INSTITUT KURDDE PARIS E Information and liaison bulletin N°425 AUGUST 2020 The publication of this Bulletin enjoys a subsidy from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture & City of Paris ______________ 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 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: [email protected] Information and liaison bulletin Kurdish Institute of Paris Bulletin N° 425 August 2020 • IRAQ: TWO OFFICERS OF THE IRAQI BORDER GUARDS KILLED BY A TURKISH DRONE • ROJAVA: KIDNAPPING, TORTURE, RAPE, MURDER... EVIDENCE OF THE CRIMES OF THE TURKISH OCCUPATION FORCES IS ACCUMULATING • TURKEY: EXACTIONS AGAINST WOMEN ARE MULTIPLE • IRAN: MASS TWITTER CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE ASSASSINATION OF KOLBARS, CALL FOR THE ACQUITTAL OF A KURDISH TEACHER • KURDISH LANGUAGE, PUBLICATIONS IRAQ: TWO OFFICERS OF THE IRAQI BORDER GUARDS KILLED BY A TURKISH DRONE ince the reopening of the to the Region from several Health called on cured patients to borders with Iran last countries, while conversely, donate their plasma for patients May, both Iraq and Turkey stopped flights to the developing severe forms of the Kurdistan are Region. Passengers leaving the infection. After more than twenty experiencing a dramatic Region must show a negative cases appeared, two villages in S increase in the figures of COVID test of less than 48 hours Akre district (Dohuk) were placed the pandemic... But both the before boarding. As of 4th August, under total confinement. At the Kurdistan Regional Government the number of coronavirus cases same time, Iraq announced more (KRG) and the Iraqi Government in Iraqi Kurdistan was 14.816 than 5.000 deaths since March, the are caught between health confirmed cases, 574 deaths and beginning of the epidemic: it is the constraints and economic 9.413 recoveries. On the 5th, when highest mortality rate per requirements... On 1st August, the the KRG announced 357 new cases inhabitant in the Arab world. KRG authorised the controlled (including 218 in Erbil province) On 11th August, 653 new cases resumption of international flights and 12 deaths, the Ministry of were reported in Kurdistan, the • 2 • Information and liaison bulletin n° 425 • August 2020 highest daily increase ever Halabja. The total number of territories, exploited by ISIS’s observed. On the 12th, deaths in the Region at that time terrorists, were continuing, and Suleimaniyeh had 9.500 cases, was 1.074. With the highest that the KRG was also continuing against 7.300 in Erbil and 1.400 in number of cases, Dohuk also had to work towards the Dohuk... The increase continued the lowest number of deaths (46), implementation of Article 140 of on the 13th with 3.841 new which led WHO to congratulate the Iraqi Constitution. But on the infections, while Iraq as a whole the authorities of the province 30th, the Secretary General of the approached 165.000 cases for 5.641 (Kurdistan-24). Pechmergas Ministry, Jabar deaths (Kurdistan-24). On the 14th, Yawar, said that while in 2020 Kurdistan broke a new “record” In this tense sanitary context, there had been nearly 150 ISIS with 667 new cases including 411 discussions continued between the attacks resulting in 650 deaths, in Erbil. The total number of cases KRG and the federal government while general negotiations were was then 20.002, including 8.262 to try to reach a budgetary continuing to reach a three-year hospitalizations. The next day, the agreement, while Baghdad had budget agreement, there was still figure was almost the same with suspended payments to Erbil from no timetable for the resumption of 658 new cases. The day before, the the federal budget since the end of security talks... (Kurdistan-24) governor of Erbil had attributed April... At the end of the first week Earlier this month, the “White the surge to the lack of compliance of the month, Kurdish Flags”, a terrorist organisation with the barrier measures. parliamentarians announced an partly originating from ISIS, and agreement: in exchange for the also active in the disputed On the 21st, the province of Erbil revenue from the sale of 250.000 territories, broadcast a video lifted travel restrictions with the barrels of oil per day and 50% of showing the beheading of a other provinces by removing the customs revenue, Baghdad would Kurdish man kidnapped in 2019, requirement to obtain prior pay the KRG its share of the and on the 27th, the bodies of two authorisation on the internet, federal budget plus the salaries of young Kurds kidnapped the day while maintaining the ban on its civil servants. According to the before by ISIS at a fake checkpoint group tourist travel. Mosques announcement, a KRG delegation were found near Khanaqin… were also allowed to reopen for would visit Baghdad during the Friday prayers, but with week of the 10th to continue the Another point of contention precautionary measures, as were discussions. After mid-week between the KRG and Baghdad restaurants (Rûdaw). On the 24th, statements by both sides concerns the attempts by former the KRG Ministry of Health highlighting their differences, Arab settlers from the time of the announced the highest mortality KRG Prime Minister Masrour Ba’thist regime to return to the since the beginning of the Barzani announced on the 15th region. New incidents occurred in pandemic with 27 deaths and 458 that Baghdad had agreed to a early August, when residents of a new cases. The rapid increase of “partial restoration” of the KRG’s Kurdish village between Daquq cases in the province of Dohuk, share of the federal budget: “I am and Kirkuk, Guli Tapa, prevented ahead of Erbil with 199 cases pleased to announce that Baghdad about 15 Arab families from against 127, caused concern has agreed to pay 320 billion entering the village. The Iraqi (Kurdistan-24). On the 25th, the dinars per month [about US$270 federal police intervened. The WHO opened an office in million] as a partial restoration of mayor of Daquq said that there Kurdistan for faster operations our share of the federal budget”, were still unresolved land and a better monitoring of the he said. “We agree on the disputes between Arabs and situation. On the same day, the constitutional rights and duties of Kurds in the area, describing the Iraqi Ministry of Health warned of both parties, and the dialogue will Arabs concerned as not belonging a second epidemic wave, with continue” (Kurdistan-24). Indeed, to the “colonising” groups but 4.000 new cases and 77 deaths in many other points of originating from Kirkuk. 24 hours, for a total of 6.596 deaths disagreement remain, from the However, since the takeover of in the country. Here too, the control of border crossings to the these territories on 17th October worrying evolution of the governance of the disputed 2017 by the federal forces, many epidemic situation was attributed territories… Kurds have denounced attempts to the lack of compliance with to “re-Arabise” the area. On the barrier measures. The next day, On the 24th, the KRG Prime 5th, Harem Kamal Agha, deputy the country had 3.837 new cases Minister said in an interview that and vice-president of the PUK and 72 deaths, and on 27th August, the agreement with Baghdad was bloc in the Baghdad parliament, 3.651 new cases and 72 deaths. an interim agreement valid for declared in Rûdaw that Baghdad three months only, and that both was setting up a “new Arabisation On 31st August, Kurdistan Region sides hoped to reach a process” and that in the face of recorded 25 deaths and 591 new comprehensive budget agreement this, UPK and PDK had to "put cases, including 234 from Dohuk, after this period. He added that their differences aside" in order to 169 from Erbil, 115 from discussions on the “security act. For his part, Kamal Kirkuki, a Suleimaniyeh and 30 from vacuum” in the disputed member of the KDP political n° 425 • August 2020 Information and liaison bulletin • 3 • bureau, said the issue had to be months had hit Sinjar, where the Ankara to “cease all military resolved at the state level and Yezidi had already been badly hit operations”. On the 13th, Baghdad according to the law and the by ISIS, and the Makhmur refugee announced that it had contacted constitution. The Iraqi presidency camp, Turkey launched multiple its neighbours (notably Egypt, has announced the formation of a strikes in the first week of the Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) committee comprising both month on the province of and the Arab League "to reach a parliamentarians and members of Suleimaniyeh in the Asos region. common position and force the government to examine the In particular, the Turkish army Turkey to withdraw" its troops problem. announced that it had detected the from Iraq. The same day, as a new presence of the PKK near the town Turkish strike killed three PKK of Mawat, 50 km north of fighters, Ambassador Yildiz In the Kurdistan Region, the Suleimaniyeh, near the Iranian published on Twitter a statement non-payment of civil servants’ border, where crops were burned accusing Iraq of "turning a blind salaries has led to social (Al-Monitor, Rûdaw). On the 7th, eye while members of the terrorist movements for several weeks, and Turkish planes destroyed a vehicle PKK are on its soil" (AFP). The there have been recent near the village of Qamesh next day, like several Arab demonstrations, particularly in (Suleimaniyeh), and on the 10th, countries, France announced its Suleimaniyeh.