Ashtyako Poorkarim,

Writer,  Politician, and Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Independence Party

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ASHTYAKO POORKARIM

ئاشتیاکۆ پوورکەریم / Ashtyako Poorkarim

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DE Deutsch Ashtyako Poorkarim ES Español Ashtyako Poorkarim NL Nederlands Ashtyako Poorkarim TR Türkçe Ashtyako Poorkarim RU Русский Аштиако Пуркарим HY Հայերեն Աշտյակո Փուրքարիմ AR العربية آشتياكو بوركريم FA فارسی جمال پورکریم CKB کوردیی ناوەندی جەمال پوورکەریم ZH 中文 Ashtyako Poorkarim

Ashtyako Poorkarim, formerly known as Jamal Poorkarim, was born on 23 August 1977 in the city of Mahabad in East Kurdistan. He is a Kurdish writer, journalist, and politician whose political and public activities began in the second half of the 1990s. Over nearly three decades, he has been active in East Kurdistan, South Kurdistan, and Europe in the fields of the Kurdish language, literature, cinema, journalism, human rights, and politics. Since March 2026, following the unification of the Kurdistan Independence Movement with the Kurdistan Independence Party, he has served as Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Independence Party. Kurdish Wikipedia has also documented information about his political life, journalism, and works.

Childhood, Education, and the Beginning of His Cultural Life

Poorkarim grew up in Mahabad, one of Kurdistan’s important historical and cultural centres. In 1994, he received his diploma in literature and the humanities, after which he turned more seriously towards literature, cinema, and cultural activities.

In 1996, he obtained a certificate from the Mahabad Young Cinema Society, and a year later, in 1997, he was active in the Mahabad Literary Association and participated in several festivals and literary activities. In 1999, he completed his university studies at Islamic Azad University of Mahabad and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Persian literature.

This literary and artistic background was later reflected in his journalism, writing, filmmaking, and even the style of his political activity. Before becoming the leader of a political organisation, he was active in literature, the Kurdish language, and the media.

Beginning of Political Activity

According to the official biography published by KurdNation, Poorkarim began his political activity in 1996 as a clandestine member of the network of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan inside East Kurdistan. After leaving East Kurdistan and moving to South Kurdistan, his membership in the party became official.

At this stage, he was not active only within an organisational and party framework; the Kurdish language, teaching reading and writing in the mother tongue, and media became major parts of his public work.

The “Soma” Centre and Teaching the Kurdish Language

In 2001, in the city of Baneh, he established a Kurdish-language educational centre called “Soma”. According to his official biography, the centre’s purpose was to teach the Kurdish language and Kurdish orthography, and a large number of students from the city and surrounding villages attended its classes.

This matter is not mentioned only in his party or personal biography. The report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran also refers to Poorkarim’s activity at a Kurdish-language educational centre and states that more than 1,000 students were registered at the centre.

In the same year, he published a periodical called “Voice of Society.” According to the biography, after two issues were published, Iran’s intelligence apparatus stopped the continuation of the publication.

Arrest in 2003

Poorkarim’s linguistic, journalistic, and political activities ultimately led to pressure and repeated summonses by Iranian security agencies.

He was arrested in 2003. Details of this event appear in the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur, document A/HRC/25/61; according to the report, Poorkarim was detained for 45 days in an intelligence facility and was subsequently released on bail of 20 million tomans. Following his temporary release, he left East Kurdistan and went to the Kurdistan Region.

This stage was one of the turning points in his life, as from then onward his journalistic and political activities continued outside Iran’s borders.

South Kurdistan: Radio, Television, Newspapers, and Cinema

Poorkarim lived in Ranya for nearly five years and worked within the media environment of South Kurdistan. According to his official biography, he worked as a presenter for Gali Kurdistan, Raparin, and Zagros television channels, while at the same time writing articles and other material for publications such as “Prooshe” and “Darwaza.”

Between 2008 and 2010, he worked at KurdKanall, the media outlet affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, as a presenter and head of the news department.

During the same period, drawing on his previous experience in cinema, he founded a cinema centre called “Kat” and produced two short films, “Galawêzh” and “Milwanka”; the films were related to life, struggle, and Peshmerga activity.

Moving to France

In 2010, according to his official biography, Poorkarim travelled to France at the invitation of Reporters Without Borders and through the French Consulate in Erbil, and later obtained French citizenship.

That same year, he was appointed head of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan’s committee in France and participated in political gatherings, seminars, and meetings.

From 2011 to 2016, he worked at Tishk TV as a newsreader, head of the news department, and presenter of political programmes.

Establishment of “Roji Kurd”

In 2015, Poorkarim established the Roji Kurd Media and Research Centre. The centre focused on Kurdistan, human rights, politics, and media, and some of his writing and media work, as well as that of his colleagues, was published within this framework.

Roji Kurd

During these years, Poorkarim published hundreds of articles and political analyses in various media outlets and websites. His writings were also published by Al Arabiya Persian. German Wikipedia refers to the archive of these writings on his biographical page.

International Political Visits

During his period in Europe, Poorkarim travelled to several European countries, Israel, and Saudi Arabia for political and media-related activities.

Visit to Saudi Arabia and Reception by the King and Mohammed bin Salman

In 2016, at the invitation of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, he visited the country and spoke in interviews and comments to Saudi media about the situation in East Kurdistan and the policies of the Iranian government.

Arab News, in a report published on 13 September 2016, referred to him under the name “Jamal Pour Karim,” identified him as a Kurdish journalist and political activist, and published part of his remarks in Saudi Arabia.

Furthermore, according to published information and photographs referred to in Kurdish Wikipedia and his biography, during his visits to Saudi Arabia he was received by King Salman, the King of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, and senior officials of the country. This section has been recorded on Kurdish Wikipedia on the basis of published information and photographs, although Wikipedia still requests additional independent sources for this specific claim.

Political Science Studies in Paris

In 2017, Poorkarim continued his studies in political science at Université Paris 8. According to his official biography, he obtained a master’s degree in the field.

These studies connected his many years of journalistic and political experience with academic study of politics.

Separation from the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan

At the end of 2018, after more than two decades of activity, Poorkarim resigned from membership of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.

Archived version of the resignation statement

According to the statement and sources from that period, his principal difference with the party concerned the question of Kurdistan’s independence. Poorkarim believed that Kurdistan’s political future should not be tied to remaining within the framework of Iran and regarded independence and the establishment of a Kurdish state as his political objective.

Establishment of the Kurdistan Independence Movement

On 5 January 2019, Poorkarim, together with a group of like-minded individuals, established the Kurdistan Independence Movement, and he was elected president of the movement.

Kurdistan Independence Movement – Wikipedia

The movement placed the independence of Kurdistan, the right to self-determination, democracy, secularism, and the establishment of a Kurdish state at the centre of its political programme.

Kurdistan Independence Alliance — HSK

In January 2022, after nearly two months of discussions, several pro-independence organisations from East Kurdistan formed the Kurdistan Independence Alliance (HSK).

Official text announcing the establishment of the alliance on KurdNation

English version of the alliance announcement

Independent Tribune Zamaneh report on the establishment of the alliance

According to the official founding text, the five founding parties of the alliance were:

1. Yarsani Yari-Kurd Organization
2. Kurdistan Revolutionary Union
3. Kurdistan Democratic Liberation Movement
4. Kurdistan Independence Movement
5. Kurdistan Patriots Party

These five names are recorded in the same form in the official Kurdish text and the English version of the founding announcement.

Six-Member Leadership Board

The elected leadership board of the alliance consisted of five people:

• Kaki Rostam Almasi
• Mehran Mirzaei
• Ali Fazli
• Sardar Waladbeigi
• Hima Sofi
• Jamal Poorkarim — Ashtyako Poorkarim

In the leadership board vote, Poorkarim was elected president of the alliance. An independent Persian-language source concerning the establishment of HSK records these five names and Poorkarim’s election as president.

Presidency of the Alliance: 2022–2023

Poorkarim was elected president of the Kurdistan Independence Alliance in 2022 and, during 2022 and 2023, participated in meetings, conferences, and political and diplomatic activities in that capacity.

In July 2022, a leadership delegation from the alliance headed by Poorkarim participated in a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels:

First day of the Brussels conference and the HSK delegation

In that report, he is explicitly introduced as “Jamal Poorkarim, President of the Kurdistan Independence Alliance.”

In August 2022, as president of the alliance, he sent a message to Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan:

Message from the President of the Alliance to Bafel Jalal Talabani

Furthermore, in a report dated 23 September 2023, KurdNation still introduced him under the title “President of the Kurdistan Independence Alliance”; therefore, this period in his political biography can be recorded as the presidency of the alliance from 2022 to 2023.

Changing the Name from “Jamal” to “Ashtyako”

Until mid-2023, he was better known in the media and political activities as Jamal Poorkarim.

On 14 May 2023, he announced that, as part of a campaign to replace non-Kurdish names with Kurdish names, he was changing his name to “Ashtyako” and would thereafter use this name in his public and political activities.

From his own perspective, this step was also related to the question of Kurdish language, culture, and national identity; a subject that had continued from the beginning of his activities and the establishment of the Soma Centre through to his political writings.

Unification with the Kurdistan Independence Party

On 11 March 2026, the Kurdistan Independence Movement and the Kurdistan Independence Party announced their political unification and decided to continue their activities under one name and one leadership, as the Kurdistan Independence Party — PSK.

Manifesto of Liberation and Political Programme of the Kurdistan Independence Party

Wikipedia page of the Kurdistan Independence Movement

Following the unification, Ashtyako Poorkarim was identified as Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Independence Party and has continued his political, diplomatic, media, and writing activities in that capacity.

Writer and Essayist

Writing has been a continuous part of Poorkarim’s life. From the beginning of his journalistic work in East Kurdistan through newspapers and television channels in South Kurdistan, Tishk TV, Roji Kurd, KurdNation, Al Arabiya, and later The Times of Israel, he has published hundreds of articles and political analyses.

The Times of Israel

Since 2025, he has had an author page on The Times of Israel:

All articles by Ashtyako Poorkarim in The Times of Israel

The page collects his articles on Kurdistan, Iran, the right to self-determination, the Middle East, Kurdish-Jewish relations, security, and political change in the region.

His articles include:

Ghassemlou: Murder at the Negotiating Table

Mr. Trump, the Weapons Are in Safe Hands

Kurds and Jews Stand Together in London

Iran to Seven Independent States

Fragile Ceasefire; War on Iran Regime Continues

The author page continued to be updated with his new writings in July 2026.

Books and Published Works

Poorkarim’s written works begin with children’s poetry and, in later years, expanded into political, historical, and research books.

Booke Chini

A collection of Kurdish poems for children, published in Mahabad, 1380 Solar Hijri/2001, 33 pages.

“Booke Chini” record at Nosa Books

KURDISTAN: A Research Study

2024, 184 pages, ISBN 979-8265101259.

Amazon

Voice of Resistance

The Kurdish Struggle for Freedom and Self-Determination in the Middle East

Amazon

Kurdistan and Israel in the New Middle East

From the Memory of Genocide to Political Alliance

Amazon

Institut kurde de Paris – Book record

Fake Iran: Persian Colonialism

Amazon

Persian edition:

ایران جعلی: استعمار فارس، بحران هویت و مقاومت ملتها

Amazon

Manifesto, Independence of Kurdistan

Amazon

The Left and Political Islam; Confrontation with Nationalism

Amazon

The New Map of the Middle East After Iran

Amazon

Kurd and Israel: Politics, Identity, Security; The New Middle East

Amazon

A list of his works is also recorded on Kurdish Wikipedia, together with ISBNs and publication information.

Political Thought and Orientation

In Poorkarim’s writings, messages, and political programmes, the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state of Kurdistan occupy a central position. In his view, the Kurdish question cannot be resolved solely through linguistic and cultural rights or a form of self-administration; rather, it is connected to the political status and the right of the Kurdish nation to determine its own future.

In recent years, his writings have increasingly focused on analysing the future of the Middle East, relations between Kurdistan and Israel, the future of Iran’s political system, the rights of stateless nations, and the role of international powers.

From Journalism to Political Leadership

If Ashtyako Poorkarim’s public life is viewed chronologically, several distinct stages can be seen: first literature and cinema, then teaching the Kurdish language and journalism, followed by arrest and departure from East Kurdistan, media activity in the South, relocation to France and international activity, separation from the Democratic Party, establishment of the Kurdistan Independence Movement, presidency of the Kurdistan Independence Alliance in 2022–2023, and finally the political unification of 2026 and the position of Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Independence Party.

Across these different stages, one common line has continued: the close relationship between writing and media on the one hand and politics on the other, attention to the Kurdish language and national identity, and, in the later period, explicit support for the independence of Kurdistan.

Main Links

Official Biography – KurdNation
https://kurdnation.com/2019/01/18/ashtyako-poorkarim/

Kurdish Wikipedia
https://ckb.wikipedia.org/wiki/جەمال_پوورکەریم

Wikipedia Deutsch
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtyako_Poorkarim

The Times of Israel – Author Page
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/ashtyako-poorkarim/

Al Arabiya Persian – Author Archive
https://farsi.alarabiya.net/authors/جمال-کریم-پور

Arab News – Saudi Arabia 2016
https://www.arabnews.com/node/983916/saudi-arabia

KurdNation
https://kurdnation.com/

KurdNation English
https://en.kurdnation.com/

Amazon Author Page
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Mr-Ashtyako-Poorkarim/author/B0FMQJWJ5K

Bio.site
https://bio.site/ashtyako

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/ashtyako.poorkarim/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ashtyako.poorkarim/

X
https://x.com/ashtyako

LinkedIn
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ashtyakopoorkarim

Telegram
https://t.me/Ashtyako

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/jamalpoorkarim/featured

Further Searches About Ashtyako Poorkarim

To find articles, news, interviews, documents, books, and other sources about Ashtyako Poorkarim, his name can be searched on Google using different forms and spellings. Older sources also use his former name, Jamal Poorkarim, or different variations of that name.

Searches Using the Name Ashtyako Poorkarim

• Google — “Ashtyako Poorkarim”
• Google — “Ashtyako Pourkarim”
• Google — “Ashtyako Purkarim”
• Google — “Ashtyako Poor Karim”
• Google — “Ashtyako Pour Karim”
• Google — “Ashtyako Porkarim”

Searches in Kurdish and Persian Script

• Google — “ئاشتیاکۆ پوورکەریم”
• Google — “آشتیاکو پورکریم”
• Google — “آشتیاکو پورکریم”
• Google — “ئاشتیاکو پورکریم”
• Google — “آشتیاکۆ پوورکەریم”

Searches Using the Former Name Jamal Poorkarim

• Google — “Jamal Poorkarim”
• Google — “Jamal Pourkarim”
• Google — “Jamal Purkarim”
• Google — “Jamal Poor Karim”
• Google — “Jamal Pour Karim”

Kurdish and Persian Searches Using the Name Jamal

• Google — “جەمال پوورکەریم”
• Google — “جمال پورکریم”
• Google — “جمال پور کریم”

General Search Using All Variants of the Name

• Google — Ashtyako Poorkarim OR Ashtyako Pourkarim OR Ashtyako Purkarim
• Google — Jamal Poorkarim OR Jamal Pourkarim OR
• Google — ئاشتیاکۆ پوورکەریم OR آشتیاکو پورکریم
• Google — جەمال پوورکەریم OR جمال پورکریم OR

News and New Material

To find news, interviews, and recent material:

• Google News — Ashtyako Poorkarim
• Google News — Jamal Poorkarim
• Google News — ئاشتیاکۆ پوورکەریم
• Google News — جمال پورکریم

Searches in Specific Sources

• Google — Ashtyako Poorkarim on KurdNation
• Google — Jamal Poorkarim on KurdNation
• Google — Ashtyako Poorkarim on The Times of Israel
• Google — Jamal Poorkarim on Al Arabiya
• Google — Ashtyako Poorkarim on Amazon
• Google — Ashtyako Poorkarim on Wikipedia

Search for Books and Academic Sources

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• Google Scholar — Ashtyako Poorkarim
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Broad Search

Search all variants of the name Ashtyako/Jamal Poorkarim on Google