The PKK was founded by Abdullah Ocalan in 1978 to advocate for Kurdish liberation. Post coups, armed conflict escalated, particularly after Ocalan’s 1999 arrest. Peace efforts emerged in 2013 but collapsed by 2015, leading to renewed violence. Recent political shifts indicate potential thawing relations, albeit amidst ongoing tensions.
The Turkey-PKK conflict, rooted in a struggle for Kurdish rights, began in 1978 when Abdullah Ocalan and other students founded the PKK with aims of liberation through armed struggle. Following a coup in 1980, Ocalan fled to Syria and Lebanon, where he initiated armed conflict in 1984, leading to a brutal military response from Turkey, resulting in a civil war-like situation in the southeast region.
Ocalan was arrested on February 15, 1999, in Kenya and sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life imprisonment in 2002 amidst EU reforms. On March 21, 2013, he called for the PKK to lay down arms during the Newroz celebrations, marking the beginning of peace talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which included mediation by the pro-Kurdish HDP.
However, the truce disintegrated by July 2015 following a significant bombing in Suruc, near the Syrian border, alongside growing tension due to electoral pressures on Erdogan’s government. In retaliation, Turkey launched military campaigns against PKK targets in Iraq and intensified its operations domestically, resulting in fierce clashes in towns like Diyarbakir and deepening societal divisions.
The Turkey-PKK conflict represents a complex history of armed struggle for Kurdish rights, characterized by significant events such as Ocalan’s formation of the PKK, his subsequent arrest, and the fluctuating phases of peace and violence. The evolving political landscape, particularly following the failed coup in 2016, has further complicated the prospects for a lasting resolution.
Original Source: www.newarab.com
