Iraq dissolves 3 allegedly PKK-linked political parties

BAGHDAD,— The Iraqi judiciary’s electoral authority has mandated the dissolution of three political parties due to their alleged connections to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The ruling, issued on Monday, impacts the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party (PADÊ), the Democratic Struggle Front, and the Kurdistan Society’s Freedom Movement (Tavgari Azadi).

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC)’s party and political organization affairs directorate initiated this action, citing the parties’ affiliations with the PKK and their involvement in “banned activities in Iraq.” Consequently, the court ordered the closure of these parties’ offices and the confiscation of their assets.

This decision, documented by the Supreme Judicial Council, aligns with the 2015 Iraqi Party and Political Organizations Law and remains open to appeal.

The Iraqi National Security Council had previously banned the PKK from operating within the country in March 2024.

This ban followed a high-level security meeting with a Turkish delegation in Baghdad and was announced prior to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq.

In July, the General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council of Ministers issued a directive to all state institutions, instructing them to label any reference to the PKK as “banned” in official documents and correspondences.

The PKK has been engaged in an armed struggle against the Turkish state since 1984, advocating for greater autonomy for the Kurdish population in Turkish Kurdistan.

Kurds, who constitute over 22.5 million of Turkey’s 84 million people, still face constitutional non-recognition. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish fighters.

The PKK garners substantial support from Kurdish communities both within Turkey and globally. The group typically targets Turkish military and security installations, generally avoiding civilian casualties.

The PKK has maintained bases in the rugged border regions of Iraqi Kurdistan for decades. In response, Ankara has conducted numerous airstrikes against suspected PKK positions in Iraq and the Kurdistan region, intensifying their military efforts to curb the group’s influence.

The Turkish military operations have received backing from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the ruling political entity in Iraqi Kurdistan. Under the leadership of the Barzani family, the KDP opposes the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and maintains strong relations with the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to observers.

Iraqi Kurdistan continues to be politically and geographically divided between two major parties. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by Massoud Barzani, governs the Erbil and Duhok regions, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), headed by the Talabani family, controls Sulaimani. This division has resulted in a fragmented governance structure in the region.