be carried out or what would become of its existing fighters. Analysts say the decision is a good step to boost political and economic stability in Turkiye, as well as alleviate the tensions created by Kurds' groups in neighboring countries, particularly Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Read also: Algeria's Regime Caught Red-Handed: Kurdish Separatists Hosted in Tindouf Camps However, the statement of the decision did not mention whether it would apply to the group's affiliates in the region. This development is set to change power relations in the region as less tension will be exerted by the Kurds, thus contributing to peace and stability in the region. Background of the decision The PKK declared on March 1 its decision to take a unilateral ceasefire in its 40-year insurgency against the Turkish government. The ceasefire decision took place after the PKK's imprisoned Ocalan, called on his militants to disarm, urging Turkiye for his release in order to facilitate the organization's disarmament. Turkiye welcomed the ceasefire decision, but tensions remained between authorities and the Kurds. However, Kurds also expect that Ankara will halt its offensive operations against the primarily Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is allied with the US in its fight against ISIS in northeastern Syria. The Kurdish struggle in Turkiye The Kurds comprise nearly one-fifth of Turkiye's population of 79 million. They hold a population of roughly 30 million in the Middle East, and predominantly live in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkiye. Abdullah Ocalan established the PKK in 1978. The group started an insurgency against Ankara since 1984, demanding greater cultural and political rights, and has long sought establishing an independent Kurdish state. Recently Turkiye, has seen an increasing popular discontent with the June 2013 Gezi Park protests and the July 2016 coup attempt. Tensions have also reemerged between Turkish authorities and Kurdish groups. Turkish authorities in the southeast have received several attacks from different Kurdish groups. These include, in particular, the PKK, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a left-wing pro-Kurdish party, and the People's Protection Unit (YPG), the armed wing of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD) with ties to the PKK. Tags: Kurish peoplePKK TurkiyeTurkiye
Middle East Eye
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
PKK to officially disband this week, sources say
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is expected to announce as soon as Friday that it has decided to end its armed struggle against Turkey and will disband itself, two sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. The decision follows a statement issued in February by the PKK's imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, in which he called on the organisation he founded more than 40 years ago to lay down its arms. On Friday, the PKK said that it held a congress from 5 to 7 May and discussed Ocalan's call. It said it has taken decisions that have historical importance, 'which we will announce very soon with relevant documents and information'. In his February statement, Ocalan described the armed struggle as a product of a bygone era. In a one-and-a-half-page message, Ocalan explained that the PKK's armed struggle was once necessary due to Turkish state policies that denied Kurdish identity and restricted Kurds' rights and freedoms. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The PKK was born in the 20th century, in the most violent epoch of human history - amidst the two world wars, under the shadow of real socialism and the Cold War," Ocalan wrote. However, he argued that the Turkish government's recent democratic reforms on Kurdish issues, along with regional developments, have rendered armed struggle obsolete. "All groups must lay down their arms, and the PKK must dissolve itself," he said. Ocalan's reference to 'all groups' is understood to include the PKK's affiliates and offshoots in Syria and Iran, as well as its umbrella organisation, the Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK), which operates in those countries as well as Iraq and Turkey. In March, the PKK publicly announced that it would comply with Ocalan's directive and declared a ceasefire. As part of ongoing negotiations between Ocalan and the Turkish government, a separate deal was reached in March between Mazlum Abdi Şahin, commander of the PKK-linked Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The agreement grants Damascus full control over state institutions in northeastern Syria, effectively nullifying the possibility of a Kurdish state or a federal system in the country. Many analysts view Ocalan's call as a direct consequence of Turkey's military success in isolating the PKK in Iraq's Qandil mountains. Since 2016, Turkish forces have used advanced drone technology and electronic warfare capabilities to deprive the PKK of territorial control and infiltration routes. It remains unclear how the PKK will surrender its weapons. Some sources in Ankara suggest that the Iraqi government may play a role in collecting and registering the weapons, in cooperation with neighbouring countries. Foreign fighters in Syria are expected to leave to their home countries. Those who choose to enter politics will be integrated into their respective national political systems. Senior KCK leaders are reportedly set to be relocated to third countries. Some observers believe that PKK leaders may be resettled in Sulaymaniyah, a region of Iraq controlled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), a political party historically supportive of the armed group.
Yomiuri Shimbun
06-05-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Increasing Number of Issues with Foreign Residents Tests Coexistence in Municipalities; Challenges Include Problematic Behavior
The Yomiuri Shimbun Kurds and others dance during the spring festival Newroz in late March in Saitama. SAITAMA/MITO — Some municipalities are grappling with the increasing challenges of residents coexisting amid rapidly growing foreign populations, facing issues such as problematic behavior and rising unpaid medical bills. The situation places a significant burden on local municipalities, underscoring the need for comprehensive measures from the central government. In Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, which has a large community of Kurdish people, for example, the local government is facing an increased burden on schools accepting Kurdish children, in addition to dealing with complaints about noise and driving manners. Kurdish community The celebration of Newroz, the Kurdish spring festival, at the end of March saw about 1,000 people, including Kurds in colorful traditional dress and Japanese citizens, dancing happily in a park in Saitama to the tunes of the saz, a Kurdish stringed instrument. However, a scuffle broke out near the venue between opponents and supporters of the festival, and police officers had to intervene. About 2,000 Kurds live in the vicinity of Kawaguchi, which is near the event venue. The Kurdish people are known as the 'largest ethnic group without a state' and inhabit the border areas of countries such as Turkey. Kurds began settling in Kawaguchi in the 1990s following unrest in Turkey. Strong ethnic solidarity fostered a pattern of family and friends joining earlier arrivals, and the population further increased after the 2023 earthquake in Turkey. In June of that year, the Kawaguchi city council adopted a written opinion calling for stricter measures against crime, asserting that 'reckless driving and road rage by foreigners are repeatedly occurring and cannot be ignored.' A city council member later said the statement was adopted 'with Kurds in mind.' Then, in the following month, a stabbing incident occurred due to a conflict between Kurdish individuals. The hospital where the injured person was transported became the scene of a disturbance because about 100 people, thought to be their acquaintances, gathered there. The incident triggered a flood of negative comments on social media, including statements like, [They are] a nuisance' and '[They are] scary.' The issue gained attention in the Diet when a local representative, speaking at the House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting in December last year, stated that 'group acts, incidents and accidents that are a nuisance and involving Kurds are occurring frequently.' Patrolling by Kurds In an effort to improve the situation, the Japan Kurdish Cultural Association, made up of Kurdish people living in Japan, began conducting safety patrols around the summer of 2023 to draw their fellow Kurds' attention not to cause trouble to local communities. Admitting there were some shortcomings also on their part, Vakkas Cikan, the association's leader, vowed to make efforts to fix the problems in order to build a good relationship with local people. The Kawaguchi city government has set up consultation services for foreign residents. Also, local schools provide Japanese language lessons for children who have difficulty communicating in Japanese. One issue complicating the situation is that many of the Kurdish residents are on provisional release — a status that permits a person to live outside an immigration detention center while their application for refugee status is being processed. People on provisional release are prohibited from working and cannot obtain health insurance. About 30% of the ¥360 million in total uncollected medical bills at Kawaguchi Municipal Medical Center has been incurred by foreign nationals. The city government has submitted requests to the central government several times since 2020, asking for expanded educational support for foreign children and allowing those on provisional release to work and enroll in the health insurance system. 'Even though they are on provisional release, we are responding to their needs for education and medical care based on humanitarian considerations,' said Kawaguchi Mayor Nobuo Okunoki. 'However, the burden on a single local government is too heavy. We urge the central government to take proper action.' Violation of rules and isolation As the number of foreign residents in Japan increases, other local governments are also being forced to respond to problems in areas such as daily life and the education of children. Of the about 60,000 residents in Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture, foreigners from nearly 50 countries account for approximately 10% of the population, many of whom work at factories in the city. There are claims that some foreigners do not adhere to garbage disposal rules and students who do not speak Japanese are isolated at schools, highlighting the need to secure personnel who speak Vietnamese and Indonesian. Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture, where many Brazilians of Japanese descent have lived since 1990s, has recently seen the number of foreigners, including Nepalis, increasing. The schools have Japanese language assistants who speak Portuguese, but they are not able to handle the situation. The town said, 'We need to increase the number of assistants who speak English.' 'Amid the declining birth rate and aging population, foreigners are important for each region,' said Prof. Eriko Suzuki of Kokushikan University, who specializes in migration policy. 'The central government should not leave the responsibility of supporting foreigners solely to local governments. It needs to support their policies for foreigners through the development of a public system for learning Japanese and having user-friendly administrative services.'
Rudaw Net
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Afrin returnees decry ruined livelihoods after years of displacement
Also in Syria Israel says struck military bases in Syria Division of Syria not on Kurds' agenda: Official Syrian forces seize narcotics bound for Iraq ISIS continues to threaten Syria: SDF A+ A- AFRIN, Syria - Kurds from Afrin in northwest Syria are returning to the city after years of displacement only to face extortion and compounded hardships with their properties in ruins. Two brothers returned to Afrin from the Shahba region on Monday after seven years of displacement, but only the one who paid a fee was allowed to enter his house. He took in his brother to live with him. 'The house was fine with nothing missing, but when we returned there was no heater, no door, a rocket had fallen in the yard, and everything was destroyed. They came and asked us for money saying they bought a door and bought a heater. We said we would borrow money and give it to them so they would leave and we could enter our yard,' a Kurdish returnee told Rudaw in Afrin, requesting anonymity. Despite all the obstacles, this family wanted to return to the city to end their displacement. 'Outside we were renting, I paid 100,000 [Syrian liras] and every day the landlord wanted an increase, saying 'get out, I want to marry off my son,' we suffered greatly,' another Kurdish returnee lamented. Turkey and the Syrian militia groups it supports took control of Afrin in March 2018 following a military campaign against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). The militia groups committed numerous human rights violations, especially against the Kurdish population, documented by local and international organizations. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds fled the city to YPG-held areas. No official Syrian government decision has been made to support the return of Afrin's residents. Some families come back on their own, while others return through aid from the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC). ENKS is a coalition of Kurdish political parties that is considered the main opposition in northeast Syria (Rojava). The umbrella group, which used to be part of the Turkey-backed anti-Assad opposition, has had an office in Afrin for years. 'From Tal Rifaat to Tal Qarah to Shahba, we went and brought our people back by cars. We said come to your homes and your land so that demographic change does not happen in Afrin,' said Jumaa Hassan, a member of the ENKS local council in Afrin. 'There was a response, and many people responded and returned to their homes.' Nearly 300,000 Kurds have been displaced from Afrin since 2018, and while the number of returnees has not yet been officially documented, the ENKS says that 15,000 have come back. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Afrin in mid-February and met with locals, the majority of whom were Kurds. He pledged to remove armed groups and put an end to the violations, a representative from ENKS who attended the meeting told Rudaw. A landmark deal between Sharaa and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi earlier in March is accelerating returns, according to ENKS. The agreement seeks to include the SDF into the Syrian state apparatus, recognize the Kurds as an integral part of Syria, and includes a countrywide ceasefire. It also stipulates the return of displaced Syrians to their hometowns. Residents of Afrin this year were also able to freely celebrate Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, for the first time since the enclave was invaded by militia groups seven years ago.
