Politics & Policy

Rethinking Poverty Rates in Kurdistan: Why Standardized Measures Misrepresent True Poverty Levels

The Kurdistan Region has released a specialized survey on social conditions, conducted alongside a broader socioeconomic assessment spanning Iraq. This…

PUK’s Talabanis Face Backlash Over Sudden U-Turn on KRG Salary Domiciliation Policy

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the junior partner in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), is facing intense scrutiny and…

Why Does Barzani Provide Sanctuary to Ba’athists in Erbil?

Recently, a series of controversies have emerged surrounding the presence of Ba’athist figures in Erbil and Masoud Barzani’s role in…

Written by

Arivan

Power Struggle Over Iraq’s PMF Leadership: Retirement Law Deepens Shiite Divisions

The impending retirements of Abu Fadak al-Muhammadawi, Chief of Staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and Abu Zainab al-Lami, head of the PMF Security Agency, have ignited discord within…
Read More (3 min. read)

Written by

Arivan

How Diplomatic Engagement Shapes Political Recognition: Kurdistan Region and Iraq at Munich Security Conference

One of the key roles of comparison in the social sciences is to provide perspective: a striking example of this can be seen in the contrasting engagements of Iraqi Prime…
Read More (3 min. read)

Written by

Arivan

A Bold Theory: Do the PKK-Turkey Talks Signal Regional Realignment Amid the Disruption in the Balance of Power?

In October 2024, two months before the Assad regime’s collapse in Syria, Turkish ultra-nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli shocked political observers by shaking hands with members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality…
Read More (3 min. read)

Written by

Arivan

How Time as an Active Temporal Tool Shapes the SDF’s Calculations Against Damascus’s New Government

“Time” has emerged as a critical element in the Syrian Kurdish SDF’s strategic calculations regarding its ongoing dispute with the new Damascus government.  The Syrian Defence Minister recently told Reuters…
Read More (3 min. read)

Written by

Arivan

The Policy Implications of Structural Ambiguities in the 2025 KRG-Baghdad Fiscal Agreement

A newly revealed letter from the Iraqi Finance Ministry to the KRG, verified as authentic by both parties, lays the foundation for the “new agreement” on the timely disbursement of…
Read More (3 min. read)

Written by

Arivan

Kurdistan’s Political Stalemate: 100 Days Without a Government and No Clear Path Forward

KDP-PUK negotiations stall over parallel power structures as region faces mounting economic and security challenges. More than 100 days have elapsed since the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) elections, yet the…
Read More (3 min. read)

Written by

Arivan

Explained: Understanding the Civil Servant Protests in Kurdistan’s Sulaimani

For over 12 days, civil servants in the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province have been staging protests. Among them, 12 have embarked on a hunger strike. Today, hundreds of demonstrators attempted…
Read More (3 min. read)