PKK shuts down government offices in Iraqi's disputed Sinjar

Iraqi forces were later deployed to the area to end the shutdowns.

Dler S. Mohammed 2021/12/12 14:49

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has shut down all governmental offices in the disputed Sinjar (Shingal) district, except for the police directorate, a source close to the PKK in Shingal told Kurdistan 24 Sunday morning.

The source explained that the PKK had sent fighters to various Shingal offices to implement the decision.

"This morning, the PKK forces delivered a message to us asking to evacuate Shingal's municipality office and close its doors," Shingal municipal mayor Jamil Sivok told Kurdistan 24. "PKK has put a force in front of the municipality building to ensure their decision is implemented.

A letter the PKK sent out to all governemnt offices in Sinjar ordering their closure. (Kurdistan 24 source in Sinjar) — A letter the PKK sent out to all government offices in Shingal ordering their closure. (Kurdistan 24 source)

Sivok said he had later informed the first deputy governor of Ninevah province, Sirwan Rozhbayani, who had said to him that Iraqi security forces would deploy to the area to resolve the situation.

Sources later told Kurdistan 24 that Iraqi forces had been seen across Shingal province to prevent the PKK measures.

Iraqi forces deployed in Sinjar town, December 12, 2021. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

Last August, the United States urged the PKK and the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to "fully withdraw" from Shingal to allow the long-awaited implementation of the eponymous agreement.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has long criticized the PKK's presence in the region.

"The presence of PKK, especially with the ongoing conflict with Turkey, has been the reason that dragged Turkey into this area," Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in a multi-panel event organized by the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) in October.

"So, the PKK could have done all of us a favor to have left and not given any reason for the ongoing conflicts."

The PKK formed several political entities in Shingal to run in Iraq's October elections in an attempt to politically control Shingal. These included the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party, the Yazidi Progress Party, the Yazidi Democratic Party, and the Yazidi Movement for Reform.

The PKK performed poorly in the elections. None of its three candidates got enough votes to win a single seat in the Iraqi parliament. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) candidates, on the other hand, won all three seats for Shingal in parliament.