The PKK problem in Northern Iraq
M. Orhan Tarhan
November 02, 2007
During the last weeks the majority of columnists in Turkish papers wrote almost continuously on Turkey’s PKK problem, because it was Turkey’s most serious problem. In this article, I want to define the problem from different points of view and search for an outcome that would constitute a solution for Turkey with a minimum of discomfort for the Bush Administration, the Iraqis and the Kurds.
The PKK, or the Kurdish Workers’ Party, is a terrorist organization created in 1984 by the Soviet Union to destabilize Turkey. Its aim was to create a Marxist state on Turkish soil and to eventually join the Soviet Union. It was recruiting its members among unhappy Kurdish young men in South East Turkey who certainly had no idea of Marxism and probably didn’t care for it, but were basically revolting against the Turkish administration. After the demise of the USSR, the PKK was protected by Syria and tolerated in Saddam’s Iraq. During the presidency of Bill Clinton Turkey forced Syria to get rid of the PKK. The threat was credible and Syria told Ocalan, the PKK chief, to go somewhere else. He went to Italy, Greece, and with U.S. help he was captured coming out of a Greek embassy somewhere in Africa. Ocalan was tried and convicted to death in Turkey but for political reasons was not executed. The PKK rank and file went to Iraq. During the Iraq-Iran War, they kept on attacking Turkey from Iraq. When Turkey told Saddam to rein in his PKK, Saddam said that he was too busy with the Iranians, Turkey would be welcome to come in and battle the PKK, which Turkish forces did several times. But these pursuits were never fully effective, because the PKK disappeared and got lost among the general Kurdish population. We know now that the way to combat guerillas is not by conventional armies. Israel learned that lesson recently in Lebanon. Turks discovered it earlier. They now pursue the PKK with teams of 5 – 10 soldiers, just like guerillas themselves. Combating the PKK cost Turkey in average $7 billion a year and over 30,000 dead since 1984.
The PKK is generally believed to consist of Turks with ethnic Kurdish background. Apparently that is no longer true. The Guardian learned that it also contains Europeans such as Englishmen, Germans, Russians, and even Iranians.
What is the Turkish problem concerning the PKK?
There are millions of ethnic Kurds living in Istanbul and elsewhere in Western Turkey. These Kurds are fully integrated in the Turkish economy and Turkish life. Many intermarry with Turks. In the West of Turkey, Kurds are in minority. They are in average as prosperous as the rest of the Turkish population and PKK cannot recruit among them. In the South-East, there are places where they are in majority, where they elect their own mayors. Although they are not any less prosperous than their Turkish neighbors, they are organized and peer pressure becomes important. From those places PKK still gets recruits. They can no longer complain that their children are not taught Kurdish (There are several versions of it) or TV does not present Kurdish songs. The only thing for the Turkish government to do is to encourage more investments in the South-East. But the unitary character of the country should not be damaged. Both Turks and Kurds should have the same rights and responsibilities as they do now.
What is the Bush Administration ‘s problem concerning the PKK?
When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, PKK remained in the area occupied by U.S. Forces. Thus, it became automatically an American problem. Befor the invasion, the Bush Administration and Turkey discussed many problems. Among them, the Bush Administration asked Turkey not to send military forces into Iraq to pursue the PKK, in return, promised to get rid of the PKK itself. So far Turkey kept its word but now the Bush Administration does not want to get rid of the PKK. To the contrary it is using some of them (Under a different name) to do terrorism in Iran. It is also not preventing the PKK from attacking Turkey. To say the least, it is a very unusual way to treat a NATO ally and a “Friend”. Each time a flag draped soldier’s coffin arrives in a Turkish village, the villagers condemn the United States for permitting the killing of their loved one. Thus, Turkey became the most anti-American nation. This did not have to be. There is no rational explanation of this behavior of the Bush Administration. But, most acts of the Bush administration here at home don’t cut the mustard of rationality either.
Although the State Department officially recognizes the PKK as a terrorist organization. for some time American papers refer to the PKK as a guerilla organization or anything else but NOT as a terrorist organization. What should we read from that? My guess is that some one else’s organization can be a terrorist organization, but the organization you protect cannot be such a thing.
What is the European Union’s (EU) problem concerning the PKK?
Europeans do not tolerate the Pyrenean ETA, the Irish Sinfein, or the Corsican nationalists, because these terrorist organizations hurt them, but they have a sort of romantic idea about the PKK. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the EU, but various nations allow them to open representation bureaus and give them monetary assistance. They ignore the fact that PKK does not represent millions of ethnic Kurds in Turkey, that it was a Soviet intrusion into Turkey and that it caused over 30,000 death since 1984. The recent finding by the Guardian that the PKK now includes Englishmen and Germans shows that it is more than a romantic idea. There are Europeans who are no friends of Turkey. Are these Europeans putting their own lives on the line for their own ideals or are they sent by their respective countries. Who knows?
What is the Kurdish view point concerning the PKK ?
For a long while the government of the Kurdish section of Iraq has protected the PKK. Now under the Turkish pressure they are willing to team up with the U.S. to neutralize or disarm the PKK . But this is just talk. None of them have done anything yet Barzani who some time ago was threatening Turkey is now talking like a lamb. A Turkish reporter who recently entered North Iraq, is reporting that Kurds are terribly afraid of a possible Turkish incursion. They are just doing fine, they do not want to lose it all again. Barzani wants the PKK to leave its arms. He finally got the message that he has to do something about the PKK or the Turkish Army will come and do it.
What is the view point of the Erdogan government ?
The Erdogan government has been very slow to react to the PKK attacks. Mr Erdogan is known in Turkey not to do anything without the permission of the United States. When PKK attacks intensified, there was a strong popular outrage. Peoples made big demonstrations .The military wanted to have the government’s permission for hot pursuit. So, Mr. Erdogan asked the parliament and received the permission to attack the PKK in North Iraq, but he still did not give that permission to the military, until he will return from his visit to the United States. In Bucharest he defended himself that he does not need anyone’s permission to defend the country, but still there is no permission to the military.
Is a military solution possible?
A massive Turkish military incursion into North Iraq might destroy all the PKK camps and buildings, destroy their ammunitions, but kill very few PKK members, because they would flee to the interior of Iraq., or hide inside the many caves in the Kandil Mountain. But this sort of destruction can be easier achieved by frequent artillery or air bombardment of PKK camps. The only effective attack might be a sudden, secretly prepared, massive helicopter attack around the camps, or Kandil Mountain, encircling these places with heavy forces, and not permitting the PKK to flee. This would require sound intelligence that the camps are indeed full. Also, the caves of the Kandil Mountain should be individually searched and destroyed. At the moment I am writing these lines, Turkish helicopters are pounding the PKK positions on the border, according to CNN.
What is the best solution of the PKK Problem?
The sine qua non of the Turkish demand is that the PKK attacks on Turkey should stop. Period! In stead of forcing the Turkish military to do the job, it is better that American and North-Iraqi forces jointly disarm the PKK. Barzani seemed lately to be amenable to this solution. If the Bush administration wants to use the PKK against Iran and deserve the title of Terrorist State, then they should instruct the PKK to forget about Turkey and turn its sight towards Iran. But no matter what else they do, PKK’s attacks on Turkey must definitely stop. Otherwise, even the reluctant Mr.Erdogan won’t be able to prevent a massive military incursion into North Iraq.
The PKK, or the Kurdish Workers’ Party, is a terrorist organization created in 1984 by the Soviet Union to destabilize Turkey. Its aim was to create a Marxist state on Turkish soil and to eventually join the Soviet Union. It was recruiting its members among unhappy Kurdish young men in South East Turkey who certainly had no idea of Marxism and probably didn’t care for it, but were basically revolting against the Turkish administration. After the demise of the USSR, the PKK was protected by Syria and tolerated in Saddam’s Iraq. During the presidency of Bill Clinton Turkey forced Syria to get rid of the PKK. The threat was credible and Syria told Ocalan, the PKK chief, to go somewhere else. He went to Italy, Greece, and with U.S. help he was captured coming out of a Greek embassy somewhere in Africa. Ocalan was tried and convicted to death in Turkey but for political reasons was not executed. The PKK rank and file went to Iraq. During the Iraq-Iran War, they kept on attacking Turkey from Iraq. When Turkey told Saddam to rein in his PKK, Saddam said that he was too busy with the Iranians, Turkey would be welcome to come in and battle the PKK, which Turkish forces did several times. But these pursuits were never fully effective, because the PKK disappeared and got lost among the general Kurdish population. We know now that the way to combat guerillas is not by conventional armies. Israel learned that lesson recently in Lebanon. Turks discovered it earlier. They now pursue the PKK with teams of 5 – 10 soldiers, just like guerillas themselves. Combating the PKK cost Turkey in average $7 billion a year and over 30,000 dead since 1984.
The PKK is generally believed to consist of Turks with ethnic Kurdish background. Apparently that is no longer true. The Guardian learned that it also contains Europeans such as Englishmen, Germans, Russians, and even Iranians.
What is the Turkish problem concerning the PKK?
There are millions of ethnic Kurds living in Istanbul and elsewhere in Western Turkey. These Kurds are fully integrated in the Turkish economy and Turkish life. Many intermarry with Turks. In the West of Turkey, Kurds are in minority. They are in average as prosperous as the rest of the Turkish population and PKK cannot recruit among them. In the South-East, there are places where they are in majority, where they elect their own mayors. Although they are not any less prosperous than their Turkish neighbors, they are organized and peer pressure becomes important. From those places PKK still gets recruits. They can no longer complain that their children are not taught Kurdish (There are several versions of it) or TV does not present Kurdish songs. The only thing for the Turkish government to do is to encourage more investments in the South-East. But the unitary character of the country should not be damaged. Both Turks and Kurds should have the same rights and responsibilities as they do now.
What is the Bush Administration ‘s problem concerning the PKK?
When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, PKK remained in the area occupied by U.S. Forces. Thus, it became automatically an American problem. Befor the invasion, the Bush Administration and Turkey discussed many problems. Among them, the Bush Administration asked Turkey not to send military forces into Iraq to pursue the PKK, in return, promised to get rid of the PKK itself. So far Turkey kept its word but now the Bush Administration does not want to get rid of the PKK. To the contrary it is using some of them (Under a different name) to do terrorism in Iran. It is also not preventing the PKK from attacking Turkey. To say the least, it is a very unusual way to treat a NATO ally and a “Friend”. Each time a flag draped soldier’s coffin arrives in a Turkish village, the villagers condemn the United States for permitting the killing of their loved one. Thus, Turkey became the most anti-American nation. This did not have to be. There is no rational explanation of this behavior of the Bush Administration. But, most acts of the Bush administration here at home don’t cut the mustard of rationality either.
Although the State Department officially recognizes the PKK as a terrorist organization. for some time American papers refer to the PKK as a guerilla organization or anything else but NOT as a terrorist organization. What should we read from that? My guess is that some one else’s organization can be a terrorist organization, but the organization you protect cannot be such a thing.
What is the European Union’s (EU) problem concerning the PKK?
Europeans do not tolerate the Pyrenean ETA, the Irish Sinfein, or the Corsican nationalists, because these terrorist organizations hurt them, but they have a sort of romantic idea about the PKK. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the EU, but various nations allow them to open representation bureaus and give them monetary assistance. They ignore the fact that PKK does not represent millions of ethnic Kurds in Turkey, that it was a Soviet intrusion into Turkey and that it caused over 30,000 death since 1984. The recent finding by the Guardian that the PKK now includes Englishmen and Germans shows that it is more than a romantic idea. There are Europeans who are no friends of Turkey. Are these Europeans putting their own lives on the line for their own ideals or are they sent by their respective countries. Who knows?
What is the Kurdish view point concerning the PKK ?
For a long while the government of the Kurdish section of Iraq has protected the PKK. Now under the Turkish pressure they are willing to team up with the U.S. to neutralize or disarm the PKK . But this is just talk. None of them have done anything yet Barzani who some time ago was threatening Turkey is now talking like a lamb. A Turkish reporter who recently entered North Iraq, is reporting that Kurds are terribly afraid of a possible Turkish incursion. They are just doing fine, they do not want to lose it all again. Barzani wants the PKK to leave its arms. He finally got the message that he has to do something about the PKK or the Turkish Army will come and do it.
What is the view point of the Erdogan government ?
The Erdogan government has been very slow to react to the PKK attacks. Mr Erdogan is known in Turkey not to do anything without the permission of the United States. When PKK attacks intensified, there was a strong popular outrage. Peoples made big demonstrations .The military wanted to have the government’s permission for hot pursuit. So, Mr. Erdogan asked the parliament and received the permission to attack the PKK in North Iraq, but he still did not give that permission to the military, until he will return from his visit to the United States. In Bucharest he defended himself that he does not need anyone’s permission to defend the country, but still there is no permission to the military.
Is a military solution possible?
A massive Turkish military incursion into North Iraq might destroy all the PKK camps and buildings, destroy their ammunitions, but kill very few PKK members, because they would flee to the interior of Iraq., or hide inside the many caves in the Kandil Mountain. But this sort of destruction can be easier achieved by frequent artillery or air bombardment of PKK camps. The only effective attack might be a sudden, secretly prepared, massive helicopter attack around the camps, or Kandil Mountain, encircling these places with heavy forces, and not permitting the PKK to flee. This would require sound intelligence that the camps are indeed full. Also, the caves of the Kandil Mountain should be individually searched and destroyed. At the moment I am writing these lines, Turkish helicopters are pounding the PKK positions on the border, according to CNN.
What is the best solution of the PKK Problem?
The sine qua non of the Turkish demand is that the PKK attacks on Turkey should stop. Period! In stead of forcing the Turkish military to do the job, it is better that American and North-Iraqi forces jointly disarm the PKK. Barzani seemed lately to be amenable to this solution. If the Bush administration wants to use the PKK against Iran and deserve the title of Terrorist State, then they should instruct the PKK to forget about Turkey and turn its sight towards Iran. But no matter what else they do, PKK’s attacks on Turkey must definitely stop. Otherwise, even the reluctant Mr.Erdogan won’t be able to prevent a massive military incursion into North Iraq.