Kurdistan

Iraq's Kurds emerge as Middle East's key diplomatic players at Munich Security Council - analysis

The KRG has helped smooth the transition in eastern Syria by working with Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces, also hosting US forces and other anti-ISIS coalition forces.

Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, gives a joint press conference with France's Foreign Minister in Arbil, the regional capital, on February 5, 2026.
Members of the Kurdish community and other protesters attend a demonstration against recent military clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Berlin, Germany, January 24, 2026.

Kurds’ monumental role in defeating ISIS deserves recognition - analysis

 Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after US-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters captured Deir el-Zor, in Syria December 7, 2024

Rojava defeated: Why Kurdish leadership must adapt or risk extinction - opinion

A MEMBER of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces rides on a car, while vehicles of the internal security forces of the Syrian government arrive in the city of Qamishli during the curfew, following an agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government on Tuesday.

Syria’s Sunni Islamist regime consolidates power, ending Kurdish autonomy


Israel must deepen its alliance with Kurds as Syria fractures - opinion

As long as Turkey and Qatar continue interfering in Syria’s internal affairs, the threat against minorities, including the Kurds, the Druze, and the Alawites, will continue.

 Commander-in-chief of the SDF, General Mazloum Abdi, in his military uniform.

Kurdistan’s security architecture recast as Peshmerga unification continues

The Kurdistan region has its own armed forces, the Peshmerga. Among the largest units are the KDP and PUK, which each have tens of thousands of fighters.

A KURDISH peshmerga soldier stands at a lookout near Bashiqa in northern Iraq

Iraqi PM-led coalition tops Iraq election with 46 seats, commission says

Prime Minister Sudani's bloc wins Iraq's election, but forming a new government may take months due to challenges in building a majority and balancing US-Iran influence.

A man holds a flag of Iraq from a car with an election poster featuring current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, as supporters of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition celebrate after preliminary election results were announced in Baghdad, Iraq, November 12, 2025.

PKK’s partial withdrawal from Turkey raises questions about peace deal - analysis

The Kurdistan Workers' Party’s decision to pull back from the Turkish border raises hopes for peace but leaves crucial questions about its future actions in Iraq, Syria, and beyond.

Fighters with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) walk for a disarmament ceremony marking a significant step toward ending the decades-long conflict between Turkey and the outlawed group, in the Qandil mountains, Iraq October 26, 2025.

Erdogan ally floats releasing jailed pro-Kurdish leader Demirtas

The comment by Turkish nationalist leader and Erdogan ally Devlet Bahceli came a year after he urged the start of a peace process with the Kurdistan Workers Party.

A man holds a poster of Selahattin Demirtas, jailed former leader of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), during a spring festival of Newroz celebration in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, March 21, 2025.

Kurds and Israel: Distant proximity, strategic partnership - opinion

Kurds are not cold toward Israel but merely strategically distant, which does not reject the possibility of partnership.

IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER Abbas Araghchi (right) speaks with Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Istanbul in June. The North Kurdistan political movement is under Ankara’s harsh pressure. In Iran, Kurds face systematic suppression, says the writer.

Iraq approaches critical Nov. 11 elections, set to deploy nearly 200,000 security personnel

The elections are important because Iraq is undergoing a transitional phase.

Supporters of candidates from the Badr Organization hold signs during an election campaign rally ahead of Iraq's parliamentary elections in the city of Hilla, Iraq, November 1, 2025.

Will PKK withdrawing from Turkey after 40 years of conflict affect Iraq? - analysis

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announces its pullback from Turkey, marking the end of a 40-year insurgency and shifting regional dynamics.

A fighter with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) stands guard during a disarmament process marking a significant step toward ending the decades-long conflict between Turkey and the outlawed group, in the Qandil mountains, Iraq, October 26, 2025.

Trump taps businessman as new Iraq envoy as US pushes disarmament of Iran-backed militias

Ano Abdoka, a Christian Iraqi politician who has played a key role in Kurdistan Region politics, said he hoped Savaya would work toward “protecting the rights of Iraq’s diverse communities."

US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as he departs for Asia from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US, October 24, 2025.

Syria sends mixed signals on integration of US-backed SDF into security forces - analysis

Damascus and the SDF both have some mixed messages on the path forward with the SDF, although everyone wants to see progress.

A member of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with people in Sweida, on July 17, 2025.