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Bernard-Henri Lévy Peshmerga INSTITUT KURDDE PARIS E Information and liaison bulletin N° 375 JUNE 2016 The publication of this Bulletin enjoys a subsidy from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Culture This bulletin is issued in French and English Price per issue : France: 6 € — Abroad : 7,5 € Annual subscribtion (12 issues) France : 60 € — Elsewhere : 75 € Monthly review Directeur de la publication : Mohamad HASSAN Misen en page et maquette : Ṣerefettin ISBN 0761 1285 INSTITUT KURDE, 106, rue La Fayette - 75010 PARIS Tel. : 01-48 24 64 64 - Fax : 01-48 24 64 66 www.fikp.org E-mail: bulletin@fikp.org Information and liaison bulletin Kurdish Institute of Paris Bulletin N° 375 June 2016 • ROJAVA: THE SDF ENTER MANBIJ WITH THE BACKING OF THE ANTI-ISIS COALITION • TURKEY: THE KURDISH MEMERS OF PARLIAMENT LOSE THEIR IMUNITY BUT THE ARMY RECEIVES FULL IMUNITY FOR ITS ACTSD OF VIOLENCE IN KURDISTAN • TURKEY: INCREASINGLY ISOLATED INTERNATIONALLY • IRAQI KURDISTAN: KIRKUK IS ALSO PREPARING TO THE REFERENDUM ON SELF-DETERMINATION • IRAN: IN A CONTEXT OF GERALISED REPRESSION THE KDPI HAS RENEWED ITS ARMED STRUGGLE • CULTURE: A FILM DEVOTED TO THE PESHMERGASIS SHOWN AT CANNES AND IN PARIS CINEMAS ROJAVA: THE SDF ENTER MANBIJ WITH THE BACKING OF THE ANTI-ISIS COALITION n Wednesday 1 June, the Kurds to link their cantons of have advanced fairly slowly Syrian Democratic Kobanê and Afrin, to the East and because the fighters first gave Forces (SDF) announced West of it, as they succeeded in priority to systematically freeing from Kobanê a major doing last year with Kobanê and dozens of villages and farms O offensive entitled “Free Jezeereh by integrating in July increasingly close to the town. Manbij”. Located about 50 km 2015 the Kurdish border town of Southwest of Kobanê and about Girê Spî (Tell Abyad in Arabic). While the SDF includes some half way to Aleppo, the town of Thus the “Federal Region” pro- 5,000 Arab fighters, the bulk of Manbij controls the last region claimed on the last 17 March for their force is made up of 30,000 adjoining Turkey still held by ISIS. Northern Syria would become members of the People’s Its capture by the SDF would com- completely united geographically Protection Units (YPG – men pletely cut the Jihadists from the — and more easily defended. and YPJ – women) affiliates to Turkish borders — from which Losing Manbij would be ISIS’s the Kurdish Democratic Unity they continue to receive supplies, biggest strategic defeat in Syria Party PYD). military equipment and foreign since its loss of Girê Spî the year volunteer fighters. Capturing before. Manbij is on the Right bank of the Manbij would thus still further Euphrates, to the West of the river. isolate ISIS’s “capital” Raqqa, to This the attack on Manbij is, Although Turkey has repeatedly the Southeast, preparing for a indeed, the final phase of an re-iterated for months past that future attack on the latter. It operation that has been planned this river was the “red line” that would also enable the Syrian for several weeks. It seems to the PYD Kurds should cross on no • 2 • Information and liaison bulletin n° 375 • June 2016 account, the SDF has well and of Azaz) was only a matter of they have begun using civilians truly crossed it while advancing time. Indeed, the collapse of ISIS as hostages — starting by sys- on their objective — and with defences on the West bank of the tematically kidnapping Kurdish American support! The United Euphrates at the very start of the civilians. These kidnappings States, indeed, decided to support offensive suggests the possibility have been taking place through- the SDF, which it considers the of a very rapid advance on out the month, so that estima- most effective force fighting ISIS. Manbij. Even more serious, the tions on the 25th June reported To do this, it has deployed nearly former Consul also warned that that 900 Syrian Kurds had been 300 members of its “special forces” there was a danger that the ISIS kidnapped in Aleppo Province that the Pentagon discretely and Al-Nusra Jihadist groups in the course of three weeks. describes as “advisers”, though could become an increasing Some of them, taken to Manbij many of them are fully integrated threat to Turkey’s border were forced to build the fortifica- into the Kurdish fighting units — provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep tions, others forced to fight as are, by the way, members of the and Kilis to the extent that they wearing Jihadist uniforms. At French “special forces”. However lost ground in Syria and Iraq: least 26 of the kidnapped people much the presence of Kurdish “If we do not engage in good rela- were executed for refusing to fighters on the West banks of the tions with the Kurdish communities obey. In the other camp, once the Euphrates may displease the of Iraq and Syria (the PYD and the town was surrounded, the SDF Turkish Generals, they could hard- YPG in Syria in particular), we will and brigades of the Manbij mili- ly now launch air raids or artillery be unable to guarantee the security of tary council that were fighting barrages — as they have done our border territories”. There is, with them were unable to shell until recently — on units that however, little chance that the the town for fear of causing include Western forces. government would carry out such civilians casualties. a complete “about turn” — on 7 Even in Turkish diplomatic cir- June the Turkish Foreign Minister, On Friday 10 June, according to cles, the government’s almost Mesut Çavuşoğlu, once again the London-based SCHR (Syrian exclusively anti-Kurdish direc- stated that Turkey would not centre for Human Rights) the tion to the detriment of the fight accept the presence of YPG mem- SDF have taken the last road against ISIS is not unanimously bers West of the Euphrates, from Manbij to the Turkish bor- supported. The statements of adding that they should leave the der, to the north, thus cutting off Aydın Selcen, former Turkish river’s Right bank as soon as the the Jihadists from supplies or consul general to Erbil (Iraqi operation was completed. The means of withdrawing. The US Kurdistan) bear witness to this. Minister added that the United special envoy to the anti-ISIS The day after the offensive States had promised their Turkish Coalition, Brett Mc Gurk, con- against Manbij was launched, ally that this would, indeed, take firmed on Twitter that the Selen stated, in an interview to place. It would thus seem that Jihadists were now completely the Russian News agency Turkey was obliged to accept the encircled in the town, adding Sputnik, that Turkey was not presence of the SDF in the opera- that it was believed that the longer in a situation that would tion against Manbij in exchange attacks that hit Paris and allow it to protest against the for a promise by the US… Brussels had been planned in international aid being provided that town. to the Kurds in Syria. Implying While advancing on Manbij, the that his country should review SDF simultaneously increased Faced with the SDF’s approach, its Syrian policy, he explained their pressure on ISIS further ISIS has expelled the workers that it was just because the East. While the Syrian regime’s from the town’s silos and mills Syrian groups supported by Army was entering Raqqa and transformed the area into a Turkey had shown themselves to Province from the South on the military base, which deprived be incapable of fighting effec- 4th with Russian support, the the city of bread for a week and tively against ISIS that the US SDF with the support of the provoked a series of air strikes had committed itself to working Western coalition was advancing from the coalition… with the SDF. He added that the from the North. speed with which the SDF was On the 15th, according to reports advancing meant that their tak- As is its habit, ISIS has not hesi- on the Kurdish TV channel ing of the Jihadist-held towns of tated to use barbarous methods Kurdistan-24, linked to the SDF Azaz (North of Aleppo and fac- in its attempts to resist the SDF’s attacking force, the latter, follow- ing the Turkish town of Kilis) advance. According to the SDF ing heavy fighting with the and Marea (15-20 Km Southwest spokesman, Sherfan Darwish, jihadists, have entered Manbij n° 375 • June 2016 Information and liaison bulletin • 3 • from the West and reached Kitab very tough since, following their ing casualty figures: 89 SDF Square, the first in the town on usual tactics, the Jihadists have fighters and 453 Jihadists killed the road from Aleppo. On the filled the buildings with bomb since the start of the operation. 23rd, the second column entered traps and placed snipers on the the town from the South, backed roofs to ambush them. Fighting At the end of June violent fight- by the Coalition’s air strikes. continued in the town for sever- ing between the SDF and the However, the fighters know that al days following. On the 24th, Jihadists were still taking place the fighting will continue to be the SCHR published the follow- in the town. TURKEY: THE KURDISH MEMERS OF PARLIAMENT LOSE THEIR IMUNITY BUT THE ARMY RECEIVES FULL IMUNITY FOR ITS ACTS OF VIOLENCE IN KURDISTAN Can a State of Law be still said to members from parliament would Even while the HDP elected repre- exist in Turkey? enable Erdoğan to impose more sentative are losing their parlia- easily the “presidentialising” of mentary immunity and the n 3 June, the Turkish the Constitution, which has been European Union is showing con- Constitutional Court his only political objective for cern at the field of application of rejected the appeal sub- many months past — a regime the Turkish anti-terrorist law mitted by the HDP (the change he has already largely car- (under which thousands of aca- O pro-Kurdish opposition ried out in a totally unconstitutional demics and journalists are being party) and the CHP (Kemalist manner! charged just for criticising the opposition party, formerly the sole direction the government is tak- party) members of Parliament Even if Demirtaş, while calling to ing) — Turkey has just granted the demanding that the law lifting question the objectivity of the armed forces a broad degree of parliamentary immunity be Turkish judicial system, states he immunity for actions “undertaken quashed.
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