Bilgay Duman
Biography
He was born in 1983 in Ankara. He has been carrying on his doctoral study at Abant İzzet Baysal University, Department of International Relations Ph.D Program since 2011. He wrote his postgraduate thesis on “The Turkmen and Kirkuk in post-Saddam Period”. His articles and interviews have been published in various media agencies and organizations, on national and international press. In addition to a great number of conferences he attended, he has frequently carried out field studies in the Middle East, and also he took part in international watchdog teams and served as UN electoral watchdog during the elections in Iraq and Afghanistan. He continues to serve as a Middle East Specialist in ORSAM.
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Iraq in the 20th year of the occupation: What has changed?
During one of my trips to Baghdad, I asked a tribal sheikh that I met, “What has changed in...
Reflections on the Duhok Attack
Nine people lost their lives and 29 were injured as a result of an attack on a touristic area in a village in Zaho district in Duhok province of Iraq...
PKK’s new move in Sinjar
Backed into a corner by recent Turkish operations in the north of Iraq, the terrorist group PKK has resorted to mobilizing its local affiliates in...
How will the death of Grand Ayatollah Muhammed Saeed al-Hakim affect the Shiite world?
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Saeed Al-Hakim, one of the four major Shiite authorities in Iraq, died in Najaf at the age of 85 due to a heart...
Turkey and the Kurdish Factor in the Middle East
The diversity and competition as well as cooperation among various Kurdish actors in the Middle East, and their relations with third parties, have...
The Pope’s Visit to Iraq and Turkmens
The historical visit by Pope Francis to Iraq that started on March 5, 2021 covered five governorates of Iraq, Baghdad, Najaf, Dhi Qar, Mosul and...
Pope Francis’ Visit to Iraq
Twenty-one years after the prospective pilgrimage visit by Pope John Paul II to the Iraqi city of Ur in 2000 was canceled by Saddam Hussein, Pope...
The PKK’s New Strategy in Iraq
Iraq is struggling against the impact of the corona virus just like the rest of the world but there is another problem in Iraq that could be more...
Al-Kadhimi’s Visit to Turkey and the Future of Relations between Turkey and Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who took office in May 2020, met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 17 December 2020 in Turkey with a...
Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi’s Visit to Ankara and Its Importance for the Turkmens
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visited Ankara on 17 December 2020 with a high-level delegation to strengthen the relations between Turkey...
Al-Kadhimi Government in Iraq and Its Dynamics
The government that was established by the long endeavors of Adil Abdulmahdi after the holding of general elections in Iraq in May 2018 came to an...
US-Iran tensions deepen divisions in Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi
Key anti-Daesh/ISIS actors in Iraq since 2014, the Hashd al-Shaabi and Shia militia groups have become the defining forces of politics beyond the...
Camp Taji Attacks: USA-Iran-Hashd Al-Shaabi Triangle in Iraq
The rocket attacks against the Camp Taji military base in the north of Baghdad, Iraq’s capital city on March 11, claimed the lives of two...
The Future of Hashd al-Shaabi after the Assassination of Soleimani
Emerging as a controversial actor after ISIS dominated most of the Iraqi territory in 2014, Hashd al-Shaabi and the militia groups that showed up...
Where does the process go in Kirkuk?
At the session held on 22 July in the Iraqi Parliament, the 22-article election bill for the provincial and district councils has been enacted and...
New KRG Government and the Expectations
Following the political crisis that emerged in the wake of the September 30, 2018 elections, political parties in the Iraqi Kurdish Regional...
US-Iran Conflict and its Implications on Iraq
US-Iran tension has recently become the main topic of international politics. US President Donald Trump pointed out to this phenomenon during the...
A Difficult Test for The Iraqi Government: Discussions Over Federal Region in Basra
Basra, which is one of the most controversial cities in Iraq lately, once again became the main topic of conversation with the Basra Provincial...
The New Name of The Crisis in Iraq: Mosul
A major ferry accident has taken place in Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city after the capital Baghdad, on 21 March 2019. More than 100 people...
A New Phase in the USA–Iran Conflict in Iraq
Developments in both domestic and international policies in Iraq, which seeks stability, order and security after four years of conflict with ISIS,...
Dynamics of the Delicate Process in Iraq
Iraq entered 2019 with a new government. However, some of the ministries within the cabinet have yet to be identified. After the parliamentary...
2018 Assessment of Iraq: Where to After ISIS?
On 9 December 2017, Iraq’s former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced the end of the almost three and a half years of fighting ISIS and...
Where is the Government Formation Process in Iraq headed to?
In addition to the efforts to form a government after the controversial parliamentary elections held on 12 May 2018, in Iraq, there are still...
What do the Protests in Iraq Point to?
After the political crisis following the objections to the election results, rising due to the allegations of vote rigging in the Iraqi parliamentary...
PKK Presence in Iraq and Turkey’s Fight Against Terrorism
Terrorist PKK activity has increased observably in the region following the gains made by its extension, the PYD, after the events of 2011 in Syria....
Political Dynamics and Changing Balances in Iraq After The Elections
Iraq seems to have drifted into a new political, security and administrative crisis following the parliamentary elections on May 12, 2018. The...
Government Negotiations and New Alliances in Iraq
On May 12th 2018, the people of Iraq went to the polls to elect the parliament that will form the government which is expected to govern the country...
Iraq in the aftermath of the Elections and Expectations
The Iraqi people went to the polls on May 12, 2018, to choose the parliament that would form the government to rule the country for four years. The...
Iraqi Parliamentary Elections in Kirkuk: Light of Field Observations
As ORSAM team, we had the opportunity to stay in Kirkuk and observe the parliamentary elections held in Iraq on 12 May 2018 Iraq there. There are...
Politics in the KRG Towards the 2018 Election
With the beginning of the process regarding the independence referendum held in the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) on September 25th 2017,...
Current Situation in Iraq in the Light of Field Observations
As ORSAM team, we conducted a field study in Najaf, Karbala and Baghdad provinces of Iraq for a period of 10 days in order to "investigate the...
Evaluation of 2017: Iraq Changed by ISIS
On November 21, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi explained that ISIS was militarily over in Iraq with the recapture of Rawa, a village of...
A new post-referendum process in KRG: Changing Balances
The domestic politics of Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) literally witnesses a chaos in the referendum process. It is seen that a new political...
Turkmens' Rising Political Power in Iraq
After the referendum held on September 25, 2017 in the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), balances in Iraqi politics seem to have quickly...
Turkey’s Iraq Policy and Future Relations
The developments taking place before, during and after US intervention in Iraq caused Iraq to become one of the most important foreign policy...
Is the end of Masoud Barzani Period?
The operation of the Iraqi security forces, which started on October 15th in Kirkuk, and the developments taking place following it, have attracted...
The future of PUK after Jalal Talabani
The decease of Jalal Talabani, one of the significant figures of the Middle Eastern, Iraqi and Kurdish politics, will lead to important consequences...
What is Happening in the Referendum Spiral in Kirkuk?
Following the decision of the head of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masoud Barzani to hold an independence referendum, extremely tense times...
Risk of "Multilateral Conflict" in Post-DAESH Iraq
On October 17, 2016 Iraqi security forces, along with the International Coalition Against DAESH Forces, launched an operation to reclaim one of the...
Conditions of Turkmen Immigrants of Talafar in Najaf and Karbala in The Light of Field Observations
Following ISIS' control over regions of Mosul, Anbar, Titkrit and Diyala a significant movement of migration has begun. In addition to internally...
Hashd al-Shaabi's Border Operation and Regional Equation
While the process of struggle against ISIS in Iraq has focused on the operation carried out in the west side of the city center of Mosul, it has...
Latest Situation in Kirkuk and KRG's Domestic Politics in The Light of Field Observations
An ORSAM team carried out a field study in April in Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Kirkuk. During the field study, the team members also had...
Is Flag the only Problem in Kirkuk?
As one of the most controversial regions in Iraq, Kirkuk has once again become the main topic of national, regional and international agenda. While...
What 2016 meant for Iraq: the fight against ISIS and Government Crisis
2016 was one of the most critical years for Iraq. As the fight against ISIS continued, the main agenda items of the country were domestic political...
Redressing Balances in Iraq
While the focal point of the international politics is the Syrian war and searches for political solutions, the balances are redressed in Iraq, which...
Iraqi Government and Turkmens’ Situation
While the fight against ISIS and the Mosul operation are ongoing in Iraq, new ministers have been appointed to the Ministries of Interior and Defense...
Where to in Turkey-Iraq Relations?
It appears that Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım’s choice of Iraq for the first official visit of 2017 will start a new phase in Turkey-Iraq rel...
Bomb Attacks Against PDK-I in Erbil and How to Make Sense of Them
On December 20, 2016, 7 people were killed and 4 were injured in a twin bomb attack targeting Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDK-I), in Koya...
Legalization of Hashd Al-Shaabi and The Expectations Regarding Iraq’s Future
On November 26, 2016, Iraqi Parliament took a vote with the presence of 208 MPs, and ratified a law regarding the legalization of Hashd al-Shaabi,...
Predictions about Donald Trump’s Iraq Policy
Having surprisingly surpassed his rival Hillary Clinton in the US presidential elections and having been elected as US President on 8 November 2016,...
The Troublesome Role of Militias in Mosul
Iraqi security forces and peshmerga have made unexpectedly quick progress in Mosul against Daesh. In fact, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi made...
Critical Brink in the Fight against ISIS in Iraq: Mosul Operation
The Mosul operation which was launched on 17 October 2016 brought about many discussions. The US attitude, the distribution of forces in Iraq,...
Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi: The structure ‘which disturbs Iraq’s balance’
Shiite militia al-Hashd al-Shaabi de facto seized control in the field in terms of fight against DAESH even though it was established as...
Iraq, Turkey, Mosul and the Unseen
"We will not allow the dream of Ottomanist Turkey to come true."
This has been continuously seen for a while as caption on the Al Iraqiya TV, state...
Dimensions of PKK Threat in Iraq
It can be observed that PKK has been more active in the region, through the achievements of PYD (Syrian affiliate of PKK) in north of Syria,...
Visit of KRG Leader Masoud Barzani to Turkey and Regional Dynamics
Masoud Barzani, President of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) visited Turkey on 23 August 2016. Barzani met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan...
Cabinet Reshuffle in Iraq
Iraqi Parliament, on its meeting on 15th August 2016 has approved 5 out of 6 technocrat names from the list Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi has...
Normalization Process in Foreign Policy and Turkey-Iraq Relations
Turkish foreign policy has recently been going through a dynamic period. In addition to the developments in the Middle East, the striking results of...
What does ISIS Attack in Karbala Mean?
According to initial findings, 8 people died and over 20 people were wounded in the attack launched with a bomb-laden vehicle in Karbala on 7 June...
The PUK-Gorran Agreement in the KRG: New Balances of Power?
The governmental crisis, economic woes, the fight against ISIS, unstable relations with Baghdad and the independence referendum are all on the...
Where is al-Abadi Government in Iraq Headed?
The ongoing government crisis and demonstrations in Iraq since August 2015 have come to a new phase together with what was gone through on 30 April...
Observations from the Field Research in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah
As ORSAM team, we recently paid a visit to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in order to conduct a field research. As it is already known,...
Where Does the Mosul Offensive Lead?
On 24 March 2016, Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced that it launched the Mosul Offensive also called Operation “Fatah” and attracted the attention o...
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From Amirli to Taza Khurmatu: Turkmen are Resisting
The Turkmen, who have been subject to killings over the years in Iraq, are facing a new massacre. Becoming the main loser of the new government...
Quo Vadis in the Fight against ISIS: Is an Operation Against Mosul Possible?
Recently, news about a prospective operation against Mosul, the ISIS stronghold since June 2014, has become topical on the international agenda. In...
The Independence Issue of KRG in Terms of Internal Factors
Masoud Barzan, the President of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), gave instructions within the last days of 2015 in order to start the...
Reading Turkey-Iraq Relations over Biden’s visit to Turkey
Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States, paid a visit to Turkey on January 23-24, 2016 and met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime M...
The Influence of Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani on Iraqi Politics and His Last Friday Khutba
The statements and Friday khutbas of religious leaders that have become the main dynamics of Iraqi politics since 2003 determines now the direction...
The Mosul Problem: Beneath the Surface
The relations between Turkey and Iraq, which have been deteriorating since the second Prime Ministry term of Nouri al Maliki after the elections of...
What is Happening in Tuzkhurmatu?
The Town of Tuzkhurmatu, which is located in the Salahadin Province, is densely populated by Turkmen, and has attracted the attention of the...
Observations about Baghdad and Iraqi Politics
As ORSAM, we visited Iraq’s capital, Baghdad both in order to conduct a field study and participate in an international meeting with the EU i...
Cards are Reshuffled in KRG
In Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the most striking developments of the last period in domestic politics have been experienced. As of 20...
Observations on Arbil and KRG Politics
As the ORSAM team, we were able to visit Iraq between August 29 and September 8, 2015 for conducting a field research. The first fact that catches...
Protests in Iraq, Reform Package and the Government’s Situation
The Iraqi government has been forced into announcing a reform package after the popular protests that have been going on for approximately two weeks....
Turkish-Iraqi Relations and Turkey’s Cross-Border Counter-Terrorism Operations
After his visit in November 2014, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari visited Turkey again on 13 July 2015 and conducted high level meetings....
ISIS' One Year in Iraq: Transformation in Perceptions of Politics and Security
The process which started with Mosul’s takeover by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in June 2014 can be regarded as a historical t...
Current Situation in the Fight against ISIS in Iraq and Potential Mosul Operation
ISIS established a significant control in Iraq since June 2014 and the fight against the organization continues without losing any acceleration. News...
What PYD Leader Muslim's Baghdad Visit Means
It seems like PYD is seeking help to consolidate its position that it has strengthened significantly. Taking control of Raqqa’s Tal Abyad town from I...
The Focal Point of Conflicts in Iraq: Kirkuk
The ISIS came to the fore in the vicinity of Kirkuk after invading Mosul, captured some parts of the city, and then IKRG sent Peshmerga in order to...
Barzani’s US visit and the current situation of Kurdish domestic politics
A complex portrait emerged in Iraq with ISIS and other recent developments and solution of this situation seems quite difficult. Within this context,...
Fuad Masum’s Visit To Turkey and Turkey-Iraq Relations
President of Iraq, Fuad Masum visited Turkey on 23-24th April 2015. Although Fuad Masum was in Turkey for the Memorials of the 100th Anniversary of...
Abadi's Erbil Visit and the Process of Struggle against ISIS
Iraqi security and political balances began to shift after ISIS’s invasion of Mosul in June 2014 and its expansion afterwards. During this process, n...
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Tikrit Operation in Iraq and It’s Aftermath
Visiting Samarra district of Saladin Governorate, on March 1st, President of Iraq Haider Al-Abadi announced that a rescue operation for Saladin’s c...
The Strategy for Ousting the ISIS from Mosul
A new period in Iraq has started with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launching an operation in Mosul on 6 June 2014. New debates sparked...
The Implications of the ISIS’s Kirkuk Offensive
The Kirkuk offensive of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which started on 29 January 2015 and continued on 30 January, has been a clear...
Iraq in the 20th year of the occupation: What has changed?
During one of my trips to Baghdad, I asked a tribal sheikh that I met, “What has changed in...
Reflections on the Duhok Attack
Nine people lost their lives and 29 were injured as a result of an attack on a touristic area in a village in Zaho district in Duhok province of Iraq...
PKK’s new move in Sinjar
Backed into a corner by recent Turkish operations in the north of Iraq, the terrorist group PKK has resorted to mobilizing its local affiliates in...
How will the death of Grand Ayatollah Muhammed Saeed al-Hakim affect the Shiite world?
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Saeed Al-Hakim, one of the four major Shiite authorities in Iraq, died in Najaf at the age of 85 due to a heart...
Turkey and the Kurdish Factor in the Middle East
The diversity and competition as well as cooperation among various Kurdish actors in the Middle East, and their relations with third parties, have...
The Pope’s Visit to Iraq and Turkmens
The historical visit by Pope Francis to Iraq that started on March 5, 2021 covered five governorates of Iraq, Baghdad, Najaf, Dhi Qar, Mosul and...
Pope Francis’ Visit to Iraq
Twenty-one years after the prospective pilgrimage visit by Pope John Paul II to the Iraqi city of Ur in 2000 was canceled by Saddam Hussein, Pope...
The PKK’s New Strategy in Iraq
Iraq is struggling against the impact of the corona virus just like the rest of the world but there is another problem in Iraq that could be more...
Al-Kadhimi’s Visit to Turkey and the Future of Relations between Turkey and Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who took office in May 2020, met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 17 December 2020 in Turkey with a...
Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi’s Visit to Ankara and Its Importance for the Turkmens
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visited Ankara on 17 December 2020 with a high-level delegation to strengthen the relations between Turkey...
Al-Kadhimi Government in Iraq and Its Dynamics
The government that was established by the long endeavors of Adil Abdulmahdi after the holding of general elections in Iraq in May 2018 came to an...
US-Iran tensions deepen divisions in Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi
Key anti-Daesh/ISIS actors in Iraq since 2014, the Hashd al-Shaabi and Shia militia groups have become the defining forces of politics beyond the...
Camp Taji Attacks: USA-Iran-Hashd Al-Shaabi Triangle in Iraq
The rocket attacks against the Camp Taji military base in the north of Baghdad, Iraq’s capital city on March 11, claimed the lives of two...
The Future of Hashd al-Shaabi after the Assassination of Soleimani
Emerging as a controversial actor after ISIS dominated most of the Iraqi territory in 2014, Hashd al-Shaabi and the militia groups that showed up...
Where does the process go in Kirkuk?
At the session held on 22 July in the Iraqi Parliament, the 22-article election bill for the provincial and district councils has been enacted and...
New KRG Government and the Expectations
Following the political crisis that emerged in the wake of the September 30, 2018 elections, political parties in the Iraqi Kurdish Regional...
US-Iran Conflict and its Implications on Iraq
US-Iran tension has recently become the main topic of international politics. US President Donald Trump pointed out to this phenomenon during the...
A Difficult Test for The Iraqi Government: Discussions Over Federal Region in Basra
Basra, which is one of the most controversial cities in Iraq lately, once again became the main topic of conversation with the Basra Provincial...
The New Name of The Crisis in Iraq: Mosul
A major ferry accident has taken place in Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city after the capital Baghdad, on 21 March 2019. More than 100 people...
A New Phase in the USA–Iran Conflict in Iraq
Developments in both domestic and international policies in Iraq, which seeks stability, order and security after four years of conflict with ISIS,...
Dynamics of the Delicate Process in Iraq
Iraq entered 2019 with a new government. However, some of the ministries within the cabinet have yet to be identified. After the parliamentary...
2018 Assessment of Iraq: Where to After ISIS?
On 9 December 2017, Iraq’s former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced the end of the almost three and a half years of fighting ISIS and...
Where is the Government Formation Process in Iraq headed to?
In addition to the efforts to form a government after the controversial parliamentary elections held on 12 May 2018, in Iraq, there are still...
What do the Protests in Iraq Point to?
After the political crisis following the objections to the election results, rising due to the allegations of vote rigging in the Iraqi parliamentary...
PKK Presence in Iraq and Turkey’s Fight Against Terrorism
Terrorist PKK activity has increased observably in the region following the gains made by its extension, the PYD, after the events of 2011 in Syria....
Political Dynamics and Changing Balances in Iraq After The Elections
Iraq seems to have drifted into a new political, security and administrative crisis following the parliamentary elections on May 12, 2018. The...
Government Negotiations and New Alliances in Iraq
On May 12th 2018, the people of Iraq went to the polls to elect the parliament that will form the government which is expected to govern the country...
Iraq in the aftermath of the Elections and Expectations
The Iraqi people went to the polls on May 12, 2018, to choose the parliament that would form the government to rule the country for four years. The...
Iraqi Parliamentary Elections in Kirkuk: Light of Field Observations
As ORSAM team, we had the opportunity to stay in Kirkuk and observe the parliamentary elections held in Iraq on 12 May 2018 Iraq there. There are...
Politics in the KRG Towards the 2018 Election
With the beginning of the process regarding the independence referendum held in the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) on September 25th 2017,...
Current Situation in Iraq in the Light of Field Observations
As ORSAM team, we conducted a field study in Najaf, Karbala and Baghdad provinces of Iraq for a period of 10 days in order to "investigate the...
Evaluation of 2017: Iraq Changed by ISIS
On November 21, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi explained that ISIS was militarily over in Iraq with the recapture of Rawa, a village of...
A new post-referendum process in KRG: Changing Balances
The domestic politics of Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) literally witnesses a chaos in the referendum process. It is seen that a new political...
Turkmens' Rising Political Power in Iraq
After the referendum held on September 25, 2017 in the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), balances in Iraqi politics seem to have quickly...
Turkey’s Iraq Policy and Future Relations
The developments taking place before, during and after US intervention in Iraq caused Iraq to become one of the most important foreign policy...
Is the end of Masoud Barzani Period?
The operation of the Iraqi security forces, which started on October 15th in Kirkuk, and the developments taking place following it, have attracted...
The future of PUK after Jalal Talabani
The decease of Jalal Talabani, one of the significant figures of the Middle Eastern, Iraqi and Kurdish politics, will lead to important consequences...
What is Happening in the Referendum Spiral in Kirkuk?
Following the decision of the head of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masoud Barzani to hold an independence referendum, extremely tense times...
Risk of "Multilateral Conflict" in Post-DAESH Iraq
On October 17, 2016 Iraqi security forces, along with the International Coalition Against DAESH Forces, launched an operation to reclaim one of the...
Conditions of Turkmen Immigrants of Talafar in Najaf and Karbala in The Light of Field Observations
Following ISIS' control over regions of Mosul, Anbar, Titkrit and Diyala a significant movement of migration has begun. In addition to internally...
Hashd al-Shaabi's Border Operation and Regional Equation
While the process of struggle against ISIS in Iraq has focused on the operation carried out in the west side of the city center of Mosul, it has...
Latest Situation in Kirkuk and KRG's Domestic Politics in The Light of Field Observations
An ORSAM team carried out a field study in April in Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Kirkuk. During the field study, the team members also had...
Is Flag the only Problem in Kirkuk?
As one of the most controversial regions in Iraq, Kirkuk has once again become the main topic of national, regional and international agenda. While...
What 2016 meant for Iraq: the fight against ISIS and Government Crisis
2016 was one of the most critical years for Iraq. As the fight against ISIS continued, the main agenda items of the country were domestic political...
Redressing Balances in Iraq
While the focal point of the international politics is the Syrian war and searches for political solutions, the balances are redressed in Iraq, which...
Iraqi Government and Turkmens’ Situation
While the fight against ISIS and the Mosul operation are ongoing in Iraq, new ministers have been appointed to the Ministries of Interior and Defense...
Where to in Turkey-Iraq Relations?
It appears that Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım’s choice of Iraq for the first official visit of 2017 will start a new phase in Turkey-Iraq rel...
Bomb Attacks Against PDK-I in Erbil and How to Make Sense of Them
On December 20, 2016, 7 people were killed and 4 were injured in a twin bomb attack targeting Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDK-I), in Koya...
Legalization of Hashd Al-Shaabi and The Expectations Regarding Iraq’s Future
On November 26, 2016, Iraqi Parliament took a vote with the presence of 208 MPs, and ratified a law regarding the legalization of Hashd al-Shaabi,...
Predictions about Donald Trump’s Iraq Policy
Having surprisingly surpassed his rival Hillary Clinton in the US presidential elections and having been elected as US President on 8 November 2016,...
The Troublesome Role of Militias in Mosul
Iraqi security forces and peshmerga have made unexpectedly quick progress in Mosul against Daesh. In fact, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi made...
Critical Brink in the Fight against ISIS in Iraq: Mosul Operation
The Mosul operation which was launched on 17 October 2016 brought about many discussions. The US attitude, the distribution of forces in Iraq,...
Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi: The structure ‘which disturbs Iraq’s balance’
Shiite militia al-Hashd al-Shaabi de facto seized control in the field in terms of fight against DAESH even though it was established as...
Iraq, Turkey, Mosul and the Unseen
"We will not allow the dream of Ottomanist Turkey to come true." This has been continuously seen for a while as caption on the Al Iraqiya TV, state...
Dimensions of PKK Threat in Iraq
It can be observed that PKK has been more active in the region, through the achievements of PYD (Syrian affiliate of PKK) in north of Syria,...
Visit of KRG Leader Masoud Barzani to Turkey and Regional Dynamics
Masoud Barzani, President of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) visited Turkey on 23 August 2016. Barzani met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan...
Cabinet Reshuffle in Iraq
Iraqi Parliament, on its meeting on 15th August 2016 has approved 5 out of 6 technocrat names from the list Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi has...
Normalization Process in Foreign Policy and Turkey-Iraq Relations
Turkish foreign policy has recently been going through a dynamic period. In addition to the developments in the Middle East, the striking results of...
What does ISIS Attack in Karbala Mean?
According to initial findings, 8 people died and over 20 people were wounded in the attack launched with a bomb-laden vehicle in Karbala on 7 June...
The PUK-Gorran Agreement in the KRG: New Balances of Power?
The governmental crisis, economic woes, the fight against ISIS, unstable relations with Baghdad and the independence referendum are all on the...
Where is al-Abadi Government in Iraq Headed?
The ongoing government crisis and demonstrations in Iraq since August 2015 have come to a new phase together with what was gone through on 30 April...
Observations from the Field Research in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah
As ORSAM team, we recently paid a visit to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in order to conduct a field research. As it is already known,...
Where Does the Mosul Offensive Lead?
On 24 March 2016, Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced that it launched the Mosul Offensive also called Operation “Fatah” and attracted the attention o...
From Amirli to Taza Khurmatu: Turkmen are Resisting
The Turkmen, who have been subject to killings over the years in Iraq, are facing a new massacre. Becoming the main loser of the new government...
Quo Vadis in the Fight against ISIS: Is an Operation Against Mosul Possible?
Recently, news about a prospective operation against Mosul, the ISIS stronghold since June 2014, has become topical on the international agenda. In...
The Independence Issue of KRG in Terms of Internal Factors
Masoud Barzan, the President of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), gave instructions within the last days of 2015 in order to start the...
Reading Turkey-Iraq Relations over Biden’s visit to Turkey
Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States, paid a visit to Turkey on January 23-24, 2016 and met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime M...
The Influence of Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani on Iraqi Politics and His Last Friday Khutba
The statements and Friday khutbas of religious leaders that have become the main dynamics of Iraqi politics since 2003 determines now the direction...
The Mosul Problem: Beneath the Surface
The relations between Turkey and Iraq, which have been deteriorating since the second Prime Ministry term of Nouri al Maliki after the elections of...What is Happening in Tuzkhurmatu?
The Town of Tuzkhurmatu, which is located in the Salahadin Province, is densely populated by Turkmen, and has attracted the attention of the...
Observations about Baghdad and Iraqi Politics
As ORSAM, we visited Iraq’s capital, Baghdad both in order to conduct a field study and participate in an international meeting with the EU i...
Cards are Reshuffled in KRG
In Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the most striking developments of the last period in domestic politics have been experienced. As of 20...
Observations on Arbil and KRG Politics
As the ORSAM team, we were able to visit Iraq between August 29 and September 8, 2015 for conducting a field research. The first fact that catches...
Protests in Iraq, Reform Package and the Government’s Situation
The Iraqi government has been forced into announcing a reform package after the popular protests that have been going on for approximately two weeks....
Turkish-Iraqi Relations and Turkey’s Cross-Border Counter-Terrorism Operations
After his visit in November 2014, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari visited Turkey again on 13 July 2015 and conducted high level meetings....
ISIS' One Year in Iraq: Transformation in Perceptions of Politics and Security
The process which started with Mosul’s takeover by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in June 2014 can be regarded as a historical t...
Current Situation in the Fight against ISIS in Iraq and Potential Mosul Operation
ISIS established a significant control in Iraq since June 2014 and the fight against the organization continues without losing any acceleration. News...What PYD Leader Muslim's Baghdad Visit Means
It seems like PYD is seeking help to consolidate its position that it has strengthened significantly. Taking control of Raqqa’s Tal Abyad town from I...
The Focal Point of Conflicts in Iraq: Kirkuk
The ISIS came to the fore in the vicinity of Kirkuk after invading Mosul, captured some parts of the city, and then IKRG sent Peshmerga in order to...
Barzani’s US visit and the current situation of Kurdish domestic politics
A complex portrait emerged in Iraq with ISIS and other recent developments and solution of this situation seems quite difficult. Within this context,...
Fuad Masum’s Visit To Turkey and Turkey-Iraq Relations
President of Iraq, Fuad Masum visited Turkey on 23-24th April 2015. Although Fuad Masum was in Turkey for the Memorials of the 100th Anniversary of...
Abadi's Erbil Visit and the Process of Struggle against ISIS
Iraqi security and political balances began to shift after ISIS’s invasion of Mosul in June 2014 and its expansion afterwards. During this process, n...
Tikrit Operation in Iraq and It’s Aftermath
Visiting Samarra district of Saladin Governorate, on March 1st, President of Iraq Haider Al-Abadi announced that a rescue operation for Saladin’s c...
The Strategy for Ousting the ISIS from Mosul
A new period in Iraq has started with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launching an operation in Mosul on 6 June 2014. New debates sparked...
The Implications of the ISIS’s Kirkuk Offensive
The Kirkuk offensive of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which started on 29 January 2015 and continued on 30 January, has been a clear...
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What does the Kayseri Bazaar burned in Kirkuk mean?
On the night of November 26, 2018, a huge fire broke out in a historical building known as the “Kayseri Bazaar” in Kirkuk. More than 400...
Government Formation Process and Situation of Turkmens in Iraq
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on November 21, 2017, that DAESH was militarily defeated, and declared a new era in...
What does the Kayseri Bazaar burned in Kirkuk mean?
On the night of November 26, 2018, a huge fire broke out in a historical building known as the “Kayseri Bazaar” in Kirkuk. More than 400...
