Turkey’s military has been carrying out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq against fighters associated with the Kurdish insurgent group P.K.K., despite the group’s founder, Abdullah Ocalan, urging his followers to disarm and disband two weeks ago. The P.K.K. leadership responded to Ocalan’s call by announcing a unilateral cease-fire on March 1, but stated that Turkey must release Ocalan from prison to oversee the group’s disarmament – a request that Turkish officials have not considered. Previous attempts to negotiate an end to the 40-year Turkey-P.K.K. conflict, which has resulted in over 40,000 deaths, have failed, and Turkish officials are providing little information about current talks, possibly to avoid a domestic backlash.
The P.K.K. is a militant group that has been fighting Turkey for over four decades in a bid to secure greater rights for the country’s Kurdish minority. Although the conflict initially sought full independence for the Kurds, who make up around 15% of Turkey’s population, it later evolved into a campaign for greater cultural and political rights for the group. Over the years, the Turkish military has managed to force out P.K.K. fighters from major cities, and has been using drones to target its leaders and members. By doing so, it has significantly hindered their ability to organize and carry out attacks.
On February 27, Ocalan issued a public call for his fighters to lay down their weapons and disband, advocating for peaceful political action instead. However, Turkey has not reciprocated this move, with a Turkish defense ministry spokesman stating that the military will continue its fight against terrorism until there are no terrorists left. Turkey has reported killing 26 alleged “terrorists” in Syria and Iraq in the past week and nearly 1,500 since January. The P.K.K. has not confirmed these numbers, though its military wing stated that Turkey carried out over 800 strikes on its positions in northern Iraq in the preceding days.
Up until now, the peace talks have not resulted in a bilateral cease-fire, and Turkish leaders have vowed to maintain military pressure on the P.K.K., which is viewed as a terrorist organization by both Turkey and the United States. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently stressed that while dialogue is prioritized, Turkey’s iron fist will always be ready if necessary. The P.K.K. and associated groups have been seeking greater rights for Turkey’s Kurds, whose language and culture have been suppressed since Turkey was formed after World War I. The group’s senior official, Mustafa Karasu, recently stated that the P.K.K. is committed to disarmament but that Turkey must stop its strikes on P.K.K. positions and provide more freedom to Ocalan to lead the group’s transition.
Before Ocalan’s call for disarmament, there were talks involving Turkish officials, Ocalan himself, Iraqi Kurdish leaders, and members of Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish political party. It remains to be seen whether the agreement reached between Kurdish-led forces in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces, and Syria’s interim president to integrate the force into the Syrian state aligns with Ocalan’s guidance.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/world/middleeast/turkey-kurds-deadly-airstrikes.html
