Grenade attack on IRGC kills 2 in Iran’s Kurdistan province: What to know The deadly assault comes amid recurring tensions and clashes in Iran’s Kurdish-majority western region. Iran
Culture Turkey's women, LGBTQ artists top targets of Erdogan's drive for cultural hegemony From pop stars to performers, Turkey’s secular arts scene faces increasing pressure under Erdogan’s conservative push. Turkey
UK’s top spy uses farewell from Turkey to lure Russian recruits, sparks fury The outgoing MI6 chief called on Russians with "truths to share" to contact the agency, sparking diplomatic unease just days before Erdogan’s White House meeting. Turkey
Turkey’s spy chief in Damascus as Israel, Syria weigh new security map Ibrahim Kalin’s visit comes as Israel presses Syria on a buffer zone plan and Turkey frets over Kurdish autonomy. Turkey
Exclusive UK-based oil firm victim of standoff between Damascus, Syria’s Kurds By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Iraqi Kurdish factional feuds erupt anew with violent arrest of Lahur Talabani By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Turkish opposition courts Kurds in trip to Erbil The Republican People’s Party, Turkey’s main opposition party, has sent a senior delegation to Iraq's Kurdistan Region, perhaps because popular elections have become difficult to win without Kurdish votes. Turkey
Iraqi Kurdish leader helps ease Turkey-UAE tensions Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani helped facilitate a recent phone call between Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Turkey’s Sinjar strikes carry stern messages to Tehran, Baghdad As the United States braces to withdraw its combat forces from Iraq, the country’s Kurdistan Region is emerging as the scene of a mounting struggle for control between Turkey and Iran. Turkey
Family feud in Iraqi Kurdish party may undercut election chances A dispute between the son of the founder of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the party's former leader, and his cousin might reduce the chances of victory in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Iraq
Family power grab in Iraqi Kurdistan raises fears of intra-Kurdish violence Talabanis strip their cousin of all powers amid a power struggle in the Kurdistan Regional Government's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Party. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan water crisis blamed on climate and Iran Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government has asked citizens to ration water. Iraq
US senator says Turkish actions against pro-Kurdish party like ‘if Biden banned the Republican Party’ Democratic and Republican senators voiced heavy criticism of the Turkish government to a State Department official during a Wednesday hearing. The lawmakers accused Ankara of abusing the international police system, being an “aggressor” toward Greece, and much more. United States
Reports highlight crackdowns on press in Kurdistan Region The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government has rejected the charges, citing the independence of courts and media partnerships. News Brief
Turkey’s anti-PKK assault leaves Kurds more divided Turkey’s unremitting assault against the PKK is destabilizing Iraqi Kurdistan, weakening the rebels on the one hand while bolstering support for them among disaffected locals on the other. Iraq
Iraq-Syria border strikes on pro-Iran ‘militias’ spark retaliation Airstrikes on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border near Qaim conducted by the United States were followed by retaliatory strikes by Iran-linked groups against a Kurdish-led SDF base housing coalition forces in eastern Syria. Iraq
Top Turkish court accepts revised indictment to ban pro-Kurdish party Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Monday accepted a case seeking the closure of the nation’s second-largest opposition party, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), after a top prosecutor revised and resubmitted an indictment alleging members collude with terrorists. Turkey
Deadly attacks stoke KDP-PKK tensions in Iraqi Kurdistan Turkish Kurdish militants entrenched in Iraqi Kurdistan face mounting calls to leave the region after the killing of six members of the Iraqi Kurdish armed forces. Turkey
