Newsletters
Five Iraq-based Kurdish-Iranian groups, including the U.S.-designated PJAK, were listed on Feb. 4, 2009. They now appear to be missing from the current Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) lists of Washington, Türkiye, and Iran. PJAK announced on Sunday, Feb. 22, the formation of a political coalition aimed at overthrowing the Iranian government.
The "Coalition of Political Forces in Iranian Kurdistan" includes the terrorist-designated Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), the Khabat party, and one branch of the Komala party, according to a joint statement.
The coalition said it was formed to "assert our presence in Iran's current political situation, where the Islamic Republic regime has lost all political legitimacy but unfortunately remains in power."
The main goals of the alliance are "the struggle to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran, and to achieve self-determination for the Kurds," the joint statement said.
Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) hosts camps and rear bases operated by several Kurdish-Iranian armed factions, which have faced cross-border strikes from Iran.
PJAK is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye and Iran. It is widely recognized as the Iranian branch of the PKK terrorist organization and is linked to the Qandil-based leadership structure.
Türkiye Today exclusively reported on Feb. 20 that Ankara's effort to transform its ongoing "new peace process" with the PKK into a broader regional peace initiative now extends well beyond the Ankara-PKK track and directly concerns actors across the region.
The most critical component of this effort is persuading PJAK, the PKK's Iranian branch, to lay down its arms, especially during the looming U.S. operation against Iran, the report said.
A Turkish security source said, "With expectations in Syria no longer offering the same prospects, a possible U.S. strike on Iran is viewed by some as a potential opening," referring to the danger of PJAK finding a significant breeding ground in Iran if the U.S. launches a major military operation with the intention of regime change.
From Ankara's perspective, disarmament inside Türkiye is only meaningful if it is mirrored by a parallel process among the organization's regional affiliates.
"In the event of a medium- or long-term attack that could create an authority vacuum in Iran, various armed opposition groups in the country might see an opportunity," sources familiar with the process said.
While PYD/YPG in Syria and PKK-linked formations in Iraq have already entered the discussion, PJAK in Iran remains one of the most complex and delicate elements of the equation.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
2 min read
1 min read
