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Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Turkish ‘Safe Zone’ and Erdogan’s Territorial Ambitions
After a month of negotiations and much previous speculation, Washington and Ankara have agreed on a 75-mile buffer zone between Tall Abyad and Ras al-Ain, with the two armies establishing a joint operations center in Ankara. At the end of last week, U.S. and Turkish forces conducted their first joint
Sep 13, 2019
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John Saleh
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Al-Hawl Camp: A Potential Incubator of the Next Generation of Extremism
Detention facilities for individuals affiliated with jihadist groups in the Middle East have a history of transforming into incubators for the creation and rise of new jihadist organizations, which have proved more dangerous and robust—both in terms of economic strength and manpower—than before. These organizations, which were founded from the
Sep 13, 2019
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Himbervan Kose
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Kurdish Voters Will Continue to Exercise their Vote in Turkey
Recently, Turkish municipal politics have become another lens into the complicated relationship between the Turkish government and the country’s Kurdish voters. On August 19, Turkish authorities removed the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) mayors of the majority Kurdish cities of Diyarbakir, Martin, and Van on unspecified charges of terrorism. These mayors
Sep 13, 2019
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Jiwan Soz
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Fate of Tel Rifaat Hangs in the Balance
On July 2, the Turkish army reportedly shelled Kurdish forces in the Northern Aleppo region of Tel Rifaat, following a similar incident in mid-June where the Turkish Defense Ministry reported killing ten Kurdish soldiers in retaliation for the death of a Turkish soldier. These recent intermittent skirmishes reflect how Tel
Jul 17, 2019
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Baraa Sabri
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Gorran and the End of Populism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
After months of back and forth, the leading parties of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)—the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)—are engaged in negotiations to finalize the cabinet, which must be completed by July 12. Yet as the shape of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s
Jul 8, 2019
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Mera Jasm Bakr
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Understanding the Dangers of a Turkish ‘Safe-Zone’ in Syria
It has been almost a month since U.S. President Donald Trump’s abrupt announcement that American forces would leave Syria shocked American enemies, allies, and Trump’s own officials alike. For Washington, the question of what comes next has been a matter of significant debate and speculation. For Northeast Syria—and the millions
Jan 31, 2019
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Sinam Mohamad
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Government Formation in the KRG: A Perilously Slow Process
On January 9, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Erbil, where he underscored the value of the United States' “longstanding friendship” with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and emphasized his government’s support for the dialog between KRG and the federal government in Baghdad. The Kurdistan Region’s election took place
Jan 14, 2019
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Farhad Alaaldin
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Kurdish Referendum and Kirkuk: Lessons for U.S. Policymakers
Looking back one year on, the September 25, 2017 Kurdistan independence referendum and the October 16, 2017 Iraqi overrun of Kirkuk were disastrous setbacks for U.S. national security interests. With Iraq and the Kurdistan Region—America’s key allies in the counter-Islamic State campaign—having fought each other on the battlefield, these partners
Nov 19, 2018
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Michael Knights
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Gorran: A Party of Words, not Deeds
Among the opposition parties operating in Iraqi Kurdistan, the largest is the Gorran Movement (Movement for Change). Founded in 2009 by Nawshirwan Mustafa, former Deputy Secretary of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Gorran movement advocates for reform measures and its members have vowed to fight against corruption, nepotism
Oct 29, 2018
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Hawkar Abdullah Azeez
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Role of the Popular Mobilization Forces in the Iraqi Political Process
Wars do not break out in developing countries without armed groups appearing alongside regime forces, and Iraq is no exception. However, the fact that armed Shia factions have united under one banner as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) has been an unexpected development in Iraqi politics. Although adhering to the
Oct 1, 2018
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Adel al-Gabouri
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Kurdistan’s Islamist Parties Strategize in Upcoming Elections
With elections for Iraq’s Kurdistan region slated for September 30, one key and often overlooked actor in the political arena is the changing role of the Islamic political movement in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). While the usual players, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
Sep 28, 2018
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Mera Jasm Bakr
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Strength in Dialogue: A Case for the KRG Parliament
While Kurdish parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 30, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) is facing a number of crises—political, economic, and more broad social issues. These range from inadequate services, a dysfunctional bureaucracy, political fragmentation, widespread distrust among political elites, strong regional intervention, and more. The impact of these
Sep 11, 2018
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Sardar Aziz
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Kurdish Failures in Kirkuk
Less than a month after Iraq’s May 12 national election, which was marred by allegations of fraud, the Iraqi Parliament announced that authorities would be recounting ballots in several provinces. Among the provinces where the recount was to be held was the embattled Kirkuk, whose ownership is disputed and where
Aug 2, 2018
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Mera Jasm Bakr
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Why Syria’s Kurds are Struggling Politically
According to one Kurdish proverb, “the Kurd loses at the negotiating table in hours what he has gained on the battlefield over years.” Indeed, although in recent years Syrian Kurdish organizations have demonstrated their military effectiveness in the war against the Islamic State, they have so far been unable to
Jun 12, 2018
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Abdel Raheem Said
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Kurdish Opposition Parties Lost in May 12th Election: Does Fraud Explain it?
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced the official results of the Iraqi parliamentary election on the early hours of May 19 after several delays. In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the unofficial and the official results were mired by claims of widespread electoral fraud in favor of the two
May 23, 2018
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Yerevan Saeed
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Triple Standards: Kurds and Israelis vs. Arabs, Iranians, and Turks
For decades, Kurds have been accused of support for Israel and opposition to the Palestinian cause. But besides the ethnic dispute, the real issue between Kurds and Arabs is that one side wants to drag the other into participating in its wars. At the same time, Turkish and Iranian media
May 2, 2018
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Jiwan Soz
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Bilal Wahab's Comment "Triple Standards: Kurds and Israelis vs. Arabs, Iranians, and Turks"
Political hypocrisy and multiple-, not just double-, standards are nothing new in the Middle East, against which Soz makes an impassioned case. Kurds of the region have been on the receiving end of this, exacerbated by lack of accountable governance, respect for human rights and lingering historical resentments. Comparing Israel’s
May 2, 2018
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Bilal Wahab
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Thirty years after the Halabja Genocide: Iraq Still Punishes the Kurds
March is a bittersweet month for Kurds. It is the month for celebrating the Kurdish uprising against Saddam Hussein in 1991, the original declaration of Kurdish autonomy 1970, and most notably Nowruz, which Kurds consider their national day of freedom and welcoming spring. But, March is also the time of
Mar 16, 2018
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Yerevan Saeed
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum's Top 104 Articles of 2017
1- How Should the New U.S. President Play the "Kurdish Card" in the Middle East? Frzand Sherko - January 10, 2017 Kurdish researcher Frzand Sherko argues that while the next U.S. administration may no longer want to play a direct role in the Middle East, they can still leverage the
Mar 13, 2018
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Must Kurds Still Count On Uncertain Allies?
The majority of Kurds had serious hopes that Kurds in Iraq and Syria would have a better political future when Islamic State was defeated in Mosul and Raqqa. Kurds had prevented the spread of global terrorism. They did not expect a gift, but they hoped that their basic rights as
Mar 9, 2018
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Magnus Norell
Kurdo Baksi
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