Kurdistan Workers Party 69680 225600567 2008-07-14T14:26:03Z Adoniscik 266283 see the referenced telegraph article in the talk page {{Infobox militant organization |name='''Kurdistan Workers' Party''' <br/><small>Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan, (PKK)</small> |logo=Kurdistan Workers Party flag (current).gif |caption=The current PKK flag used since 1995 |dates=1978-present |leader=The current official leader is [[Murat Karayilan]]. [[Abdullah Öcalan]] (also known as "Apo") was one of the founders and still directs the party from his prison cell.<ref name=tahiri>Hussein Tahiri: ''The Structure of Kurdish Society and the Struggle for a Kurdish State.'' Costa Mesa, California, Mazda Publications 2007. pp 232 ff</ref> |motives=The creation of an independent socialist state of ''[[Kurdistan]]'' in parts of [[Turkey]], [[Iran]], [[Iraq]] and [[Syria]]. Cultural and political rights for the Kurdish population in [[Turkey]] |area=[[Turkey]], [[Iraq]], [[Iran]] and [[Syria]] |ideology=[[Kurdish nationalism]]<br>[[Marxism-Leninism]] |strength= As high as 90,000 in the early 1990's, an estimated 3,000 in the fall of 2007 <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7033075.stm</ref> <ref>http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/crs/Cterror2.htm</ref> |status=Designated as [[U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations|Foreign Terrorist Organization]] by the [[United States Department of State|US State Department]]<ref name="USTerrorList">{{cite web|url= http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/2002/12535.htm|title=Foreign Terrorist Organizations List|publisher=[[United States Department of State]]| date=2002-10-23| accessdate=2008-02-23}} - [[U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations|USSD Foreign Terrorist Organization]]</ref><ref name="USTerrorList2">{{cite web| url=http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/45394.htm| title=Chapter 6 -- Terrorist Groups| date=2005-04-27| publisher=[[United States Department of State]]| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050526080545/http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/45394.htm| archivedate=2005-05-26| quote=Kongra-Gel (KGK)| accessdate=2008-02-23}}</ref><br/>Designated as [[Terrorism Act 2000|Proscribed Group]] by the [[United Kingdom|UK]] [[Home Office]]{{Fact|date=February 2008}}<br/>Designated as terrorist group by [[European Union|EU]] [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]].{{Fact|date=February 2008}} |crimes=Assassination, Bombing Attacks, Chemical Warfare, Drug Trafficking, Extortion, Human Trafficking,Kidnapping, Sabotage, Suicide Bombing<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/><ref name="PKKextortion US DOS" /><ref name="PKK US Embassy, Turkey" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4690181.stm |accessdate=2008-06-29 |title=PKK 'behind' Turkey resort bomb |date=2008-06-29 |work=BBC News |date=2005-07-17 }}</ref> }} The '''Kurdistan Workers' Party''' ({{lang-ku|Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan}} or '''PKK''', also called '''KADEK''', '''Kongra-Gel''', and '''KGK'''<ref name="navymil"/>) is a [[militant]] [[kurds|Kurdish]] <!-- Please do not write terrorist here per Wikipedia policies--> organization founded in the 1970s and led by [[Abdullah Öcalan]] who is at present in a Turkish prison. The PKK's ideology is founded on revolutionary [[Marxism-Leninism]] and [[Kurdish nationalism]]. The PKK's goal has been to create an [[Independence|independent]], [[Socialism|socialist]] Kurdish state in [[Kurdistan]], an area that comprises parts of southeastern [[Turkey]], northeastern [[Iraq]], northeastern [[Syria]] and northwestern [[Iran]]; where the Kurdish population is the majority. This goal has now been moderated to claiming cultural and political rights for the Kurdish population within the state of Turkey.<ref name=tahiri/> The PKK has widespread, but far from universal, support among the Kurdish population in Turkey and limited support in other parts of Kurdistan.<ref> Hussein Tahiri: The Structure of Kurdish Society and the Struggle for a Kurdish state. Costa mesa 2007, Mazda Publishers, chapters 7 & 8</ref> It is listed as a [[terrorism|terrorist]] organization internationally by [[List of countries and organizations that list the PKK as a terrorist group|a number of states and organizations]], including the [[United States]],<ref name="USTerrorList2"/><ref name="navymil">{{cite web|url=http://library.nps.navy.mil/home/tgp/kurds.htm| title=Kongra-Gel (KGK)| publisher=[[Naval Postgraduate School]]| quote=From: Country Reports on Terrorism, 2004| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060516010407/http://library.nps.navy.mil/home/tgp/kurds.htm| archivedate=2006-05-16| accessdate=2008-02-23}}</ref> [[NATO]] and the [[European Union]]<ref name=csm />. The organisation is listed as one of the 12 active terrorist organisation in Turkey as of 2007 according to the Counter-Terrorism and Operations Department of Directorate General for Security ([[Law_enforcement_in_Turkey|Turkish police]]).<ref>[http://www.egm.gov.tr/temuh/terorgrup1.html Türkiye'de Halen Faaliyetlerine Devam Eden Baslica Terör Örgütleri] {{tr icon}}</ref> Turkish sources have labelled the PKK as an [[Ethnic nationalism|ethnic]] [[secession]]ist organization that uses terrorism and the threat of force against both civilian<ref name=csm>{{cite news|title=Turkish Kurds: some back the state|publisher=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|date=2007-07-06|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0706/p06s02-wosc.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=PKK baskınına uğrayan Kürt köyleri ABD gazetesine haber oldu|language=Turkish|publisher=[[Milliyet]]|date=2007-07-07|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/07/07/son/sondun06.asp}}</ref> and military targets for the purpose of achieving its political goal. More than 37,000 people have died since the beginning of the PKK's armed struggle in 1984.<ref>{{cite news| title=Kurdish rebels kill Turkey troops| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6537751.stm| date=2007-04-08| accessdate=2008-02-23}}</ref> In the process, the Turkish armed forces have destroyed some 8000 Kurdish communities and created 3 to 4 million refugees.<ref>Natali, Denise. ''The Kurds and the State''. Syracuse University Press, 2005, pg. 108.</ref> ==History== [[Image:Kurdistan Workers Party flag (former).gif|thumb|left|Former flag displaying the [[communist]] [[hammer and sickle]]]] {{Politics of Turkey}}{{Main|History of the Kurdistan Workers Party}} The PKK's core was originally a group called the ''Ankara Democratic Patriotic Association of Higher Education'' or ''Apocular'' ("Apoists"), which was made up largely of students, led by [[Abdullah Öcalan]] (nicknamed "Apo"). Although originally from [[Ankara]], the group soon moved its focus to south-east Turkey, and its large Kurdish population, where they began organising. With the official release of the "Proclamation of Independence of PKK" on [[27 October]], [[1978]], the group became known as the Kurdistan Workers Party. With its largely communist ideology, the PKK soon found itself in [[Right-wing and left-wing armed conflicts (Republic of Turkey)|conflict with right-wing entities]]. In 1979, [[Mehmet Celal Bucak]] was condemned for "exploiting the peasants," and "collaborating". The PKK attempted to assassinate him, but failed. This was the first violent high-profile public action undertaken by the PKK, and it marked a period of intense [[History of the Kurdistan Workers Party#Urban War (1978-1980)|urban warfare]] between radical political elements in Turkey. From 1978 to 1982, the Turkish National Security Council recorded 43,000 incidents it described as [[terrorism]]. As part of the conflict, ex-[[Prime Minister of Turkey|prime minister]] [[Nihat Erim]] was assassinated in 1980 by [[Dev Sol]]. The [[History of the Kurdistan Workers Party#Syria .281980-1984.29|military coup]] that same year largely ended the conflict, with members of the PKK being subject to capital punishment, going to prison, or fleeing to [[Syria]]. On [[November 10]], [[1980]], the Turkish Consulate in [[Strasbourg]], [[France]] was bombed, causing significant material damage but no injuries. The [[ASALA]] and the PKK claimed responsibility. In a telephone call to the Agence France-Presse office, a spokesman said the blast was a joint operation and marked the start of a "fruitful collaboration" between the two nationalist organizations.<ref name="miptpkkasala">{{cite web|url=http://www.tkb.org/Incident.jsp?incID=2735|author=MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base|title=Incident Profile: Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) attacked Diplomatic target (November 10, 1980, France)|accessdate=2007-04-17}}</ref> Starting in 1984, the PKK transformed itself into a paramilitary organisation (largely based in and supported by [[Iran]], [[Iraq]] and [[Syria]]){{Fact|date=December 2007}}, as it launched conventional attacks as well as [[bombing]]s against Turkish governmental installations, military and civilian targets, many of whom were connected to the [[Southeastern Anatolia Project]] (GAP), a multi-sector integrated regional development project based on the concept of sustainable development for more than nine million people living in the [[Southeastern Anatolia Region, Turkey|southeastern Anatolia]] region. The PKK also moved to a less centralized format, taking up operations in a variety of European and Middle Eastern countries. Following the collapse of the [[Soviet Union|USSR]], the PKK largely abandoned its communist roots, attempting to better accommodate nationalistic views and Islamic beliefs. In the mid 1990s, it also began to shift from conventional bombing to [[suicide bombing]], launching 15 such attacks between 1995 and 1999. The majority (11 of 15) of the suicide bombers were women. In the late 1990s, the Turkish army began to gain the upper hand in its ground war with the PKK and post-[[Cold War]] shifts in international politics resulted in the group losing much of its support among other states. With downgraded security concerns, the Turkish parliament began a controlled process of dismantling the legal control, using the term "normalization" or "rapprochement" depending on the sides of the issue. A ban on publishing using Kurdish language (1983) was dropped in 1991, with more thorough reforms, such as the lifting of the ban on broadcasting in Kurdish, adopted in the 2000s with the decrease in PKK's activities.<ref name=Ibrahim2000>{{cite book | author = Ferhad Ibrahim, Gülistan Gürbey | year = 2000 | isbn = 0312236298 | title = The Kurdish Conflict in Turkey: Obstacles and Chances for Peace and Democracy }}</ref> In 1999, Turkish authorities [[History of the Kurdistan Workers Party#Capture of .C3.96calan .281999.29|captured Öcalan]] while he was being transferred by the [[Greece|Greek]] security system<ref name=Byman2005>{{cite book | title= Deadly Connections: States That Sponsor Terrorism | last = Byman | first= Daniel | year = 2005 | isbn = 0521839734 }}</ref>{{page number}} from the Greek [[Embassy]] in [[Kenya]] to a local airport, in an operation conducted jointly by the [[CIA]] and Turkey's [[Milli Istihbarat Teskilati|MIT]]. He was prosecuted in Turkey and sentenced to death. He took his case against Turkey to the [[European Court of Human Rights]]. The ECtHR held that there had been violation of Article 6 (right to fair trial), as there was a military judge in the Turkish court trying Abdullah Öcalan, there was no violation of Article 2 (right to life).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.echr.coe.int/eng/Press/2003/march/Ocalanjudgeng.htm|title=Chamber Judgment In The Case Of Öcalan v. Turkey| accessdate=2007-10-22 |date= March 2003|publisher=[[European Court of Human Rights]]|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20050210224238/http://www.echr.coe.int/eng/Press/2003/march/Ocalanjudgeng.htm|archivedate=2005-02-10}}</ref> The most recent execution in Turkey took place in 1984.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=227166|last=Öymen|first=Altan|title='İp kavgası' neyi gizledi?|language=Turkish|work=Radikal|date=2007-07-17|accessdate=2008-03-30}}</ref> Turkey abolished the [[death penalty]] on [[3 August]] [[2002]] (except in time of war at the first instance and entirely later on) as part of a raft of reforms aimed at preparing the country for European Union membership, and as a result the death sentence of Öcalan was commuted to life imprisonment.<ref>UNESCO. 2002. "[http://portal.unesco.org/es/ev.php-URL_ID=6606&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Death penalty abolished in Turkey]". The new Courier n°1.</ref>. Following a call by the captured Öcalan for a peaceful solution, the PKK found itself blacklisted in many countries. Consequently, the PKK went through a series of changes and implemented a unilateral truce, which ended in 2004. On [[April 2]] of that year, the [[Council of the European Union]] added the PKK to its list of terrorist organisations. Later in 2004, the [[United States Department of the Treasury|US Treasury]] moved to freeze assets of branches of the PKK. According to Turkish officials, [[Massoud Barzani]], leader of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq, and US forces have not done enough to combat PKK guerrillas and secure the Iraqi-Turkish border, causing tensions between the Iraqi and Turkish governments.<ref>{{cite web | title = Consul General's Speech on U.S.-Turkish Relations - May 23, 2006 - Istanbul, Turkey | url=http://istanbul.usconsulate.gov/cg_speech_0523.html | accessdate = 2008-02-22 | year = 2008 }}</ref> <ref>{{cite web | title = Ralston_091906 | url=http://istanbul.usconsulate.gov/ralston_091906.html | accessdate = 2008-02-22 | year = 2008 }}</ref> <br clear=all/> ==Recent history== ===1999–2004=== <!-- not recent anymore --> [[Image:Pkk supporters london april 2003.jpg|thumb|300px|right|PKK supporters demonstrating in [[London]] during the [[February 15, 2003 anti-war protest]] march [http://gallery.thinkgeek.co.uk/london_anti_war_2003].]] After his capture in 1999, the group's leader Abdullah Öcalan has urged the PKK to work peacefully to attain its objectives, and the PKK declared a ceasefire in that year. It changed its name to KADEK to reflect moves towards peaceful politics and co-operation with a wider range of ideologies, but it is claimed that this change was aimed to protect itself from the legal implications of being listed as a terrorist organization. A PKK/KADEK spokesman stated that its armed wing, The People’s Defense Force, would not disband or surrender its weapons, to maintain its capability of self-defense. PKK/KADEK avowing to not lay down its arms underscores that the organization maintains its capability to carry out terrorist operations.<ref name="militaryacts" /> Abdullah Öcalan, has declared his own militants as "no better than murderers".<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-09-01|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/234429.stm|title=Ocalan renounces armed struggle|date=1998-12-14}}</ref> ===2004–2006===<!-- not current anymore--> {{Unreferencedsection|date=September 2007}} The refusal of the Turkish government to issue a general [[amnesty]] to PKK operatives, the failure of the Kurdish nationalist [[Democratic People's Party (Turkey)|Democratic People's Party]] to make an electoral breakthrough until 2007 and profound ideological disputes within the movement led to the ceasefire becoming ragged in 2003, before breaking down completely in 2004. It is also fair to state that US invasion of Iraq in 2003 also provided a better base of support for the terrorists in Northern Iraq, contributing to the rising levels of armed clashes between Kurdish terrorists and Turkish military.{{Who|date=September 2007}} Since the declaration of cease-fire on August 2000, aside from a few isolated incidents, the armed conflict had come to a complete halt. Since 2004, there has been an increase in PKK attacks on the Turkish military, police, and governmental targets near the [[Iraq]]i border in the last months. <!-- OR +++ While PKK claims it is only acting in self-defense, -->Ankara is increasing its pressure on the US to obtain the go-ahead for a military strike to the PKK installations in northern Iraq. <!-- OR repeat +++ With the end of its unilateral cease-fire in August 2004, on the claims that Ankara's reforms are "cosmetic", PKK leaders seem to favour a return to the armed guerilla warfare. The increase in PKK attacks on Turkish military, civilians, police and governmental targets seem to further prove this fact. The -->PKK claims it is only acting in self-defense and for the protection of the Kurds. During the 2003-2005 period, the total security personnel lost (soldier, police (21), village guard (22)) is 246. The total number of personnel wounded and disabled is 147. The total armed militants captured: 1325 (359 dead, 377 live, 589 [[amnesty]]) (116 among 377 through exchange of criminals with [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Syria]], [[Greece]], [[Azerbaijan]] and [[Ukraine]]). The [[TBMM]] report also expects an increase in the number of militants captured through exchange of criminals in the coming years. These numbers are presented as part of the fight on [[Terrorism|terror]] activities. Report also mentions growing efforts in mobilizing the criminal intelligence exchange. ===2006-2007=== The PKK had declared ceasefire since [[September 28]], [[2006]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Kurdish rebel boss in truce plea| publisher=BBC|date=2006-09-28|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5389746.stm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Kurdish rebels declare ceasefire|publisher=BBC|date=2006-09-30|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5395102.stm}}</ref> although Turkish Prime Minister [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] and Chief of Staff, General [[Yaşar Büyükanıt]] do not recognize such a motion. Erdoğan was quoted as saying; "A ceasefire is done between states. It is not something for a terrorist organization,"<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkish army rejects rebel truce|publisher=BBC|date=2006-10-02|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5398842.stm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Turkish PM rejects ceasefire call|publisher=BBC| date=2006-09-28|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5391880.stm}}</ref> The Turkish army is calling for action against PKK training camps in northern Iraq.<ref>{{cite news|work=Irish Times (Dublin)|publisher=The Irish Times, Limited|date=2007-06-14| page=14|accessdate=2008-06-26|title=An army playing politics or flexing its muscle?|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2007/0614/1181770989138.html}}</ref> [[Image:Anti-PKK demonstration in Kadiköy.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A demonstration against the PKK in [[Kadıköy]], [[Istanbul]] on [[October 22]] [[2007]].]] On September 29, 2007 "PKK terrorists set up an [[ambush]] in the Beytüşşebap district of [[Şırnak]] on Saturday. The assault claimed the lives of seven village guards, five construction workers working on a dam project to bring water to their villages and one young child, while wounding two others". Turkish newspaper [[Zaman (newspaper)|Zaman]] reported:<ref>{{cite news|title=Terrorists target civilians, regional calm|publisher=[[Today's Zaman]]|date= 2007-10-01|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=123528|accessdate=2008-06-26}}</ref> "Separatists and terrorists from the PKK used machine gun fire on a minibus carrying 13 people, killing 12 people including seven village guard militia," local governor Selahattin Aparı said on Sunday. The 13th body, belonging to a child, was located close to the scene of the attack a few hours after the governor's statement." According to PatDollard.com, Bozan Tekin, a PKK militant, claimed that the attack was in fact carried out by the government forces against a Kurdish wedding party.<ref>{{cite web | author= Dollard, Pat | title = Young Americans | url=http://patdollard.com/2007/10/24/even-alexander-the-great-couldnt-bring-this-region-under-his-rule | accessdate = 2008-02-22 | year = 2008 }}</ref><!-- any proof that this is the same minibus? --> In early October 2007, PKK fighters carried out another ambush, this time near the border with Iraq, killing 13 Turkish soldiers. The incident sparked renewed threats from the Turkish government to cross over into Iraq to pursue the fighters.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkish soldiers killed by rebels|work=[[BBC]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7033075.stm}}</ref> On the 17th of October 2007, the Turkish parliament approved a military incursion into Iraq to pursue the PKK fighters. The vote for incursion won with an overwhelming 507 to 19.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey approves Iraq incursion|publisher=[[CNN]]| date=2007-10-17|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/10/17/turkey.iraq/index.html}}</ref> Action was delayed on request by the US government on the condition that "swift steps" were taken to deal with the militants. Just five days later on October 22nd, [[BBC]] reported another PKK ambush that left 12 more Turkish soldiers dead with an additional eight more missing.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkish troops missing after raid |language=English|publisher=[[BBC]]|url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7056151.stm}}</ref> According to [[The Independent]], the October 22nd attack happened when PKK militants blew up a bridge located just three miles (5 km) from the border with Iraq, when a 12-vehicle Turkish military convoy was crossing it. The attack left 17 Turkish soldiers dead and some were taken prisoners. Turkey reported that 32 militants were also killed in the raid <ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turks-mull-invasion-of-iraq-after-pkk-ambush-397553.html |accessdate=2008-06-29 |title=Turks mull invasion of Iraq after PKK ambush |work=The Independent |date=2007-10-22 |first=Patrick |last=Cockburn }}</ref>. On December 16th, 2007, [[Turkish Armed Forces]] started the biggest attack to Kurdish camps at Northern Iraq. [[Turkish Air Force]] [[F16]]s and [[F4]]s using [[night vision]] systems destroyed main camp at Kandil with Zap, Avaşin and Hakurk camps.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} ====Death threats by PKK concerning the Turkish General election in 2007==== {{see|Turkish general election, 2007}} A death threat was mailed by PKK to [[Republican People's Party (Turkey)|CHP]], [[Nationalist Movement Party|MHP]], [[True Path Party|DYP]] and [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AKP]] to withdraw their [[Van, Turkey|Van]] and [[Hakkari]] candidates allowing a [[Democratic Society Party|DTP]] dominance.<ref name="PKK threat"/> {{cquote|With the exception of DTP all candidates in Van and Hakkari from CHP, MHP, DYP and AKP must withdraw themselves and offer their support to Kurdish people. Our people must demonstrate their Kurdishness in the elections. If any different approach develops, our approach will also be different. [...] Whoever continues the activities we mentioned here will be punished. Who ever damages our movement or our party [DTP] will not be forgiven in any way. They should know that they are facing death.<ref name="PKK threat">{{cite web|author=Saygı Öztürk|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ucuncusayfa/6511101.asp?gid=205|title=PKK'dan büyük tehdit|language=Turkish|publisher=[[Hürriyet]]|accessdate=2007-05-14|quote=DTP dışında, Van ve Hakkari’de CHP, MHP, DYP ve AKP adayları kendilerini fesih edip Kürt halkına desteklerini sunmaları gerekmektedir. Tüm halkımız Kürtlüğünü sandıklarda muhakkak göstermelidir. Aksi yaklaşımlar gelişecek olursa yaklaşımlarımız farklı olacaktır. ''[...]'' Bu uyarımızdan sonra bildiride belirttiğimiz faaliyetler içinde olanlar cezalandırılacaktır. Hareketimize ve partimize zarar veren şahsiyetler hiçbir şekilde affedilmeyecektir. Ölümle karşı karşıya olduğunu bilmelidirler}}</ref>}} ===2008 to date=== On 22 February, 2008, the Turkish military carried out a major incursion into northern Iraq to attack PKK bases there. An estimated 10,000 Turkish troops were deployed for the incursion along with armoured vehicles and aircraft.<ref>{{cite news | title=Turkey launches major Iraq incursion|language=English|publisher=[[CNN]]|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/22/turkey.iraq/index.html}}</ref> The incursion sparked calls from the Iraqi and US governments for the incursion to end. On [[29 February]], the Turkish military announced that the incursion was finished and pulled out of northern Iraq, claiming that they had achieved their objectives. The military claimed 240 PKK rebels killed and for the loss of 27 Turkish soldiers.<ref>{{cite news | title=Iraqi incursion finished, Turkey says|language=English|publisher=[[CNN]]|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/29/iraq.main/index.html}}</ref> ==Allegations of international support to the PKK== [[Seymour Hersh]] has claimed that the U.S. government has been supporting [[PEJAK]], the Iranian branch of the PKK.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/11/27/061127fa_fact?currentPage=all |first=Seymour |last=Hersh |accessdate=2008-06-29 |title=The Next Act |date=2007-11-26 |quote=In the past six months, Israel and the United States have also been working together in support of a Kurdish resistance group known as the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan. |work=The New Yorker }}</ref> In an interview with the [[Daily Telegraph]], the head of the PKK's militant arm, Murat Karayilan, claimed that Iran attempted to recruit the PKK to attack coalition forces, adding that Kurdish guerrillas have launched a clandestine war in north-western Iran, ambushing Iranian troops.<ref name=tel>{{cite news | title = Kurdish guerillas launch clandestine war in Iran |work=The Daily Telegraph| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1562707/Kurdish-guerillas-launch-clandestine-war-in-Iran.html | accessdate = 2008-02-22 | year = 2008 }}</ref> The [[Chief of the Turkish General Staff]], General [[Yaşar Büyükanıt]] stated that even though the international struggle had been discussed on every platform and even though organizations such as the [[United Nations|UN]], [[NATO]], [[European Union|EU]] make statements of serious commitment, to this day the necessary measures had not been taken.<ref name="buyukanitquote"/> Büyükanıt continued:<ref name="buyukanitquote">{{cite news|title=PKK'ya yardım eden NATO üyesi Avrupa ülkeleri var|language=Turkish|publisher=[[Hürriyet]]|date=2007-05-22|language=Turkish| url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6560384.asp?gid=180}}</ref> <blockquote> On the contrary, this conduct on one side has encouraged the terrorists, on the other side it assisted in widening their [the terrorists] activities. The most distressful part of it is that many of the European countries being a member of NATO, an organization that had announced that terrorism was the greatest threat to itself. </blockquote> The director of the [[International Strategic Research Organization]] said:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/editorial.php?id=29 |accessdate=2008-06-29 |title=The West and Terrorism: PKK as A Privileged Terrorist Organization |work=The journal of Turkish Weekly |date=2006-05-14 |first=Sedat |last=Laciner }}</ref> <blockquote> The PKK is a terrorist organization. Americans and the EU say so. If the US ignores or supports the PKK in the region, the US’ fight against global terrorism will lose its base. Turkey’s support, as a moderate Muslim country, in fighting terrorism is crucial. However, if you support my terrorists, I can not help you in fighting against your terrorists. </blockquote> A former militant, who recently had turned himself in to the Turkish Police, claimed that the weapons for PKK in the north of Iraq were provided by US armoured vehicles.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Kandil Dağı'ndaki kampa 2 ABD zırhlı aracının silah getirdiğine şahit olduk|language=Turkish|publisher=nethaber, [[Anadolu Ajansı]]|date=2006-07-01|url= http://www.nethaber.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=27396}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=2 ABD zırhlı aracının silah getirdiğine şahit olduk|language=Turkish|publisher=[[Hürriyet]]|date=2006-07-01|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6812381.asp?gid=180}}.</ref> [[Austria]] arranged a flight to [[Iraq]] for [[Ali Rıza Altun]], a suspected key figure in PKK ranks with an [[Interpol]] arrest warrant in his name, after harboring him for some time<!-- The amount of time is not specified in the source but never the less is mentioned-->. Turkish foreign minister [[Abdullah Gül]] summoned the Austrian ambassador and condemned Austria's action.<ref name="Austria Ali riza altun">{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/6915035.asp?gid=180|title=Avusturya teröristi uçakla Irak'a gönderdi|publisher=[[Hürriyet]]|accessdate=2007-07-18|language=Turkish}}</ref> A document by the [[Turkish General Staff]] published in July 2007 documented the weapons and their origin captured from the PKK operatives. Same report also indicates that the PKK operatives delete some of the serial numbers from their weapons as they have done before making a serial number search. The weapons PKK uses and their origins are:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6922630.asp?gid=180|title=İşte PKK'nın silahlarının listesi|accessdate=2007-07-19|language= Turkish|publisher=[[Hürriyet]]}}</ref> *4,500 [[AK-47|AK-47 Kalashnikovs]]: 71.6% originating from the [[USSR]], 14.7% from [[China]], 3.6% from [[Hungary]], and 3.6% from [[Bulgaria]]. *5,713 ([[Kannas]], [[PKC automatic rifle]], [[Dragunov Sniper Rifle]], [[Arbiki]], [[Heckler & Koch G3]], [[M16 rifle]], [[Heckler & Koch PSG1]] (G-1), [[Mauser]]) of which only 959 had a complete traceable serial number: 45.2% from [[Russia]], 13.2% from [[United Kingdom]], and 9.4% from [[United States]]. *1,610 [[rocket launchers]] of which only 313 had a traceable serial number: 85% from [[Russia]], 5.4% from [[Iraq]], and 2.5% from [[China]] in origin. *2,885 [[pistol]]s of which only 2,208 had a traceable serial number: 21.9% from [[Czechoslovakia]], 20.2% from [[Spain]], and 19.8% from [[Italy]]. *3,490 [[grenade]]s of which 136 had a traceable serial number: 72% from [[Russia]], 19.8% from [[United States]], and 8% from [[Germany]]. *11,568 [[Land mine|mines]] of which only 8,015 had a traceable serial number. 60.8% from [[Italy]], 28.3% from [[Russia]], and 6.2% from [[Germany]]. ==Resources == ===Financial Resources=== The organization's annual budget has been estimated at $86 million [[USD]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IJ25Ak03.html |first=Sami |last=Moubayed |accessdate=2008-07-11 |work=Asia Times Online |title=No end in sight of the Kurdish fight |date=2007-10-24 }}</ref> The PKK receives a proportion of its funding in the form of private donations, from both organisations and individuals from around the world. Some of these supporters are Kurdish businessmen in south-eastern Turkey, sympathisers in Syria and Iran, and Europe. Parties and concerts are organized by branch groups.<ref name="organizedcrime">{{cite web|title=Counter-Terrorism Studies|url=http://www.ict.org.il/organizations/orgdet.cfm?orgid=20|accessdate=2002-11-03}}</ref> Additionally, it is believed that the PKK earns money through the sale of various publications, as well as receiving revenues from legitimate businesses owned by the organization.<ref name="pkk2">{{cite web|title=Terrorism > Financing of its activities|url=http://www.mfa.gov.tr/financing-of-its-activities.en.mfa|accessdate=2008-07-10|publisher=Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Foreign Affairs}}</ref> The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) also has been financing its separatist movement by extorting narcotics traffickers and engaging in the trade themselves. The PKK is heavily involved in the European drug trade, especially in Germany and France.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=52491 |accessdate=2008-06-29 |title=Drug Smuggling As Main Source of PKK Terrorism |date=2008-02-16 |work=Journal of Turkish Weekly |first=Sedat |last=Laciner }}</ref> French law enforcement estimates that the PKK smuggles 80% of the heroin in Paris.<ref>{{cite web | first= Frank J. |last=Cilluffo | title = The Threat Posed from the Convergence of Organized Crime, Drug Trafficking, and Terrorism | work= Homeland Security | publisher= George Washington University|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~dhs/congress/dec13_00.html | accessdate = 2008-02-22 | date=2000-12-13}}</ref> The [[British Foreign Office]] has made a similar estimate for Britain.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2008-06-26|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4305692.stm|title=Turkey at the drugs crossroads|first=Sarah|last=Rainsford|date=2005-10-06}}</ref> ===Human Resources=== According to information provided by the Intelligence Resource Program of the [[Federation of American Scientists]]the strenght of the organisation in terms of human resources consists of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 militants of whom 3,000 to 3,500 are located in northern Iraq <ref>http://fas.org/irp/world/para/pkk.htm</ref>. A study carried out by the Counter-Terrorism and Operations Department of Directorate General for Security over a sample of files about people convicted of being a terrorist under Turkish laws including 262 militants from the organisation has found that 54 % of the members are aged 14 to 25, 34 % 26 to 37 and 12 % 38 to 58. University graduates make up 11 % of the members, high school graduates 16 %, secondary school graduates 13 %, primary school graduates 39 %, literate non-graduates 12 % and illiterates 9 % <ref>Zaman. 25.12.2007. "Dikkat: Hangi yasadışı örgüte kimler üye olur?". http://www.iyibilgi.com/haber.php?haber_id=47595</ref>. ===International Support=== At the height of its campaign, the PKK received support from other countries, most notably [[Syria]],<ref name="organizedcrime" /> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/1998/int/980330/europe.a_hellenic_haven.19.html|title=A Hellenic Haven|first=Massimo|last=Calabresi|work=Time|accessdate=2007-10-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| title=Turkey in World Politics: An Emerging Multiregional Power|author=Barry M. Rubin|coauthors=Kemal Kirisci | isbn=1555879543 | year = 2008 }}</ref>{{page number}} [[Iran]],<ref>{{cite book| title =Turkey: facing a new millennium: Coping with Intertwined Conflicts (Europe in Change)|first=Amikam|last=Nachmani| publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=0719063701 | year = 2003 }}</ref>{{page number}} the [[Soviet Union]]<ref name=Cornell2001>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1016/S0030-4387(00)00056-9 | last = Cornell | first = Svante E. | journal = Orbis | volume = 45 | issue = 1 | pages = 31–46 | year = 2001 | title = The Kurdish Question in Turkish Politics | accessdate = 2008-06-29 }}</ref> and according to the Turkish government, [[Denmark]] allows Kurdish satellite television stations (such as ROJ-TV), which [[Turkey]] claims has links with the PKK, to operate in Denmark and broadcast into Turkey.<ref>{{cite web | title = Denmark, again? Now it's under fire for hosting Kurdish TV station. | csmonitor.com | url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0421/p01s01-woeu.html | accessdate = 2008-02-22 | year = 2008 }}</ref> MED TV broadcast for five years in UK, until its licence was revoked by the regulators Independent Television Commission (ITC) in 1999 due to a breach of ITC guidelines and perceived pro-PKK bias. When Med TV lost its licence in the UK, MEDYA TV started transmissions from studios in Belgium via a satellite uplink from [[France]]. MEDYA TV's licence was revoked by the French authorities. A few weeks later [[Roj TV]] began transmissions from Denmark. It has also been argued that the [[Netherlands]] and [[Belgium]] have supported the PKK by allowing its training camps to function in their respective territories. On [[November 22]] [[1998]], Hanover's criminal police reported that three children had been trained by the PKK for guerrilla warfare in camps in the Netherlands and Belgium.<ref>[http://www.globalmarch.org/resourcecentre/world/belgium.pdf GlobalMarch report]</ref> After the death of [[Theo van Gogh (film director)|Theo van Gogh]], with increasing attention on domestic security concerns, the Dutch police raided the 'PKK paramilitary camp' in the Dutch town of [[Liempde]] and arrested 29 people in November 2004. <ref>{{cite web | title = Expat information - Expatriate information - Working and Living abroad - International lifestyle - Expat information - Housing - Jobs - Listing - Classifieds - Yellow Pages - Expatica | url=http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=19&story_id=13898&name=Dutch+police+raid+'PKK+paramilitary+camp' | accessdate = 2008-02-22 | year = 2008 }}</ref> According to the former [[KGB]]-[[FSB]] officer [[Alexander Litvinenko]], who was assassinated in 2006, PKK's leader Abdullah Ocalan was among the terrorists trained by [[KGB]]-[[FSB]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chechenpress.co.uk/english/news/2005/07/11/01.shtml |accessdate=2008-06-29 |title=The originator of the acts of terrorism in London was standing near Tony Blair |date=2007-05-11 |work=Chechen Press |archiveurl=http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2005/07/318875.html |archivedate=2007-05-19 }}</ref> As of 2008, Russia still is not among the [[List of countries and organizations that list the PKK as a terrorist group|states that list PKK as a terrorist group]]. The PKK has developed links with paramilitary groups among other ethnic groups which has harboured historic grievances against Turkey such as the [[Armenian people|ethnic Armenian]] [[ASALA]],<ref name="sovietconnection2">{{cite web |url=http://www.globalpolitician.com/23436-terror-russia |accessdate=2008-06-29 |title=Roots of Islamic Terrorism: How Communists Helped Fundamentalists |work=Global Politician |date=2007-09-11 |first=Antero |last=Leitzinger }}</ref> as well as groups which shared its [[left-wing]] [[nationalist]] ideology such as the [[Palestine Liberation Organisation]], [[ETA]], and, to a lesser degree, the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]].<ref name="sovietconnection2" /> Through the large Kurdish immigration in [[Germany]], it has also formed close contacts with violent left-wing political groups in that country. From early 1979 to 1999 [[Syrian terrorism|Syria]] had provided valuable safe havens to PKK in the region of [[Beqaa|Beqaa Valley]]. During the 1990s, [[Iran]] provided PKK with supplies in the form of weapons and funds. <!-- and [[Greece]] has allowed PKK camps to function on its soil <<<< Unsubstantiated --> In addition, the retired Greek army general [[Dimitris Matafias]] has paid numerous visits and offered assistance.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The Republic of Cyprus was in suspicion of aiding [[Abdullah Öcalan]], the founder of PKK, after he was caught with a Cypriot passport [[:Image:Cypruspassportofocalan.jpg| to the name of Mavros Lazaros]], a nationalist reporter. The reporter in question has been on record as acting as his own volition. After [[History of the Kurdistan Workers Party#The undeclared war|the undeclared war]] between Turkey and Syria, Syria placed restrictions on PKK activity on its soil. Turkey is expecting positive developments in its cooperation with Syria in the long term, but even during the course of 2005, there were PKK operatives of Syrian nationality operating in Turkey. Iran [[Kurdistan Workers Party/States Listed as Terrorist|listed]] PKK as a terrorist organization after Iran's supply of resources to the PKK began to be used on its own soil. On [[September 30]] [[1995]], [[Damascus]] opened new contacts with high ranking German [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]] MP Heinrich Lummer and German intelligence officials. The PKK has strong ties with influential persons around the world. [[Danielle Mitterrand]], the wife of the former [[President of France]] has active connections with elements of the PKK's leadership.<ref name="olson">{{cite book|title=The Kurdish Nationalist Movement in the 1990s: Its Impact on Turkey and the Middle East|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|year=1996|isbn=0813119995|last=Olson|first=Robert W.|authorlink=Robert W. Olson}}</ref>{{page number}} ==Activities== {| class="infobox" cellpadding="1" style="font-size: 85%; align=right;" |- |align=center colspan=6|'''Activities of the Kurdistan Workers Party by Region'''<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism">{{cite book|first=Stephen R.|last=Barnhart|title=New International Terrorism and Political Violence Guide|isbn=1553692438|page=107-109|publisher=Trafford Publishing|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=kWK385cUCVoC&pg=PA107&vq=PKK&dq=New+International+Terrorism+and+Political+Violence.&source=gbs_search_r&cad=1_1&sig=ACfU3U2cbAJ-fmM1_flA4Lfahd80k77p4g}}<!-- this book looks really sketchy; let's look for alternatives --></ref><ref name="militaryacts">{{cite web|title=Kongra-Gel, KADEK, PKK: globalsecurity|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/pkk.htm|accessdate=2005-04-01}}</ref> |- |bgcolor="#ccbcff" align=center|Target |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" align=center colspan=2|Activity Category |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center|Turkey |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center|Northern<br/>Iraq |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center|Western<br/>Europe |- |bgcolor="#ccccff" rowspan=12| Government |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2|Demonstrations/Protests<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| [[Riot]]s<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| Kidnapping<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| [[Assassination]]<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| [[Sabotage]]<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| [[Chemical warfare]]<ref>Two decoded cases: 1) August 27, 1996 mustard/sarin 2)(50 mg/l) of cyanide to three water tanks used by the Air Force.</ref> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" rowspan=3| [[Bomb#Bombing|Bombing<br/>Attacks]]<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6d9ff"| Post/Train/Power |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff"| Police |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff"| Outposts |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" rowspan=3 | Armed<br/>Attacks<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6d9ff"| Military |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff"| Police |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff"| Village Guards |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#ccdcff" rowspan=5| Civilian |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| Kidnapping<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| Assassination<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" rowspan=3| Bombing<br/>Attacks |bgcolor="#e6d9ff"| Villages |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff"| Touristic Facilities<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff"| Commercial Units<ref name="NewInternationalTerrorism"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |- |bgcolor="#ccecff" rowspan=3| [[Organized Crime]] |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| [[Extortion]]<ref name="PKKextortion US DOS">{{cite web|url=http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps14740/www.state.gov/www/global/terrorism/1997Report/eurasia.html|title=1997 Global Terrorism: Europe and Eurasia Overview| date=1997| accessdate=2008-02-23|publisher=[[United States Department of State]]}}</ref> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| [[Image:Yes check.svg|15px|Yes]] |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| [[Illegal drug trade|Drug Trafficking]]<ref name="PKK US Embassy, Turkey">{{cite web|url=http://turkey.usembassy.gov/op_ed_04222006.html|title=Our Alliance Against Terrorism|accessdate=2007-07-15|publisher=[[United States Department of State]]}}</ref> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| Transit |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| Transit |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| Destination |- |bgcolor="#e6d9ff" colspan=2| [[Trafficking in human beings|Human Trafficking]]<ref name="PKK US Embassy, Turkey"/> |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| Origin |bgcolor="#e6f9ff" align=center| Origin |bgcolor="#e6e9ff" align=center| |} The PKK operates in Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.<ref name="militaryacts" /> One pattern is apparent after 1984, PKK began to use [[Maoism#Military strategy|Maoist theory of people's war]].<ref name=Radu2001>{{cite journal | url = http://www.oranim.ac.il/courses/meast/extra/RISE%20AND%20FALL%20THE%20PKK.htm | doi = 10.1016/S0030-4387(00)00057-0 | author = Radu, Michael | journal = Orbis | volume = 45 | issue = 1 | pages = 47–63 | month = Winter | year = 2001 | title = The Rise and Fall of the PKK | accessdate = 2008-06-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/mar1999/pkk-m12.shtml |accessdate=2008-06-29 |title=The politics of the PKK (Kurdish Workers Party): A balance sheet |author=Ute Reissner and Justus Leicht |work=World Socialist |publisher=ICFI |date=1999-03-12 }}</ref> There are three phases in this theory. The militant base during the initial years was coming from different sources, so the first two phases were diffused to each other. In the first phase (1978-1984), the PKK tried to gain the support of the population. It attacked the machinery of government and distributed propaganda in the region. PKK tactics were based on [[ambush]], [[sabotage]], [[riot]]s, protests, and [[demonstration]]s against the Turkish government. PKK has also been accused of violent attacks on individual civilians or residential areas (Kurds and non-Kurds alike), who refused to co-operate with the PKK or were suspected of collaborating with the Turkish authorities. During these years, the PKK fought a turf war against other predominantly Kurdish organisations in Turkey. The PKK effectively used the prison force to gain appeal among the population.<ref>{{cite news |work=Zaman |language=Turkish |url=http://www.zaman.com.tr/haber.do?haberno=620819 |accessdate=2008-07-09 |title=Eski Dışişleri Bakanı Hikmet Çetin: PKK'nın temeli 12 Eylül'de atıldı |date=2007-12-03 |author=Cihan Haber Ajansi |quote=PKK aslında nereden şiddetle çıktı. Bana göre Diyarbakır Cezaevi'nden, 12 Eylül'den sonra çıktı. Yani ortam, orada hazırlandı. Çıkış yeri orası. Orada işkenceden insanlar öldü. Sakat kalanlar Avrupa'ya gitti. Öyle bir ortamda. }}</ref><ref>Immigration Appeals: 2nd - 3rd Quarter (2004), by Great Britain Immigration Appeal Tribunal</ref> In the whole Turkey, this period was characterized by [[Right-wing and left-wing armed conflicts (Republic of Turkey)|violent clashes]] which culminated in the [[1980 military coup in Turkey|1980 military coup]]. In the second phase (1984-1999), which followed the return of civilian rule in 1983, escalating attacks were made on the government's military and vital institutions all over the country. The objective was to destabilise Turkish authority through a long, low-intensity confrontation. In addition to skirmishing with Turkish military and police forces and local [[village guards]], the PKK has conducted [[suicide bombing]] on government and police installations, as well as at local tourist sites. [[Kidnapping]] and [[assassination]] against government officials and Kurdish tribal leaders who were named as puppets of the state were performed as well. Widespread [[sabotage]]s were continued from the first stage. PKK performed [[kidnapping]] western [[tourist]]s, primarily in [[Istanbul]] but also at different resorts. PKK has also attacked Turkish diplomatic and commercial facilities across [[Western Europe]]. In the third phase, or "guerrilla stage", [[conventional fighting]] was used to seize cities, overthrow the government and take control of the country. PKK seized cities during the highest activity period, and it also had consequences on the functioning of the Turkish parliament through Turkey's own election system, but there was no case during an active conflict that PKK manage to sustain its flag in a region within the borders of Turkey. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} ==Militant activities== Since its creation in the 1970s, amid [[Right-wing and left-wing armed conflicts (Republic of Turkey)|violent clashes in the whole of Turkey]] which culminated in the [[1980 military coup in Turkey|1980 military coup]], the PKK has developed into a paramilitary organization. The conflict between PKK and the Turkish state rendered much of southeastern Turkey a war zone in the late 1980s and 1990s. Its actions have taken place mainly in Turkey and against Turkish targets in other countries, although it has on occasions co-operated with other Kurdish nationalist paramilitary groups in neighboring states, such as Iraq and Iran.<ref name=Cordesman1999>{{Citation | author = Cordesman, Anthony H. | year = 1999 | title = Iraq and the War of Sanctions: Conventional Threats and Weapons of Mass Destruction | isbn = 0275965287 | publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group }}</ref>{{page number}} The PKK argued that its violent actions were justified by the need to defend Kurds in the context of what it considered as the massive cultural suppression of Kurdish identity (including the 1983 [[Turkish Language Act Ban]]) and cultural rights carried out by the governments of the region. In its campaign, the PKK has been accused of carrying out atrocities against both Turkish and Kurdish civilians and its actions have been criticised by [[human rights]] groups such as [[Amnesty International]] and [[Human Rights Watch]]. Actions of the [[Turkey|Turkish state]] in the past have also been criticised by these same groups. In effect, the Turkish state has led a series of [[counter-insurgency]] operations against the PKK, accompanied by political measures, starting with an explicit denunciation of separatism in the [[Constitution of Turkey|1982 Constitution]], and including proclamation of the [[state of emergency]] in various PKK-controlled territories starting in 1983 (when the military relinquished political control to the civilians). This series of [[Administrative reforms against terrorism (Republic of Turkey)|administrative reforms against terrorism]] included in 1985 the creation of [[village guard system]] by the then prime minister [[Turgut Özal]] who is of partial Kurdish descent. All in all, this [[low intensity conflict]] which has lasted more than thirty years has had a [[Effects of the Kurdistan Workers Party|number of effects in the Turkish territory]]. Furthermore, this conflict is an important part concerning the negotiations between Turkey and the [[European Union]] (EU) about its eventual [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|integration to the EU]]. In the November/December 2000 edition of '[[Foreign Affairs]]', Eric Rouleau states:<ref name="rouleau">{{cite journal|last=Rouleau|first=Eric|year=2000|month=November/December|title=Turkey's Dream of Democracy|journal=[[Foreign Affairs]]|volume=79|issue=6|url=http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20001101faessay939/eric-rouleau/turkey-s-dream-of-democracy.html}}</ref><ref name="housegov">{{cite web|url=http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/107/73068.pdf|title=U.S. Policy In The Mediterranean: Managing The Greece, Turkey, Cyprus Triangle|publisher=The House of Representatives|accessdate=2006-09-01}}</ref> <blockquote> According to the Turkish Ministry of Justice, in addition to the 35,000 people killed in military campaigns, 17,500 were assassinated between 1984, when the conflict began, and 1998. An additional 1,000 people were reportedly assassinated in the first nine months of 1999. According to the Turkish press, the authors of these crimes, none of whom have been arrested, belong to groups of mercenaries working either directly or indirectly for the security agencies. </blockquote> In the late 1980s and early 1990s, in an effort to win increased support from the Kurdish peasantry, the PKK altered its leftist secular ideology to better accommodate and accept Islamic beliefs. The group also abandoned its previous strategy of attacking Kurdish civilians, focusing instead on government and tourist targets.<ref name="miptpkkmain">{{cite web|url= http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=63|author=MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base|title=Group Profile: Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)|accessdate=2007-04-17}}</ref> ===Tactics=== The areas in which the group operates are generally mountainous rural areas and dense urban areas. The mountainous terrain offers an advantage to members of the PKK by allowing them to hide in a network of caves and making military air operations, especially helicopter use, hazardous for the Turkish Armed Forces. While in urban areas, PKK members are often able to blend in with the local population. The group has been planting mines.<ref name="mine">[http://www.icbl.org/lm/country/turkey Landmine Monitor]</ref> Use of these mines has led to civilian deaths, in part due to accidental triggering by civilian trucks and buses rather than the intended military [[armoured vehicle]]s.<ref name="mine" /> ===University of Ankara study=== The PKK is known to use children within its militant force. In his doctoral dissertation, Uğur Esentur of [[Ankara University]] has examined the motivations of some of these children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagbilens.ankara.edu.tr/ithesis.php?id=2249 |accessdate=2008-07-11 |title=Thesis details |first=Uğur |last=Esentur |publisher=Ankara Üniversity, Health Sciences Institute |language=Turkish}} Electronic copy available from [http://tez2.yok.gov.tr/fmi/xsl/tez/listevedetay_liste.xsl?-db=TezVT&-lay=web_arama&-max=20&-token.error=liste.xsl&AdSoyad=U%C4%9Fur%20Esentur&-find=&-token.d=1 YOK] after [http://tez2.yok.gov.tr/ signing up].</ref> Of those surveyed, 86% had joined the PKK to bolster their families incomes following offers that it would provide for their families in return.<ref name="Hurriyet DeceivedChild">{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6673759.asp?gid=180|title=Hepsi kandırılmış çocuklar|language=Turkish|publisher=[[Hürriyet]]|author=[[University of Ankara]]|accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref> All of the children reported that these offers were not fulfilled.<ref name="Hurriyet DeceivedChild"/> 80% of those surveyed also reported that they had actively stopped other family members—usually younger brothers—from joining the organization too.<ref name="Hurriyet DeceivedChild"/> The study also reported that 60% of those surveyed had an education level below high school level.<ref name="Hurriyet DeceivedChild"/> When asked why they stayed in the PKK rather than turning themselves in to the authorities, two thirds stated that they were afraid of being caught by the PKK as reprisals are not just limited to physical harm towards the militant; their families would be at risk as well.<ref name="Hurriyet DeceivedChild"/> Five percent said that it was from fear of punishment by the Turkish Republic.<ref name="Hurriyet DeceivedChild"/> The study also examined attitudes toward gender equality within the organization. 88% of the subjects reported that, despite its Marxist ideology and claims that equality is a key objective, there was no equality within the organization.<ref name="Hurriyet DeceivedChild"/> ==Effects== {{Refimprove|date=March 2008}} {{Main|Effects of the Kurdistan Workers Party}} As a self-styled revolutionary [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] organization, the PKK has cited "''mass violence by the Turkish state on the Kurd identity''" to justify its activities.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} The main goal of its activities was to alienate the people from the state by pushing security forces into more and more overt and repressive counter-measures. The [[Effects of the Kurdistan Workers Party#Political.2FJustice|Political-Justice]] section extends the results of this ideology and methods of the democratic processes and the justice system in Turkey. In a democratic system, an ideology that questions the state's legitimacy, will of its population and its security apparatus was difficult to be accepted as a political view, which was shaped under [[Effects of the Kurdistan Workers Party#HEP.2FDEP.2FHADEP|HEP/DEP/HADEP]] story. Turkish government authorities did not negotiate with the organization, so [[Effects of the Kurdistan Workers Party#Non governmental Organisations (NGO)|regional NGOs]] there were no communication channels between the sides. The ill-formed language ban of 1983 and Terrorism Act of 1991 were significant events. Also, amnesties were interesting events during the conflict time, as each amnesty gave more human resources to the organization. The prison as a rehabilitation concept was a failure. The people who were jailed for non-violent activities were becoming militants during their jail time. Government's military operations against the prisons were the highest point in this failure. As a revolutionary [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] organization, the PKK perceived Turkish society as one that was deformed by capitalism and imperialism. The PKK unleashed its aggression on enemies spanning all classes (farmers, business, etc.) and those that it considered puppets of the state. The [[Effects of the Kurdistan Workers Party#Economy|cost of the PKK's actions]] are significant. PKK had drastic effects on [[Effects of the Kurdistan Workers Party#Regional Economy|regional economy]], as targeted infrastructure of the region. Regions' inability to join the economical activities were associated with the [[Effects of the Kurdistan Workers Party#Work Force|work force]], costs (insurance premiums, facility costs, loss of trained personnel etc.), and productivity (loss of work time, travel restrictions, inability to move rapidly etc). The region has had a very high historical tourism potential and it has been dormant because of the terrorism threat for many years. The integration into social and economical activities are developed within the education system. [[Effects of the Kurdistan Workers Party#Education|Educational]] activities were targeted by the PKK. Because the majority of the people are very resilient to the effects of political violence, young people form a high risk group because of their undeveloped personalities. The effects of political violence on the newer generations is an important issue because, at the moment, the new generation in areas affected by the conflict have no experience living under what would be considered normal conditions. According to a July 1998 article in ''[[Le Monde diplomatique]]'', the conflict has weighed heavily on the Turkish state's budget.<ref name="Mondediplo"/> In 1993, a sum of $70m was allocated from the prime minister’s secret funds. According to government inspector Kutlu Savaş, this sum was used mainly for procuring weapons and anti-terrorist equipment from Israel and for external operations. [[Irregular unit]]s in the conflictual zones have had to find ways to finance themselves, including racketeering and secret funding. Sedat Bucak has been alleged by the French newspaper to have under his orders 20,000 men, while the [[village guards]] pro-government Kurdish militias created in the mid-1980s would number to a total of 64,000.<ref name="Mondediplo">{{cite news|url=http://mondediplo.com/1998/07/05turkey |title=Turkey’s pivotal role in the international drug trade|work=Le Monde diplomatique|date=1998-07-05|last=Nezan|first=Kendal}}</ref> == See also == *[[Blackwater USA arms smuggling allegations]] *[[Human rights of Kurdish people in Turkey]] *[[Kurds in Turkey]] ==Notes== {{Reflist|2}} ==References== {{nocitations}} <div class="references-small"> *{{cite web|url= http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/www/nationalsecurity.nsf/AllDocs/28B052FC3CCE4009CA2570DF000FB458?OpenDocument|publisher=Australian Government|title=Kurdistan Workers Party|quote=listed in Australia (as a terrorist organization) on December 17 2005|accessdate=2007-09-01}} *{{cite web|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060630045559/http://www.ict.org.il/organizations/orgdet.cfm?orgid=20| archivedate=2006-06-30|url=http://www.ict.org.il/organizations/orgdet.cfm?orgid=20|publisher=[[International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism]] (ICT) |title= Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK)|accessdate=2007-09-01}} *{{cite news|publisher=BBC|accessdate=|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7044760.stm|title=Profile: PKK rebel group|date=2007-10-15}} *{{cite news|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-09-01|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/535312.stm|title=Ocalan: Which way now?|date=2000-11-21}} *{{cite news|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-09-01|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/358115.stm|title=Ocalan: Greeks supplied Kurdish rebels|date=1999-06-02}} *{{cite news|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-09-01|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3200907.stm|title=Kurdish rebels abandon truce|date=2003-09-02}} *{{cite news|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=2007-09-01|url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1482808,00.html|title=Radical firebrand who led bloody nationalist war| date=2005-05-13|first=Michael|last=Howard}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.turkishweekly.net/articles.php?id=217 |accessdate=2008-06-29 |work=Turkish Weekly |title=Chronology of the Important Events in the World/PKK Chronology (1976-2006) |author=International Strategic Research Organization |date=2007-05-27 }} </div> == External links == *[http://www.hpg-online.net HPG (PKK-affiliated People's Defense Forces)] *[http://www.newstin.com/us/kurdistan-workers-party News articles about Kurdistan Workers Party] *[http://turcopundit.blogspot.com/2007/11/abd-ve-pkk-ilikisi-zerine-notlar_23.html Notes on U.S.-PKK Relations], 22 November 2007 {{tr icon}} *"[http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/8622072.asp?gid=233&sz=74487 PKK'nın yurtdışındaki kuruluşları]", Hurriyet {{tr icon}} *"[http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/8732626.asp?gid=229&sz=84596 Asıl hedef Büyükanıt'tı]", Hurriyet {{tr icon}} {{War on Terrorism}} {{Turkey-PKK conflict}} [[Category:Kurdistan Workers Party]] [[Category:Secessionist organizations]] [[Category:U.S. State Department designated terrorist organizations]] [[Category:Canada Public Safety designated terrorist entities]] [[Category:European Union designated terrorist organizations]] [[Category:Government of Kazakhstan designated terrorist organizations]] [[Category:UK Home Office designated terrorist groups]] [[Category:Political parties established in 1978]] [[Category:Terrorism in Turkey]] [[Category:Secession in Turkey]] [[Category:Anti-Turkism]] [[Category:Terrorism]] [[Category:Kurdistan]] [[ar:حزب العمال الكردستاني]] [[az:Kürd İşçi Partiyası]] [[bn:পার্তিয়া কারকেরেন কুর্দিস্তান]] [[bg:Кюрдска работническа партия]] [[ca:Partit dels Treballadors del Kurdistan]] [[da:PKK]] [[de:Arbeiterpartei Kurdistans]] [[es:Partido de los Trabajadores de Kurdistán]] [[eo:PKK]] [[eu:Kurdistango Langileen Alderdia]] [[fa:حزب کارگران کردستان]] [[fr:Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan]] [[gl:Partido dos Traballadores do Curdistán]] [[ko:쿠르디스탄 노동자당]] [[id:Partai Pekerja Kurdistan]] [[it:Partîya Karkerén Kurdîstan]] [[he:מפלגת הפועלים של כורדיסטן]] [[ku:Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan]] [[lv:Kurdistānas Strādnieku partija]] [[lt:Kurdistano darbininkų partija]] [[nl:Koerdische Arbeiderspartij]] [[ja:クルディスタン労働者党]] [[no:Kurdistans Arbeiderparti]] [[pl:Partia Pracujących Kurdystanu]] [[pt:Partido dos Trabalhadores do Curdistão]] [[ksh:PKK]] [[ru:Рабочая партия Курдистана]] [[sq:Partia e Punëtorëve të Kurdistanit]] [[fi:Kurdistanin työväenpuolue]] [[sv:PKK]] [[ta:குர்துமக்கள் தொழிலாளர் கட்சி]] [[th:พรรคแรงงานเคอร์ดิสถาน]] [[tr:Kürdistan İşçi Partisi]] [[uk:Робітнича партія Курдистану]] [[zh:库尔德工人党]]