The Kurdish National and Liberation Movement in the Bahdinan Region and Its Developments (1976–1978): A Historical Study

Following the collapse of the September Revolution in 1975, the Kurdish national movement entered a new phase in its history. In response to these developments, the Provisional Leadership of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) initiated efforts to reorganize the movement and prepare for the resumption of armed struggle. The Bahdinan region became one of the principal areas where these preparations began. After the establishment of the Provisional Leadership, the party reorganized its political and military structures in both rural and urban areas. Peshmerga units were deployed to strategic locations in the Bahdinan region, including the districts of Sindi, Guli, Barwari Bala, and neighboring areas, where they launched military operations against Iraqi government forces. These developments were facilitated by the support provided through Syria, while Turkey adopted a cautious policy toward the renewed Kurdish movement. Nevertheless, Kurdish tribes and local communities in the border areas of Iraqi Kurdistan, particularly in Bahdinan, continued to provide assistance to the Peshmerga forces and KDP cadres. This study addresses several key questions: How did the Kurdish movement recover from the collapse of the September Revolution? How was the Provisional Leadership able to reorganize the party and re-establish Peshmerga units? What measures were taken to revive the armed struggle? How did the people of the Bahdinan region respond to these developments? Finally, what was the position of the Ba'ath government in Baghdad toward the return of the Peshmerga detachments and the renewed Kurdish uprising? Using a historical research approach, the study examines the political, military, and social developments that characterized the Kurdish national and liberation movement in the Bahdinan region between 1976 and 1978, highlighting the challenges faced by the movement and the strategies adopted to rebuild and sustain the Kurdish struggle during this critical period.