UCDP

General information

Part of Conflict: Turkey: Kurdistan

Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 1974-12-31
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: The PKK was founded in 1974 as a Marxist-Leninist group with the goal of establishing an independent and democratic Kurdish state.

Date of first use of armed force: 1983-05-01
Comment on date of first use of armed force: Three Turkish soldiers were reportedly killed in an ambush by PKK in May 1983.
First Battle Related Death: 1983-05-01
Comment on First Battle Related Death: Three Turkish soldiers were reportedly killed in an ambush by PKK in May 1983.

Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1984-08-15
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: On 15 August 1984 PKK raided police outposts in Eruh and Semdinli. From 30 August to 25 October 16 government soldiers were killed in violence perpetrated by Kurdish separatists according to a report that recorded random examples of incidents. It is hence possible that many more were killed on both sides up until 25 October. Because of the lack of information the last day of 1984 is chosen as the date the conflict reached 25 deaths.

Conflict issues

Conflict Goal Issues: Partiya Karkeran Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), originally emerged as a Maoist/Marxist-Leninist separatist movement aiming to establish an independent state of Kurdistan for Kurdish people. The rebel group was created in 1974 where it established a doctrine of Kurdish nationalism combined with communism. In 1978 PKK released its official Party Programme, from which the project coded several conflict goal issues. Many of the expressed issues concerned large structural reforms of the economic, political, and judicial system. PKK expressed intent to establish democratic socialism with an emphasis on class struggle: “Democracy will be ensured for the workers and peasants first and foremost, and for all other patriotic classes and strata; dictatorship will be applied against collaborating landowners and the comprador bourgeoise.” They also expressed intent to struggle against the Turkish colonization, as they called it, of Kurdish areas, and were explicitly aiming to establish an independent Kurdish state. The programme also noted PKK’s dedication to improving the rights of Kurdish people, including cultural, gender, labor, language, and religious rights. PKK also expressed the intent to “Confiscate the lands of the landowners collaborating with the colonialists in the course of the struggle and to distribute them among the landless peasantry.”, and similar socialist land- and economic reforms.

Since the group’s emergence and the publication of their party programme, significant amounts of conflict goal issues have been interpreted. From this, one can see several trends in how PKK has changed and how their goal issues have evolved. Firstly, the question of independence was not coded after 1998, whilst the question of autonomy were frequently and continuously stated since 1995 and onwards. This signifies a change of policy where ideas of an independent Kurdistan were left for the more realistic goal of establishing an autonomous region within Turkey. Furthermore, calls for both federalism and decentralization of the state was raised by PKK as the conflict progressed, implying a shifted focus from independence to federalism and autonomy. Similarly, the conflict goal issue of establishing a socialist state was only coded once after PKK’s first year of existence. Whilst this may signify a decreased intent of establishing a socialist state, it is noteworthy that socialist rhetoric and theory was, and still is, largely a part of the movement. For example, PKK continuously stated its desires to establish economic reforms which were socialist in nature: “To develop a finance and tax system for the benefit of the working people as an alternative to the finance and tax systems that serve for exploitative structures.” The emphasis on Kurdish rights remained throughout the entirety of the conflict and was continuously coded. Protecting human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of association, cultural heritage, and natural resources, specifically, later became frequently raised conflict goal issues. In addition to economic reforms, reforms to judicial, political, and military structures were expressed as further goal issues.

In terms of which issues were more frequently and continuously stated, as well as more heavily emphasized, the long duration of the conflict introduces several different main goal for PKK depending on which time period is analyzed, particularly regarding the goal issues concerning political systems. For the beginning of the conflict, the conflict was largely shaped by a struggle for independence and the establishment of an independent Kurdish state shaped by democratic and socialist ideals. Between 1995 and 2001 much emphasis was placed on the idea of a decentralized and federalized Turkish state which would grant the Kurdish people more regional power. And, finally, from 2001 and onwards the issue was coded as autonomy: “Even in the sense of autonomy, the Kurds do not seek a state.” Hence, the current main issue would be considered the struggle for an autonomous, but not independent, Kurdistan. Consistent through these phases was the focus on Kurdish civil, cultural, gender, human, labor, religious, and children’s rights, which was also a frequently and continuously mentioned issue for PKK. The establishment of a democratic political system also remained a heavily emphasized and frequently mentioned issue for the group, particularly later in the conflict. Finally, whilst not as continuously coded issue, economic reform should also be considered a main goal issue for PKK, as it permeates much of the group’s political and ideological convictions.

Conflict Dynamics Issues: In the first year of PKK’s existence the group stated one conflict dynamics issue raised. In the Party Programme, the group criticized the gendarmerie (Turkish military police) for creating and maintaining a state of terror among civilians in rural areas. “In rural areas, the gendarmerie uses terror to maintain an atmosphere of fear which the peasants feel to the very marrow of their bones.”

In the beginning of the conflict, much emphasis was put on this intentional civilian targeting by the gendarmerie, particularly based on the ethnicity of the civilians, and in one instance their political allegiance with PKK. PKK also called upon the international community several times throughout the conflict. The group called upon the international community to remove foreign influence on several occasions throughout the conflict. PKK also asked for humanitarian aid from the Red Cross and Red Crescent, requested the creation of a war crimes commission, and called upon the international community to support the rebels rather than Turkey. Throughout the conflict, PKK called for the release of prisoners and refugees held by the Turkish state.

PKK heavily emphasized atrocities the Turkish government comitted, specifically the gendarmerie, committed against the Kurdish civilian population throughout the conflict. PKK especially emphasized the allegations that these atrocities were fueled by intentional targeting of people of Kurdish ethnicity: “Turkey is waging a dirty war in Kurdistan, slaughtering our people, bombing villages, setting fire to forests and denying our basic human rights.” Another main conflict dynamics issue of PKK was the question of foreign influence and pressure. PKK frequently released statements either calling for the international community to cease their support for their Turkish government, and calling for them to support PKK. Such calls were frequently and continuously stated by PKK.

Conflict Resolution Issues: Whilst no conflict resolution issues were interpreted in the first year of conflict, PKK stated several issues as the conflict progressed. From 1993 onwards PKK released several statements pertaining to conflict resolution issues. In the first few years, all interpreted issues were related to calls for negotiations, continuously stating that PKK were ready to solve the conflict diplomatically. In 2000, the group called for investigation and prosecution of “illegal armed forces”, and for compensation to be administered to the affected villages who had been forced to live under the circumstances. Similar calls for accountability and compensation were stated throughout the conflict. PKK also called for several issues relating to ceasefires, both calling for ceasefires and calling for adherence to said ceasefires. Finally, the group also expressed demands on the structure of negotiations, stating that they needed to be held in order to resolve the Kurdish issues, and that PKK be accepted as a legitimate political party, among other demands.

Throughout the conflict, PKK continuously heavily emphasized their intent to participate in negotiations, and it was the main resolution issue of the group. The success of these negotiations was often conditional on the implementation of, and adherence to, proposed ceasefire agreements, which could be considered another main issue for the group. “We want peace and we are ready for negotiations. But if Turkey decides to attack our bases inside Turkey or inside Iraqi Kurdistan, then this unilateral cease-fire will be meaningless. If we are attacked, we will fight back and we have the ability to confront any Turkish aggression.”

Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues: Autonomy, Basic needs, Revenues from natural resources, Rule of law, Unification of states, Water resources, Change a specific law, Change economic system, Change judicial system, Childrens rights, Citizenship reforms, Civil rights, Confederation/union, Constitutional issues, Corruption, CPS: Democracy, CPS: Other/undefined system, CPS: Secular state, CPS: Socialist state, Cultural rights, Decentralization, Disband para-military forces, Economic reforms, Education system: culture, Education system: increase religion, Electoral reform, Federalism, Foreign policy reform, Freedom of association, Freedom of expression, Gender rights, Human rights, Independence, Labor rights, Land reforms, Language rights, Oust local executive, Protection of cultural heritage, Protection of natural resources/the environment, Public services, Reform executive structure, Reform judicial system, Reform parliament, Religious rights, Restrictions on freedom of expression, Restructure military forces

Conflict Dynamics Issues: Call for collective targeting: political, Atrocities and abuses, Collective targeting: ethnic, Collective targeting: political, DFI: Removal of foreign influence, DFI: Withdrawal of military intervention/foreign forces, IFI: Humanitarian aid, IFI: International court/tribunal/investigation, IFI: International monitoring, IFI: Use of foreign influence, Military conduct, Release of prisoners, Return of refugees/IDPs

Conflict Resolution Issues: Accountability/prosecution/investigation, Amnesties, Call for ceasefire, Structure of negotiations, Call for implementation/abiding to ceasefire, Call for negotiations, Call for truth and reconciliation processes, Compensation/restoration