A Comprehensive Timeline of the PKK’s Insurgency Against Turkey

This article chronicles the PKK’s four-decade conflict with Turkey, detailing its formation, leadership changes, significant attacks, peace efforts, and ongoing tensions. Key events include Ocalan’s capture in 1999, several ceasefires, and military confrontations, culminating in recent escalations involving Iraq and the PKK’s designation in official government communications.

Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), made a pivotal appeal for disarmament in pursuit of peace with Turkey. Upon his capture in 1999, Ocalan expressed a desire to serve his country. Currently, the PKK remains a significant security concern for Turkey, marking over four decades of conflict.

1974 marks the formation of the PKK, initiated by Kurdish students with Marxist-Leninist ideals, under Ocalan’s leadership, aiming to establish an independent Kurdistan in Turkey’s northeast. The group convened its inaugural congress in 1978 in a teahouse close to Diyarbakir.

In 1982, the PKK launched its first training camp in the Bekaa Valley with assistance from the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). By August 1984, the PKK executed its initial attacks in southeast Turkey, resulting in military casualties and escalating violence, utilizing bases in northern Iraq for refuge.

After Ocalan fled Syria in September 1998 due to the Adana Agreement with Turkey, PKK operations shifted to the Qandil mountains in Iraq. On February 15, 1999, Turkish forces apprehended Ocalan, leading to his trial and initial death sentence, later commuted to life imprisonment upon the death penalty’s abolition in 2002.

The PKK declared a ceasefire post-capture which lasted until 2004. Turkey instituted reforms aiming for EU membership in 2003 that enhanced Kurdish cultural rights. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s tenure saw a more lenient approach towards Kurdish issues.

In 2010, clandestine discussions occurred between Turkish intelligence and PKK officials, though these broke down. Intense fighting resumed in 2012, prompting governmental crackdowns on Kurdish activists. Public negotiations resumed later that year, coinciding with a hunger strike led by imprisoned Kurdish activists, facilitated by Ocalan’s call for dialogue.

Ocalan declared a ceasefire and ordered fighter withdrawals on March 21, 2013. The emergence of ISIS in 2015 transformed the landscape, as the YPG, viewed as linked to the PKK, took action against the extremists. Ocalan’s call for disarmament was largely ignored, and hostilities resumed after the ceasefire collapsed in July, leading to severe urban devastation in southeastern Turkey.

In June 2020, Turkey engaged in military operations against the PKK in Iraq following alleged attacks. This drew criticism from the Iraqi government but did not deter Turkey’s initiatives. In February 2021, a failed military operation to rescue Turkish captives resulted in fatalities, with conflicting accusations from Turkey and the PKK over the event.

In July 2024, Iraq’s government issued a ban on the PKK, designating it as the “banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party” in official communications, although Iraq has yet to classify the group as a terrorist entity. In October 2024, the PKK claimed responsibility for a deadly attack near Ankara, escalating tensions further.

The timeline encapsulates over 40 years of the PKK’s tumultuous journey, highlighting significant events from its inception to ongoing conflicts with Turkish authorities. Ocalan’s leadership and calls for peace have been pivotal, yet the struggle showcases a complex relationship between Kurdish rights and Turkish national security. As geopolitical dynamics evolve, the future of PKK-Turkey relations remains precarious and uncertain.

Original Source: www.thenationalnews.com