SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — Yielding to extensive pressure from Turkey, the Kurdistan Regional Government recently decided to ban political parties not officially licensed by its Interior Ministry — even if those parties are licensed by Iraq's federal government. One such party, Tavgari Azadi, which supports the ideology of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or the PKK, says the closure of its headquarters is illegal and came about only as a response to Turkish threats.

The Kurdistan region's security services, the Asayish, closed Tavgari Azadi's headquarters in the city of Sulaimaniyah, as well as in the towns of Qaladiza, Raparin, Koya and Kifri, on Nov. 29.

Tavgari Azadi, also known as the Kurdistan Free Society Movement, was established in October 2014. It is a Kurdish political party that adheres to the ideology of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK. Tavgari Azadi received formal permission in December 2017 from Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to operate as a political party across the country. The party ran in the May parliamentary elections on a joint list with the New Generation Movement in the disputed area of Kirkuk, obtaining a seat in the Iraqi parliament.

The PKK is banned in Turkey, as it has been fighting the Turkish army since 1984, seeking to obtain greater political and cultural rights. Turkey, the United States and the EU consider the PKK a “terrorist” entity.