Clashes broke out between internal security forces and Lahur Sheikh Jangi’s forces in Sulaymaniyah city center early Friday morning. As a result of the confrontation, which lasted four hours, Lahur and his brothers Aso and Polad were taken into custody. However, the contradictions between the two sides will continue to be on the Kurdish agenda for a long time to come.
For a period, Bafel Talabani and Lahur served as co-chairs of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Tensions between the two escalated in the following period. In fact, it was this contradiction and power-sharing issue that led them to serve as co-chairs of the party. As tensions deepened, Lahur left the PUK and formed a new political party called Bereyi Gel (People’s Front). Although it did not achieve significant success in the 2024 local elections, it managed to secure two seats in parliament. However, the tension between Lahur and the Talabanis did not end. Both sides continued to accuse each other. It was also noteworthy that Lahur established his party in Hewlêr (Erbil) after he left the PUK.
The Sulaymaniyah security forces demanded Lahur’s surrender in line with a court ruling issued one day before the start of the operation on the grounds that Lahur was allegedly preparing a coup. Lahur, however, stated that he had not received any court ruling.
Of course, we cannot know the inside of the affair. However, it has been rumored for some time that Lahur has been trying to form a peshmerga force affiliated with his party, and that the PUK is very uncomfortable with this. Both sides have been engaging in mutual smear campaigns in the press from time to time. However, no one expected things to reach this point until recently. Another claim that has been circulating in recent days is that Lahur Sheikh Jangi was planning a coup. Some well-known figures in Bashur (South Kurdistan) politics were even mentioned in connection with Lahur. When the other side made the move, Lahur and his brothers came to the forefront, while the other names are not being uttered for now.
As of today, we are no longer talking about behind-the-scenes information, tension, etc., but rather about the conflict between the parties. Sulaymaniyah turned into a war zone from Thursday night to Friday morning. Security measures, which had been intensified at the city’s entry and exit points in the evening, were extended into the city center. By 3:30 a.m., the tense wait gave way to clashes. The skies over Sulaymaniyah echoed with gunfire, and the streets and alleys were filled with the smell of gunpowder. Lahur’s house in the Sarchinar neighborhood and the Lalezar Hotel, which belongs to Lahur and is located in the same area, were surrounded by security forces. As clashes intensified in the area where Lahur was located, forces loyal to him launched a drone attack on the Dabashan area, where the Talabani family’s home is located. During the four-hour attack, four security personnel were reported killed in official statements. No information has been provided regarding the number of casualties among Lahur’s forces.
So, what is the problem? At the root of inter-party conflicts in South Kurdistan lies a struggle for political power and authority. Capital plays a pivotal role in the consolidation of political power. When armed forces are added, a situation of power spreading across all areas of life becomes inevitable. Indeed, the underlying motive behind the tensions between political parties has never been the establishment of a more democratic system. Despite having a federal status and a parliament, power is divided among the parties, meaning that it is not the parliament that holds sway in regional governance, but rather the political parties that wield power.
The root cause of the problem is the absence of a constitution, a common political mind, a functioning parliament, and the politics and mindset focused on the common interests of the country and its people. This situation has led to the division of the federal region into different administrative centers. To such an extent that a few years ago, the PUK submitted an application to Baghdad and asked for autonomy for Sulaymaniyah. As a result of this fragmentation, the KDP-PUK effectively govern the areas under their control as two separate governments. They have their own peshmerga forces, intelligence services, special forces, and security forces.
As a result, a structure emerges that is oriented toward common goals, governed by its own laws and regulations, and lacking any center of accountability or oversight; characterized by partisan domination and self-interest. The growing problems inevitably lead to party dominance, economic interests, and the military power that these necessitate. Consequently, in regions where there are no fair courts or justice, tensions based on the desire to hold power escalate into armed conflicts. The reality that power cannot be seized democratically makes the opposite inevitable. This situation paves the way for all kinds of factionalism, polarization, rent-seeking, and corruption. In a place where political power is divided among cronies, it is certain that the system will not be democratic and will not prioritize the interests of the people and society.
It is necessary to look at the problems from the perspective of the linked forces involved. The events in Sulaymaniyah were sad for all Kurds. However, there are undoubtedly those who rejoiced. Who are these forces? This is one of the main questions.
There is no doubt that those who derive power from the fragmentation and internal conflicts of the Kurds are satisfied with the current situation and are encouraging further conflict. They are deepening these contradictions in Bashur and deriving power from their transformation into conflict. It therefore seems extremely unlikely that the political contradictions leading to conflict will not have external connections. In fact, the influence of these forces must definitely be taken into account behind the dysfunctional parliament, the unwritten constitution, and the deepening partisanship mentioned above. As long as Bashur politics fails to overcome this internal fragmentation, it will always be prone to such provoked conflicts.
As a result, rather than getting bogged down in the details of last night’s clashes in Bashur Kurdistan and missing the essence of the problem by focusing on who did what and who said what, it is best to focus on the mindset behind the issue, the distorted system and administrative structure, and try to identify the root cause of the problem. As long as this is not done, and as long as every party in the region has its own military force and administrative authority, there will be no room for the development of any alternative or democratic power. Moreover, in a system where even civil society organizations take shape as formations affiliated with political parties, it is impossible for a movement on behalf of the people to develop. As long as the mentality of grabbing a share of the pie, whose distribution is not even guaranteed, prevails, it is inevitable that internal tensions will turn into greater conflicts. The opposite would be contrary to the nature of things. Perhaps those in power may change places; those who today call themselves the opposition (which is certainly not an opposition acting on behalf of the people) may come to power tomorrow. However, structural problems will continue to persist, growing more complex and intractable.
Source: Yeni Özgür Politika
Source: ANF News
