Iraq’s Shia Bloc Narrows Prime Minister Race, but Real Fight Is Behind Closed Doors
According to a well-informed Iraqi Shia source, the Coordination Framework, which encompasses all pro-Iran Shia blocs and collectively holds some…
China Quietly Builds a Cultural Beachhead in the Kurdistan Region
China is quietly building cultural institutions in the Kurdistan Region, following a pattern seen in other parts of the world.…
Will Turkey Let Mazloum Abdi and Ilham Ahmed Visit Ocalan on Imrali soon?
According to the official summary of the Turkish parliamentary peace commission’s visit to Abdullah Ocalan, when he was asked about…
Written by
Arivan
Iraq’s Hezbollah Freeze Becomes Ammunition in an Intra-Shia War
After the Iraqi government’s Committee for Freezing Terrorists’ Funds published a list of entities whose assets were to be frozen as “participants in terrorist acts” – a list that included…
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Arivan
As Turkey Courts Ocalan, an Old Kurdish Ally Finds Itself on the Outside
Masoud Barzani’s weekend visit to Turkey’s Kurdish border province of Sirnak has triggered an unusually public confrontation between his office and Turkey’s leading nationalist politician, Erdogan ally Devlet Bahceli, exposing…
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Arivan
A Gas Field in Kurdistan Becomes a Front Line in the U.S.–Iran Energy War
The 26 November combined drone-and-rocket strike on the Khor Mor gas field in the PUK-controlled Chamchamal district of Sulaimani is the most serious in a string of more than a…
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Arivan
Turkey Confirms PKK Pullback From Six Zap and Metina Caves, With Hakurk, Gara and Haftanin Next
The Turkish intelligence services and military have confirmed that the PKK has withdrawn from six key caves in the Zap and Metina areas in Amedi district of the Kurdistan Region,…
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Arivan
The Shia Militias Quietly Negotiate with the US Regarding the Future of the PMF
The Shia militias and their allies have performed strongly in the Iraqi elections, with US-designated militias alone winning 80 seats and their Shia allies collectively securing nearly 170 seats. Before…
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Written by
Arivan
Bypassing Its Rival, KDP Seeks New Allies to Break 13-Month Kurdistan Parliamentary Paralysis
More than 13 months after regional elections, the KDP is aggressively exploring ways to bypass its longtime partner, the PUK, and secure enough votes to form the next KRG cabinet.…
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Written by
Arivan
Peace Commission to Meet Ocalan as CHP and Yeni Yol Boycott
The Turkish parliament’s peace commission, tasked with the PKK Turkey talks, is set to meet the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan today in a historic prison visit. The commission approved…
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