Cyber Warfare Erupts in Kurdish Politics: Rival Factions Clash on Facebook Battlefield
Zoom News TV, a channel associated with former PUK leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi, reports that their Facebook page was temporarily suspended due to an alleged cyber attack originating from Channel8, a media outlet affiliated with PUK leader Bafel Talabani. A few months ago, Channel8's Facebook page was similarly suspended, and at that time, the channel claimed the cyber attack was orchestrated by a technical team linked to Lahur Sheikh Jangi.
This incident is part of the ongoing power struggle between the two Talabani cousins, who were co-leaders of the PUK until 2021. That year, Bafel executed what he termed a preemptive coup against Sheikh Jangi, claiming his cousin was planning to eliminate him, an allegation that Sheikh Jangi has repeatedly denied.
Currently, cyber attacks carried out by dedicated teams have become a significant issue in Kurdish politics. Many political figures have been exploiting Facebook's increasingly stringent content moderation policies to shut down rival pages or critical voices they perceive as threats.
Masrour Barzani is also notorious for allegedly orchestrating such cyber attacks against pages critical of him. Additionally, a recent report claimed that even Abdulatif Salafi, a prominent Salafi figure, maintains a dedicated team to suppress pages that criticize him.