Kurdistan workers party pkk, militant kurdish nationalist organization founded by abdullah ocalan in the late 1970s. Karkeren kurdistane kurdistan workers party pkk andor its affiliates. Partiya karker kurdistan, marxist leninist militant organization of kurds fighting for independence from turkish rule, pkk english contemporary dictionary. The australian government first proscribed the kurdistan workers party pkk as a terrorist organisation under the criminal code on 17 december 2005. Kurdistan labor pary, partiya karkeran kurdistan, ppk. Funding terrorism through organized crime, a case study. Parti karkerani kurdistan, commonly known as pkk, also known as kgk and formerly known as kadek freedom and democracy congress of kurdistan or kongragel kurdistan peoples congress, 6 is a kurdish organization which has since 1984 been fighting an armed struggle. By zaher baher 30122017 since the kurdistan workers party pkk formed it has gone through difficult times but never like now. Since december 2015 an obscure group called the kurdistan freedom falcons tak has launched a string of attacks against civilians in western turkish cities. Kurdistan workers party pkk kurdish nationalist party. Its ideology was based on revolutionary marxismleninism and kurdish. The kurdistan workers party pkk was established in 1978.
The best part of pkk struggle was the period of unilateral ceasefire. The party denies turkeys claim that it is allied to the pkk. Though isolated, he maintained enough authority over the pkk to negotiate on its behalf. Analyzing kurdistan workers party pkk in turkey, this article explores the complex process of ideological transformation under the forces of local competition. National counterterrorism center, counterterrorism calendar 20. Democratic party kdp and the patriotic union of kurdistan puk as well as the regions economic fragility and the limits of international support. Kurdistan workers party synonyms, kurdistan workers party pronunciation, kurdistan workers party translation, english dictionary definition of kurdistan workers party. Project muse the kurdistan workers party turns against. Espousing a marxist ideology, the group took part in violent conflicts with rightwing entities as a part of the political chaos in turkey at the time. Pkk militant group in possession of arms provided to kurdish. Although the group initially espoused demands for the establishment of an independent kurdish state, its stated aims were later tempered to calls for greater kurdish autonomy. A hoover institution essay on a us strategic vision in a.
The kurdistan workers party and a new left in turkey. The relationship between pkk and kurdish political parties 11 6. Pdf identity, hegemony, and imagining world politics. It also assesses the political and socioeconomic conditions that increase support. It was founded in turkish kurdistan in 1978 and sought to establish an independent kurdish. Partiya karkeren kurdistan, pkk is an armed group established in the early 1970s. The 1970s saw kurdish nationalism branching off into marxist political ideology which influenced a new generation of kurdish nationalists. The kurdistan workers party pkk was founded by abdullah ocalan on november 27, 1978, with the goal of securing an autonomous kurdistan along with improving cultural and political rights for kurds in turkey. Citing kurdish sources, hurriyet newspaper reported july 27 that turkish tanks fired on u. A group of radical kurdish students led by abdullah ocalan in turkey formed the militant separatist group called partiya karkeren kurdistan pkk, or kurdistan workers party in english. The kurdistan workers party pkk is a nationalist kurdish guerrilla group that has been engaged in a campaign of violence against the turkish state for more than two decades with the goal of. The majority of the kurdish population in turkey is located in the eastern regions. Blending marxistleninist revolutionary political ideology with ethnic kurdish nationalism, the group has seized on opportunities fueled by the discontent of a kurdish population. The group first engaged in violent activities in 1984.
Radical democracy and the right to selfdetermination beyond the nationstate. Troops from the turkish army discovered and seized two at4 unguided antitank weapons from pkk forces during counterterrorist operations in southeastern parts of the country on wednesday, according to an official twitter account operated by the turkish armed forces. The turkish foreign ministry was quick to deny the report, insisting that the target set for turkish forces was limited to kurdistan workers party pkk militants in northern iraq and islamic state positions in syria. In germany, the kurdistan workers party pkk has been subject to a ban imposed on its activities since 1993. It is a nonstate organisation involved in terrorism activities with its. Unlike most kurdish political parties, which have adopted a rather conservative outlook and been organized around tribal leaders and structures, the pkk originated from the left in. Dissident ethnic movements are not only a challenge to the existing hegemonic power, but they also produce an alternative closed society. While the pkks manifesto explicitly called for the creation of an independent kurdish state, the group embraced marxism to justify its kurdishseparatist war as part of a global class struggle and revolution.
Pdf the european union designation of the kurdistan workers party pkk as an international terrorist organization has led to a profound. Abdullah ocalan was the leader of the kurdistan workers party, the pkk, and the most wanted man in turkey for almost two decades. Founding the kurdistan workers party pkk was founded in 1978 as a hybrid movement drawing on revolutionary socialism and kurdish nationalism, with the aim of uniting the kurdish. The kurdistan workers party pkk and kurdish political parties in the 1970s. Kurdistan workers party pkk counter extremism project. The history of the kurdistan workers party began in 1974 as a marxistleninist organization under the leadership of abdullah ocalan. Synonyms for kurdistan workers party in free thesaurus. From 1984, under his leadership, the pkk fought for an independent kurdish state in the south east of turkey. Its founding and ideological base was primarily the work of one man, abdullah ocalan.
Kongragel was founded by abdullah ocalan in 1974 as a marxistleninist separatist organization and formally named the kurdistan workers party pkk in 1978. Pdf the kurdistan workers party pkk and popular support. The kurdistan workers party was born out of the leftist student organizations in turkey in the 1960s. It was relisted on 28 september 2007, 8 september 2009, 18 august 2012, 11 august 2015 and 4 august 2018. National counterterrorism center, counterterrorism calendar 20, 3 greg bruno, backgrounder. Since 1984, the pkk has been involved in an armed conflict with the turkish state with ceasefires in 19992004 and 202015, with the initial aim of achieving an independent. In iraqi kurdistan, the kurdistan workers party pkk forces which have been waging a war for 30 years against turkey until the recent ceasefire confronted the is forces and managed to halt their advance in places. The european union designation of the kurdistan workers party as an international terrorist organization has led to a profound distrust of the eu on the part of the pkk. The workers communist party of kurdistan the workers communist party of kurdistan wcpk is a marxist party which advocates the establishment of an independent socialist republic of kurdistan. In keeping with its marxist ideology, the pkk initially saw itself as part of the worldwide marxist revolution. Nov 04, 2016 the kurdistan workers party pkk has been a thorn in turkeys side for decades. Inside the kurdistan workers party pkk council on foreign.
The pkkkurdistan workers partys regional politics springerlink. Turkish airstrikes targeted pkk bases throughout dohuk, arbil, and sulaymaniya provinces in iraqi kurdistan over july 2426. The kurdistan workers party pkk radical democracy and the right to self determination beyond the nationstate1 joost jongerden nothing is more. The kurdish workers party pkk as criminal syndicate. Organizations an armed militia group, called kongragelpkk kurdish peoples congress. Rethinking politics and democracy in the middle east pdf. A pkk spokesman stated that turkey had unilaterally ended the turkeypkk cease.
The syrian kurds and the battle for northern syria despite the terrorist designation of the kurdistan workers party. Since 1984 the pkk has been involved in an armed conflict with the turkish state, with the initial aim of achieving an independent kurdish state, later changing it to a demand for equal rights and kurdish autonomy in turkey. This decision provoked a major crisis, as turkeyhistorically a strong us allyconsiders the ypg as the syrian branch of its decadeslong domestic foe, the kurdistan workers party pkk. Dtp democratic society party eu european union icg international crisis group isci islamic supreme council of iraq itf iraqi turkmen front kdp kurdistan democratic party kdpi kurdistan democratic party iran krg kurdistan regional government nato north atlantic treaty organization pjak free life party pkk kurdistan workers party. He was eventually kidnapped while in kenya in 1999, and has been in prison in turkey ever since. Kurdistan workers party pkk australian national security. Oct 19, 2007 inside the kurdistan workers party pkk advocating for greater kurdish autonomy through violent resistance, the kurdistan workers party remains a vibrant militant presence on the border of. This has resulted in a perception that the kurdish organization has turned. Is forces got closer to the iraqi kurdistan s capital erbil and the important oil town of kirkuk and they overran the yazidi. Kurdistan workers party wikipedia republished wiki 2.
Pkk militant group in possession of arms provided to. Mar 31, 2020 abdullah ocalan, leader of the kurdistan workers party pkk, a militant kurdish nationalist organization, who became widely known as the strongest advocate for kurdish sovereignty. Kurdistan freedom and democracy congress kurdistan peoples congress khk partiya karkeran kurdistan peoples congress of kurdistan the peoples defense force. The kurdistan workers party pkk is a transnational terrorist group that has conducted an active insurgency in southeastern turkey since the. Unlike most kurdish political parties, which have adopted a rather conservative outlook and been organized around tribal leaders and structures, the pkk originated from the left in turkey and drew its leaders. On 27 november 1978, the group adopted the name kurdistan workers party. Hello fellow wikipedians, i have just modified 7 external links on kurdistan workers party. It is best understood as a terrorist proxy of the kurdistan workers party pkk, which has tasked it with launching attacks during periods of mounting turkish military pressure on kurdish militants continued. The kurdistan workers party pkk is a transnational terrorist group that has conducted an active insurgency in southeastern turkey since the 1980s. Project muse the kurdistan workers party turns against the. The group tried to assassinate the kurdish tribal leader mehmet celal bucak in july 1979. The hdp, the main pro kurdish party, is a broad coalition of groups including liberal and leftwing ethnic turks.
In 1978 the organization adopted the name kurdistan workers party and waged urban war between 19781980. Dec 01, 2014 in iraqi kurdistan, the kurdistan workers party pkk forces which have been waging a war for 30 years against turkey until the recent ceasefire confronted the is forces and managed to halt their advance in places. The kurdistan workers party pkk is the largest kurdish opposition group in turkey, serving as an umbrella for a myriad of organizations. Kurdistan workers party pkk bundesamt fur verfassungsschutz. Advocating for greater kurdish autonomy through violent resistance, the kurdistan workers party remains a vibrant militant presence on the border of northern iraq and southern turkey. Kurdistan isci partisi is a kurdish militant and political organization based in the kurdish regions of turkey and iraq. Comprising some thirty to forty million people, the. The kurdistan workers party pkk and popular support.
In january 2004 the us government announced that kurdistan workers party and its aliases, the kurdistan freedom and democracy congress and the kurdistan peoples congress, were terrorist. Drawing on mikhail bakhtins dialogic approach, i introduce the concept of symbolic localization to understand how revolutionary ideologies evolve through pragmatic concerns. Kurdistan workers party synonyms, kurdistan workers party. Pdf the pkk has been a prolonged problem in turkey, and various measures have been adopted to diminish and end the violence. Peoples congress of kurdistan, kongra gel, kongra gele. Koma civaken kurdistan kck kurdistan communities union. This cooperation threatens to drive turkey away from deeper coordination with the antiisis coalition. The kurdistan workers party, commonly referred to by its kurdish acronym, pkk partiya karkeren kurdistani is a kurdish militant organization which from 1984 to 20 fought an armed struggle against the turkish state for cultural and political rights and selfdetermination for the kurds in turkey, who comprise between 10% and 25% of the population and have been subjected to official. To this end, it proposes measures for how the international community and the kurdistan regional government krg can increase pressure on the pkk. The group, which has marxistleninist roots, was formed in the late 1970s and launched an armed struggle against. Radicalisation processes of the kurdistan workers party pkk. The kurdistan workers party pkk is a kurdish military and political organization formed in turkey in 1974. Its main goal is the setting up of an independent kurdish state in southeastern turkey.
Mar 21, 20 founding the kurdistan workers party pkk was founded in 1978 as a hybrid movement drawing on revolutionary socialism and kurdish nationalism, with the aim of uniting the kurdish people. On the one hand, the ypg is indispensable to the military and political structure ruling northeastern syria. Yet the strikes against the guerrilla kurdistan workers party pkk in iraqs qandil mountains underscored washingtons dilemma as it seeks to bring turkey into the fight against the. The kurdistan workers party insurgency in the middle east ypfp.
1280 1082 44 134 1075 999 894 1046 375 1584 965 425 27 1402 1425 959 328 790 268 1351 1517 1066 1446 1121 716 1212 45 485 1330 225 337 1072 8 449 1166 58 1207