How Turkish Kurds Will Fight Erdgan’s Regime in the Streets and in Parliament

At 11:30 P.M., on Sunday January 17, 2016, multiple attacks were launched by Kurdish fighter on police forces on the southeastern province of Sirnak, near the Syrian border. An armored police vehicle carrying seven police officers was struck by an anti-tank mine as the armored police vehicle was passing through the province. Kurdish fighters near the city of Diyarbikar also fired a rocket launcher another police vehicle just after midnight but missed.

A Turkish security official said the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was responsible for the attack. The Kurdistan Worker’s Party was formed by Abdullah Ocalan in 1978, and has deep Marxist-Leninist roots. Up until recently the group sought to create a Kurdish state in southeast Turkey and parts of neighboring countries habituated by Kurds. Today their aim with winning greater level of autonomy.

The Kurdistan Worker’s Party has been in an armed struggle with the Turkish government since 1984, and has in the process led to 40,000 people killed throughout Turkey including civilians. The group is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.

In late 2012, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government launched a peace process with Abdullah Ocalan. But the negotiations came to a halt when Turkish leaders vowed to continue the operations until the militants are defeated.

An initial cease fire was declared in March 2013, when Abdullah Ocalan, called for a cease fire and for all Kurds to leave Turkey and relocate to Northern Iraq. The jailed leader, now says he wants the the Kurdistan Worker’s Party become a political party, and not a terrorist organization.

Recep Tayipp Erdogan who was elected as prime minister in 2002 was voted president in 2014, but has been under heavy criticism for abuses of power. His tactics include using lethal force to silence opposition; banning western media; and trying to rewrite the constitution to make the presidency more of an executive position rather than ceremonial.

During the June 7, 2015, elections over 46 million Turks turned out, and in a historic vote the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which is the party of President Erdogan, received only 41% and could not form a government. Receiving a surprising 13% of the vote was the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Kurdish based political party, who support the causes for the Kurdish people Turkey. Surpassing the 10% needed to get a seat in parliament. The goal by leftists, Kurds, and anti-Erdogan protestors who are against the Erdogan regime.

In July 2015, when Turkey began its “synchronized war on terror” by launching air strikes against Kurdistan Worker’s Party camps in northern Iraq and crackdowns on hundreds of Kurdistan Worker’s Party members throughout Turkey the cease fire ended.

Curfews have been enacted in towns like Cizre and Sipoli, which were hotbeds for the PKK, have been under twenty four hour curfews since last December. Turkish military officials say they have killed 320 Kurds in Cizre, 135 in Sipoli, and 101 in Diyarbakir since the operations began in December. The Pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HPD) say 100 civilians have also been killed in these areas.

Many Kurds believe President Erdogan is effectively aligned with the Islamic State (IS), and exploiting Kurds as a buffer zone as they note that both the July 2015 and October 2015 Islamic State bombings exclusively targeted non-hostile Kurds. Riots followed, along with retaliation by Kurdish forces that have resulted in 130 Turkish police officers and soldiers being killed.

With the changing nature of the Turkish regime, from once stable secular NATO ally to increasingly pro-jihadist and authoritarian Islamist regime, together with the growing role that Kurdish forces play together to an effective alliance against the Islamic State in both Syria and Iraq, and a growing Kurdish population within Turkey itself, and it’s no surprise that the PKK may believe that now is their last best opportunity to secure their goals.

Likewise, for Erdogan, the continued struggle against the PKK continues to serve his political interest, giving occasion to crackdown on legitimate Kurdish politics and attempt to break up the secular left/ Kurdish alliance which was the most effective resistance to AKP goals.