What sort of Uprising do we need in Iraqi Kurdistan?

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Category: Texte - Article

Published on Wednesday, 09 March 2016 13:15

Written by Zaher Baher

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Before the uprising of March 1991 in Kurdistan, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) armed forces (Peshmarga) virtually did not exist, except for the ones on the borders with Iran and in very remote areas. This new situation resulted from the Iran/Iraq war and the Anfal campaign run by the former Regime that cost the life of over 180 thousand villagers who were evacuated and disappeared with their villages completely destroyed by way of demolition. When the uprising happened, the government forces were kicked out by the mass movement, and then the PUK and KDP with the help of US and Western countries came back. In the short time, they controlled these towns and cities that liberated by people.

In May 1992, they formed and shared Administration through a scenario of the fake election. On 05/10/1992 they started fighting the PKK, this lasted about 3 months. In 1995, PUK and KDP became separated and started fighting one another and divided Kurdistan between them.

During the fighting PUK had defeated KDP almost completely, therefore, the head of KDP, Masoud Barzani, asked the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein for his support.

On 31/08/96, the former regime’s army had arrived Erbil and rescued the KDP. Afterwards, the KDP launched attacks on PUK and managed to control many areas including towns, cities and villages, which were under the control of the PUK previously. The PUK had no choice but to ask the Iranian regime for support, so with the help of Iran, PUK managed to gain control of those places that been lost to the KDP and set up its own administration. After this fighting, PUK and KDP controlled different regions of Kurdistan. KDP set up its Administration in Erbil and the towns around it. PUK set up its own Authority in Sulaymaniyah and the towns around.

In 2003 the former regime fell after the invasion of Iraq by the US and Western countries, nonetheless an extraordinary opportunity was created for PUK and KDP to form Kurdistan Regional Government, the KRG has formed as the result of the election of 2005. The second election after the invasion was in 2009. From 2005 to 2014 both parties (PUK & KDP) were the major powers in KRG. In the last election of 2014, the balance of power slightly changed. The so-called Movement of Change (Goran) that was formed in 2007, came second in the election, it entered the government shared power with KDP, PUK, Islamic organizations and other small parties. However, the corruption, terrorizing of people, disappearances, killing and assassinating of political activists, writers, journalists and women continued.

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Anarchist Women call about War in North Kurdistan !

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Category: Texte - Article

Published on Sunday, 21 February 2016 18:24

Written by Anarchist Women

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The next issue of our monthly anarchist newspaper Meydan (Turkey/North Kurdistan) is going to be prepared by Anarchist Women only, as for all March issues. In this issue, we are going to focus on the systematic violence against women, on this violence becoming a state policy and we are going to talk about being a woman in war conditions that we are currently in.

The massacres in the North of Kurdistan has been steadily increasing especially since August, and these war conditions bring about many cases in which the women are used as tool for the war. As seen in many wars throughout history, women are forced to migrate from the lands that are looted by war in our geography.

Women are faced with rapes, tortures, they are massacred and their slayed bodies exposed on the streets, "completely naked".

While we, the women, are resisting the systematic violence on one hand, on the other hand, we are resisting against the state politics which are trying to turn our bodies into tools of war.

In this context, as we ask many women around the world, we are waiting to hear your messages against war, to publish them on our paper.

“What is the importance of resisting to the wars of states, while we, as women, are resisting against the violence of men, in other words, the war started by patriarchy? How should women create a struggle against war in practice?
How can women construct peace?”

We are hoping to have your replies with 200-300 words max., on 22 February, Monday, at the latest; in order to share your words with our readers on the March issue.

Long live the women’s solidarity!

You can send the messages to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.