Kurdish World in Crisis: Drone Strikes, Rojava, and Iraq’s New President — April 2026
- Sherko Sabir
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
Overview
April 2026 has brought a cascade of consequential developments across the Kurdish world. Iranian drones are striking exile camps in Iraqi Kurdistan with renewed intensity, the last American soldiers have withdrawn from Rojava leaving the Kurdish SDF exposed, a Kurdish politician has been elected as Iraq's president ending months of political deadlock, and jailed Kurdish politicians in Turkey are signalling a new chapter in the peace process debate. This briefing covers all major stories shaping the Kurdish political landscape this month.
Contents
The Kurdish people rarely find themselves far from the centre of regional upheaval, and April 2026 is no exception. From the bomb-cratered camps of Iraqi Kurdistan to the politically charged courtrooms of Turkey, from the abandoned frontlines of Rojava to the parliament buildings of Baghdad, Kurdish voices and Kurdish futures are once again at the heart of some of the most consequential events unfolding across the Middle East.
IRGC Drone Strikes on Kurdish Exile Camps in Iraqi Kurdistan
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has been subjected to a sustained wave of Iranian drone strikes this month, targeting exile camps belonging to Iranian Kurdish opposition parties. The most recently confirmed attack occurred on April 14, when a drone struck Camp Sordash, a base belonging to the Komala party located approximately 40 kilometres west of Sulaymaniyah. Three Iranian Kurdish refugees were wounded in the attack, including a woman left in critical condition. Komala Commander Mohammed Hakimi attributed the strike directly to Iran and its affiliated militias.
The same day, a separate drone attack targeted a camp belonging to the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in the Koysinjaq district near Erbil. The IRGC has killed at least three PDKI members in combined drone and missile strikes since late February, according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network. Human rights monitors have described the strikes as targeted assassinations of political and military figures.
The Kurdistan Regional Government submitted a formal protest letter to the Iranian consulate in Erbil on April 9, condemning the continued strikes on its territory. Iran has designated multiple Iranian Kurdish opposition parties — including Komala and the PDKI — as terrorist organisations, accusing them of serving Western and Israeli interests and of conducting operations inside Iran.
Iran's Escalating Campaign
The intensification of strikes comes in the direct aftermath of the broader US-Israel-Iran conflict that erupted in late February 2026. The Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK) — a unified body representing five major Kurdish parties — was formed on February 22 to coordinate political and military decisions during this volatile period. Kurdish parties have claimed operations inside Iran but have also borne the brunt of significant retaliatory strikes on their bases across Iraqi Kurdistan.
On April 20, a further missile strike was reported targeting an Iranian Kurdish group in Sulaimani. That same day, Maryam Davoudian, a 58-year-old Kurdish woman with multiple chronic conditions including diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, was detained by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence in Bukan and transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison, reportedly without access to her family or legal counsel.
US Forces Exit Rojava — An Uncertain Future for Syrian Kurds
The final convoy of US troops departed Syria this week, bringing a decade-long American military presence in the country to an end. On April 20, Syria formally took control of all former US bases. The withdrawal leaves the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in an increasingly precarious position — facing a Syrian government backed by Turkey, a country that has fought its own prolonged and devastating conflict with Kurdish armed groups.
The SDF played a central role in defeating ISIS, with more than 10,000 Kurdish fighters killed in that campaign. At its height, the autonomous region known as Rojava — meaning 'west' in Kurdish — aspired to be a secular, multi-ethnic, gender-equal democracy in the heart of the conservative Middle East. Now, following a January offensive in which Turkish-backed Syrian government forces pushed Kurdish fighters back into a fraction of their former territory, those aspirations are being absorbed into a new Syrian order shaped heavily by Ankara.
The Semalka border crossing between Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was formally integrated into Syria's official administrative system on April 15, though Tigris River flooding has temporarily diverted traffic to an alternative crossing. Kurdish residents near Qamishli have described a profound sense of betrayal — the international coalition abandoned the Kurdish people to face serious dangers alone after their fighters gave everything to defeat ISIS.
A Kurdish Politician Becomes Iraq's President
In a significant political development for Iraq, Kurdish politician Nizar Amidi was elected as the country's new president on April 20, 2026, ending months of parliamentary deadlock. The Iraqi presidency is traditionally held by a Kurdish figure under the power-sharing arrangement established after 2003, with the prime ministerial role going to a Shia Arab and the parliamentary speaker's role to a Sunni Arab.
Amidi's election is seen as a stabilising step in Iraqi politics at a moment of significant regional volatility. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq continues to navigate the dual pressures of Iranian drone strikes on its territory and its own complex political and economic relationship with the federal government in Baghdad.
Imprisoned Kurdish Politicians Speak from Turkey
In Turkey, jailed Kurdish politicians Selahattin Demirtaş and Selçuk Mızraklı issued a joint statement on April 21, declaring that their eventual release would be as political as their entry into prison was. The statement came after a visit from a cross-party delegation — including members of the main opposition CHP and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party — amid intensifying public debate over a renewed peace process with the Kurdish movement.
Demirtaş, former co-chair of the HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party), has been imprisoned since November 2016 and was sentenced to 42 years in 2024 over alleged involvement in the 2014 Kobani protests — charges he denies. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in both 2018 and 2020 that his continued detention violates his rights and called for his immediate release. Turkish courts have yet to implement those rulings. Mızraklı, the former mayor of Diyarbakır, has been jailed since October 2019 on terrorism-related charges he also denies.
DEM Party Co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan called on the Turkish government to take concrete steps toward justice following the prison visit, including full implementation of rulings from Turkey's Constitutional Court and the ECtHR. Elected Kurdish mayors in several municipalities across southeastern Turkey continue to be replaced by state-appointed trustees, with local democratic governance effectively suspended in many areas.
Kurdish Journalism Day — 128 Years of Resilience
April 23 marked Kurdish Journalism Day, commemorating 128 years since the publication of the first Kurdish-language newspaper in 1898. The anniversary falls at a moment of acute pressure on Kurdish media across all four countries. In Turkey, independent Kurdish journalism operates under severe legal and political constraints. In Iran, Kurdish journalists face imprisonment and repression. In Syria, the future of Kurdish-language media under the new government remains deeply uncertain.
In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, outlets such as Kurdistan24 and Rudaw continue to provide crucial coverage of regional and international events for Kurdish-speaking audiences around the world. Kurdish Journalism Day serves as both a celebration of cultural survival and a reminder of the ongoing struggle to preserve Kurdish identity through independent media — a struggle as urgent in 2026 as it was when the first Kurdish-language pages were printed more than a century ago.
Key Events & Timeline — April 2026
April 9 — KRG submits formal protest letter to the Iranian consulate in Erbil over continued drone strikes on Kurdish exile camps.
April 14 — Drone strikes hit Komala's Camp Sordash west of Sulaymaniyah and a PDKI camp near Erbil; three wounded including a woman in critical condition.
April 15 — Semalka border crossing between Syria and the KRI formally integrated into Syria's official administrative system.
April 20 — Syria takes formal control of all former US military bases; Kurdish politician Nizar Amidi elected as Iraq's new president; Maryam Davoudian detained by Iran in Bukan.
April 21 — Jailed Kurdish politicians Demirtaş and Mızraklı issue joint statement as Turkey's peace process debate intensifies.
April 23 — Kurdish Journalism Day marks 128 years since publication of the first Kurdish-language newspaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CPFIK?
The Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK) is a unified political body formed on February 22, 2026, bringing together five major Iranian Kurdish parties based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It was established to coordinate political and military decisions during the heightened instability following the broader US-Israel-Iran conflict.
Why did the US withdraw from Rojava?
The US stated it no longer required the SDF's support following the defeat of ISIS. The withdrawal ended a decade-long military presence in Syria. Critics argue it leaves the Kurdish autonomous region vulnerable to absorption by a Turkish-backed Syrian government that is historically hostile to Kurdish self-governance.
Who is Nizar Amidi and why is his election significant?
Nizar Amidi is a Kurdish politician elected as Iraq's new president on April 20, 2026, ending months of parliamentary gridlock. His election reaffirms Iraq's post-2003 power-sharing arrangement reserving the presidency for a Kurdish figure, and is seen as a stabilising step in Iraqi politics during a period of significant regional turmoil.
Who is Selahattin Demirtaş?
Selahattin Demirtaş is a former co-chair of Turkey's HDP, one of the most prominent Kurdish politicians in Turkish history. Imprisoned since November 2016 and sentenced to 42 years in 2024, he denies all charges against him. The European Court of Human Rights has twice ruled his detention unlawful and demanded his release — rulings Turkey has so far refused to implement.
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