Supporters of Ezidi Youth Union are seen inside the PUK office in Sinjar, November 30, 2018.

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SULAIMANI — Members of the Ezidi Youth Union have occupied the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Sinjar in response to the closure of offices of the Kurdistan Free Society Movement (Tavgari Azadi) in Sulaimani province.

The activists vowed that they would remain in the PUK's Sinuni sub-district office until all the offices of Tavari Azadi are reopened, NRT Digital Media reporter Nazir Shingali said.

Shingali added that the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) forces have intervened to control the situation.

“We have helped the PUK in Sinjar. [But] the closure of the Tavgari Azadi offices in the areas under its control is an enemy act,” the members of the Ezidi Youth Union said.

Asayish (security) forces have shut down all the offices of Tavgari Azadi in the province of Sulaimani over the last several days on the basis of a previous Kurdistan Regional Government order that all offices of unregistered political parties be shuttered.

Officials from Tavgari Azadi counter that they are registered with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.

The Turkish consul-general said in a press conference on Thursday that the closures would help to improve bilateral relations between Turkey and the PUK.

The Turkish government currently bans flights travelling to or from Sulaimani International Airport from using its airspace. The office closures are believed to be part of negotiations to resume flights between the city and Turkish destinations.

In the past, the Turkish government has called on the locally-dominant PUK to shutter the offices of organizations with close ties to the PKK like Tavgari Azadi.

(NRT Digital Media)

This story was updated at 4:01pm EBL