Priyanka Tiwari
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Kurd: For the last forty years Turkey has been battling against rebels from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The militant group PKK is uncompromising in its quest for further self-rule for the Kurdish minority of the country. It is not certain to what degree his appeal will be effective, and whether the Turkish government is providing any concessions. While now, the founder of PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, has requested for Kurdish soldiers to put down their weapons.
Who is the PKK?
The PKK, which stands for the Kurdistan Workers Party, embarked on a militancy plan against the Turkish government in the early 1980s, with the primary goal of establishing an independent state for people of Kurdisht origin. Their attacks were coordinated from the mountainous borders of eastern and southern Turkey. They even launched attacks against the Turkish army bases or police erected in those regions. Following the initial onslaught of army and police establishments, the government retaliated, and strongly so. Violence begat violence, and it became a social menace. Several civilians also lost their lives in the PKK-induced bomb blasts. PKK leader sentenced to death His sentence was the notorious death penalty. However, it was later changed to life-long imprisonment. The famous PKK chief Ocalan did, however, alter the organization’s mindset while in prison. In 1999, Turkey captured PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and deemed him guilty of terrorism. During his confinement sentence, he was gifted the ability to shape the organization's ideology and chose to abandon the prerequisite of a sovereign state. To turn the narrative, PKK also began supporting the movement for the rights of the Kurdish population. In the last decade, the Turkish army has also expelled the PKK fighters from the main cities which the Kurds have inhabited. A report claims that the Kurd community comprises 15 percent, or more, of Turkey’s total population.
Who constitutes a Kurd?
Around forty million Kurds make passive residents of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. The Kurds form an ethnic group with unique dialects that are unrelated Turkish or Arabic. Most Kurds, in addition, are Sunni Muslims. After the First World War, global powers made promises to Kurds to form a nation, but rationally, nothing has been fulfilled until now. This is what fueled a number of Kurdish rebellions within various countries across the globe. Unfortunately, they faced a lot of hostility in government from the restriction on culture and the use of their languages.
Do you believe Turkey has declared ceasefires on multiple occasions?
Yes, indeed they have. The hostilities from both sides reached their peak during the mid-2011, which is where I believe the Kurds moved to. We saw the first attempted ceasefire back in 1993. Unfortunately, it was not successful and the conflict escalated further. One side formed new alliances and furthermore inflict violence on each others growth potential. Thankfully around 2011 relations began to improve but the other side was not willing to cooperate. Blame was placed on everyone.
It will be interesting to see what the Turkish government is willing to give up after Ocalan’s new demand on PKK fighters call for a ceasefire along with how they choose to approach the peace process.
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