While the first part of the series described the history of the collaboration of the KDP and the Barzani clan with various occupying powers and regional states and analyzed the corrupt background of the dynastic clan rule in South Kurdistan, this chapter examines the cooperation between the KDP Secret Service "Parastin" and the Turkish MIT.

The history of Parastin

The KDP Secret Service Parastin was founded in 1965. Persia and Israel were involved in the founding of the intelligence agency. At that time, the dictator and shah Reza Pahlevi was still ruling Iran. The Persian state had a clear connection to the West and the Pahlevi regime was dependent on US imperialism. This regime also had relations with Israel.

On the basis of this alliance, the KDP officials Şekîb Akreyî, Ezîz Akreyî and Mihemed Hirsîn, personally selected by Barzani, went to Israel to begin building up the KDP's Secret Service. Şekîb Akreyî worked in Parastin until his death and acted between Israel, Persia and the Barzani clan. Until the Algiers Agreement, which marked the withdrawal of Persian forces from Iraq, Parastin was in close contact with Shalom Nakdimon of the Israeli Mossad. With the withdrawal of the Shah's troops from Iraq, this connection was severed. The so-called Ashbetal, another betrayal of the KDP, was initiated when Molla Mustafa Barzani declared the end of the resistance and withdrew to Iran. In the same year, Jalal Talabani founded the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and immediately became the focus of attacks by the Barzani party.

Savak and Mossad, the godfathers

In his book "Mossad in Iraq and the Middle East," Shalom Nakdimon wrote: "In order to set up Parastin, the Israeli and Iranian Secret Services, Savak and Mossad, had to create a network of agents for the Barzani family."

In an article published on 13 October 1997 in Alwest, a Saudi Arabian newspaper published in Europe, Mahmoud Osman clearly expressed the relationship between Barzani and Israel: "Between 1965 and 1975, the Mossad organized four major training courses for KDP agents. Short training units were also organized after that. With this work, the Mossad increased its intelligence activities in Iraq and in the countries of the region. The first training in the bases belonging to Parastin took place in the Choman region. These training units were then continued at the bases in the region."

Main task: liquidation of the Kurdish freedom movement

The head of the Parastin was Mesud Barzani. Between 1967 and 1980, the main task of the Parastin was to protect the Barzani dynasty and its men in the political schools, central committees, offices and branches of the clan and its party from their enemies. In doing so, the Parastin particularly took action against individuals and tribes who supported the Kurdish struggle or who viewed them as competition. The accusation of "being against the Barzanis" repeatedly led to these individuals never seeing the light of day again. Hundreds of Kurds were murdered by the Parastin.

The main task of the Parastin was therefore to protect the interests of the Barzani dynasty and the states with which it collaborated. The Parastin is in contact with all anti-Kurdish intelligence organizations.

The relationship between MIT and Parastin

After the Rojava revolution in 2012, Parastin entered into a very close collaboration with the Turkish MIT and became an active part of the Turkish "defeat plan" implemented since 24 July 2015, which aims to completely destroy the Kurdish freedom movement. Parastin was mainly involved in gathering information for MIT.

It was able to draw on its network of informants and the statements of deserting guerrillas. This information cost many guerrillas their lives. In 2022, a joint MIT-Parastin intelligence coordination center was set up. Parastin has set up his network of informants to determine the coordinates of the guerrilla bases. In addition, dozens of agents/informants were deployed to track the guerrillas' movements. The information Parastin received from its own network of agents is evaluated and analyzed together with MIT in this joint operations room, and the guerrilla areas are then attacked by fighter planes or drones. Hundreds of guerrilla fighters have been killed in this way.

Establishment of special paramilitary units

One of the two MIT cadres arrested by the PKK in a revolutionary counterintelligence operation in 2017 told guerrillas: “We organized weekly meetings with the Parastin to exchange information. The Turkish consul and MIT representatives also attended these meetings. Our representatives also attended Parastin meetings. I remember that the head of the department working on the PKK once received $40,000 from Parastin. At the weekly meetings organized institutionally between the consulate and the MIT, information was exchanged. Individuals could also meet at any time they wanted.

After the establishment of the Department of Special Tasks in Iraq (the MIT), it was decided to create paramilitary structures. The Roj Peshmerga were also established within this framework. I do not know if other things happened after the establishment of the Department of Special Tasks in Iraq or with which other groups there were relations. They armed these groups to use them against the PKK.”

These statements describe the relationship between MIT and Parastin ten years ago. Looking at the current level of relations, it would not be an exaggeration to say that collaboration has been pushed to the highest level in the social, political, cultural, economic, diplomatic and military fields over the past nine years. Thus, the KDP leaders and their Secret Service have supported the Turkish state's invasions and annexation efforts in Xakurke in 2019, Heftanîn in 2020, Avaşîn, Metîna, Zap in 2021 and again in Avaşîn-Zap, Metîna and Xinêre in 2022/23/24 with greater commitment. They are acting de facto like colonial officials of the Turkish state.