Kurdish People and PKK Terror Organisation

PKK and It’s Political Formation
It’s clear that, there is an economic imbalance between east and west side of the Turkish 

Republic. This economic imbalance caused to some problems. PKK terror organization thought that 

they can solve this problem by taking support of the Kurdish People in Turkey and creation of an 

Independent Kurdish state. But they were wrong, because the defender of the Kurdish citizens of 

Turkey is not PKK, and PKK make Kurdish’s rights an excuse . The solution is discuss this problem in 

Political arena and try to balance social-economic difference between east and west.

1-What is PKK?

The Kurdistan Workers' Party best known as PKK is a militant organization founded in the 1970s and

led by Abdullah Öcalan. The PKK's ideology is founded on revolutionary Marxism-Leninism and

Kurdish nationalism. The PKK's goal has been to create an independent, socialist Kurdish state in

Kurdistan; a geographical region 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 ethnic Kurdish population in

Turkey. Their active regions are Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and their ideology is Kurdish nationalism,

Marxism-Leninism.(1)

Major Actions

Assassination, Bombing Attacks, Chemical Warfare, Drug Trafficking, Extortion, Human Trafficking,

Kidnapping, Sabotage.(2)

Status

Designated as Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US State Department
Designated as Proscribed Group by the UK Home Office
Designated as terrorist group by EU Common Foreign and Security Policy(3)

Size and Annual Revenue

As high as 90,000 in the early 1990s. Currently estimated at 3,000-6000.Annual Revenue is about 500

million Euros.(5)

History of PKK

In the early 1970s, the organization's core group was made up largely of students led by

Abdullah Öcalan (nicknamed "Apo") in Ankara. The group soon moved its focus to large

Kurdish population in south-east Turkey. On November 27, 1978, the group adapted the name

"Kurdistan Workers Party." The organization took part in the conflict with right-wing entities

with its communist ideology. In 1979, the organization as a propaganda of the deed attempted

to assassinate Kurdish tribal leader Mehmet Celal Bucak who they claimed exploited the

peasants, and collaborated with Turkey. This marked a period of intense urban warfare

between other radical political elements. The 1980 Turkish coup d'état pushed the

organization to another stage with the members doing jail time, being subject to capital

punishment, or fleeing to Syria. Starting in 1984, the organization transformed itself into a

paramilitary organization using the training camps located in Syria and launched paramilitary

attacks as well as continuing with the bombings against governmental installations, military

and civilian targets, many of whom were connected to the Southeastern Anatolia Project.(6)

Beginning with the mid 1990s, the organization lost the upper hand in its operations as a

consequence of the declined state support in the post-Cold War shifts. In the mid 1990s, it

also began to shift from conventional bombing to suicide bombing and launched 15 attacks

which 11 were performed by a female. In the late 1990s, Turkey increased the pressure and

the undeclared war between Turkey-Syria ended the Syrian open support. In 1999, Öcalan

was captured, prosecuted and sentenced to death, but later commuted to life imprisonment as

part of European Union membership.(7) 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. The ban on

broadcasting was lifted in 2000s, which the publishing side of this 1983 ban on use of

Kurdish language was already lifted in 1991. At the sometime, the organization blacklisted

in many countries. On April 2, 2004, the Council of the European Union added the

organization to its list of terrorist organisations. Later that year, the US Treasury moved to

freeze assets of branches of the organization. The organization went through a series of

changes and unilateral truce declared by the organization ended in 2003.

Since Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–present, according to Turkey, Massoud Barzani, leader of the

Kurdish region in northern Iraq, and US forces have not done enough to combat with the

organization and secure the Iraqi-Turkish border, causing tensions between the Iraqi and

Turkish governments(8)

Funding

The organization's annual budget has been estimated at $500 million Euros.(9)

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. 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. Besides affliate organizations, there are sympathizer

organizations such as the Confederation of Kurdish Associations in Europe (KON-KURD,

headquartered in Brussels) and the International Kurdish Businessmen Union (KAR-SAZ, in

Rotterdam) which constantly exchanges information and perform legitimate or semi-

legitimate commercial activities and donations.

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) also has been financing its separatist movement by

extorting narcotics traffickers and engaging in the trade themselves.(10)

Toll

More than 37,000 people have died since the beginning of the PKK's armed struggle in 1984. According to Denise Natali, the Turkish Armed Forces have destroyed some 8000 Kurdish communities and created 3 to 4 million refugees in the process.

According to official figures released by the Turkish military for the 1984-2008 period (11)
32,000 militants have been killed.
14,000 militants have been captured alive.
5,560 civilians have been killed.
6,482 soldiers have been killed.

2- Why Pkk is not the defender of the Kurdish citizens of Turkey and why won’t be?
Is there any difference between Kurdish and Turkish rights in Turkey?

I can definitely say no. There is no ethnical distinction according to the Turkish

Constitution Article 10 ; “ARTICLE 10. All individuals are equal without any

 

discrimination before

 

the law, irrespective of language, race, colour, sex, political opinion, philosophical belief,

 

religion and sect, or any such considerations.

 

Turgut ÖZAL,the 8th Prime Minister of Turkish Republic was Kurdish and he always was

 

proud of that saying this.He was a Kurdish that loved Turkey.If a Kurdish people can be

 

Prime Minister of Turkey,how can we say that “there is an ethnical distinction and  

 

imbalance rights betweend Turkish and Kurdish people?

 
How is the relation between Kurdish and Turkish People in daily life?

 

2 weeks ago,a teacher of mine whom is working at my university asked me that “can

 

Kurdish people live in ANKARA, can they buy house?” First i thought that he is making

 

joke,but he was serious.I think that question is showing us, how the International Press is

 

reflecting the problems to world.Ofcourse,Kurdish People can buy houses,ofcourse they can

 

live in ANKARA,and the are living in Ankara.There are about 18 million Kurdish People is

 

living in Turkey,and the Population of Turkey is 72 million.This means %25 of Turkey is

 

Kurdish.If we were enemies to each other,think daily life!Kurdish-Turkish people are getting

 

married with each other for long years

 
Does Kurdish means Terrorist?

 

There are 18 million Kurdish People in Turkey,and think that all the Kurdish People are

 

supporting PKK.This will cause a war.But now PKK only have 3000-6000 guerilla.This proof

 

that,most of the Kurdish People is not supporting PKK.

 

3- Democratic Society Party

 

Democratic Society Party (Turkish: Demokratik Toplum Partisi - DTP) is a Kurdish

nationalist political party in Turkey. The party considers itself as social-democratic, and has

observer status within the Socialist International. It is considered to be the successor of the

Democratic People's Party (DEHAP).

The party was founded in 2005, as the merger of the DEHAP and the Democratic Society

Movement (DTH). DTH was set up by the veteran Kurdish politicians, former deputies Leyla

Zana, Orhan Doğan, Hatip Dicle and Selim Sadak upon their release from prison in 2004. The

current leader of the DTP is Ahmet Türk

The party has been alleged to have relations with the PKK, a Kurdish militant secessionist group.
Accusations of connection with the PKK

Since its inception, the party and its leaders have faced legal problems with the Turkish

government since critics suspect the party of ties to the Kurdish separatist movements

and the PKK, an armed militant organization recognized as terrorist by Turkey, the EU and

the USA.

A June 2007 report by the European Union Institute for Security Studies stated that "It is an

obvious secret that DTP is connected to PKK in a way and PKK is a terrorist group." It is

also criticized by EUISS for not distancing itself from PKK's armed actions to confirm its

refutations of its claimed links with the PKK. In October 2007, in a meeting of the ambassadors of the EU countries and the US to Turkey,

it was reported that the diplomats pressured the DTP to denounce PKK as terrorist,

following a DTP-sponsored conference whose final declaration called the jailed PKK leader,

Abdullah Öcalan, as a "leader of the Kurdish people" and called for his release.

Leyla Zana, a leading figure in the party recently made the statement: "in 99 our leader

[Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the PKK] was in İmralı" which led the crowd to chant "Long live

Chairman Apo" (Kurdish: Bijî Serok Apo) the nickname of Öcalan. A judicial investigation

was initiated over her remarks.

Democratic Society Party never say and accept that PKK is a terror Organization.How they

 

can’t say this?PKK killed 30.000 civil people since 1984 and according to them,this is not

 

terrorism.DSP can’t be representative of Kurdish People,because they don’t want to face

 

with the real.

 

 

4- Solution
Economic investment to the East side of Anatolia was a problem since the last times of
Ottoman Empire.Turkish Army Force has paid 170 billion dollars since 1984 for fight with
PKK.If Turkey can appoint the main problems at east,PKK terrorist Organization will
spontaneously disappear.Turkey is a mosaic country,there are lots of nations;
Armenians,Greeks,Kurds,Laz,Çerkez,Pomak,Abhazias,Macir etc.. but Turkish People
always knowed that how tol ive together.Both sides opinions,suggestions,solutions must
discuss freely. Tolerance,emphaty and economic investments are the golden keys of this
dispute.