The Kurdish Conflict
Up until the July 15th coup attempt, Turkey’s most pressing issue was that of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or the PKK, an organized party that calls for the establishment of a separate Kurdish state within Turkey. An estimated 25 to 30 million Kurds inhabit the small region spanning across Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia, united by culture, language, and race; while Kurds have a distinct number of different religions and customs, a large majority of the community are Sunni muslims. Comprehensively, the Kurds are the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, despite the distinct lack of a state. Therein lies the PKK’s grievance, and their continued struggle for recognition and independence. The PKK was established in 1978 by Abdullah Ocalan, and their protests quickly devolved into an armed struggle, claiming the lives of over 40,000 people, and displacing thousands more. While aggressive armed action for an independent Kurdish state slowed in the 1990s, the group continues to advocate for increased political and cultural autonomy. The after effects of the recent coup have put Kurds in an even more precarious position, as President Erdogan has utilized the atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion to further persecute Kurds and Kurdish sympathizers.
The Kurds have long since been on the receiving end of harsh treatment and prejudice by the Turkish government, including the suppression of both human and political rights. In July of 2015, the established ceasefire between the PKK and the Turkish government, which had been in effect for two years, collapsed as a suicide bomb attributed to ISIS killed 33 activists in Suruc (a largely Kurdish town). The PKK subsequently attacked the Turkish police force, prompting the Turkish government to initiate an offensive front against both ISIS and the PKK, grouping both sects together as terrorists. Recently, the leader of the PKK, Cemil Bayik, stated the Kurds no longer wish to establish a completely separate state from Turkey: "We want to live within the borders of Turkey on our own land freely... The struggle will continue until the Kurds' innate rights are accepted” (BBC, 2016). However, the Turkish government, headed by Erdogan, refuses further negotiations until the PKK completely disarms.
With the current state of emergency implemented after the recent attempted coup, President Erdogan has utilized this opportunity to shut down a majority of Kurdish news outlets, as well as ousting and arresting multiple pro-Kurdish government officials, citing a lack of cooperation and alleged connections with an anti-terrorist investigation. These democratically-elected officials head the People’s Democratic Party, or the HDP, which has long been heralded as the champion of the oppressed people and minorities in Turkey (Uras, 2015). Erdogan has since received intense Western criticism for seemingly using the coup as a “pretext for eliminating all opponents, not just those with a suspected connection to the uprising, and cementing his increasingly authoritarian rule” (BBC, 2016). HDP officials claim the government’s actions have no legal basis and are only motivated by Erdogan’s political aspirations. The Kurds have no known links to the coup, yet Erdogan has capitalized on the sentiment of national insecurity to extend the state of emergency, which grants him wide-sweeping powers to arrest and remove officials with impunity.
Implications for Global Politics
As a significant ethnic minority in the world, Kurdish relations with the ethnic majorities of the Middle East have long affected global politics. Because there are Kurds throughout Turkey, Iraq, and other Middle Eastern states, the group has the ability to greatly affect politics in the entire region. Additionally, the Kurdish issue in Turkey is also part of a much more intricate conflict regarding the issue of a potential Kurdish nation, which has played out in recent decades, impacting politics on a regional and global level. These people represent the largest ethnic group in the modern world without a sovereign nation of their own; and are, as stated before, spread through various national borders. The Kurdish people have long been engaged in global politics, and have been the center of much abuse and debate. The gassing of Kurdish cities in Iraq by Saddam Hussein’s government, and the claims that the United States government made after the invasion that the intervention was further justified on the basis of protecting this ethnic minority (Power, 2016), are only some of the instances in which this group has found itself in the forefront of global controversy. Thus, I¡it is clear that the Kurdish issue has shaped international politics and created a heated discourse surrounding the identity and independence of the Kurdish group, and its impact on other sovereign nations.
The Kurdish population has had a complex relationship with the Turkish government in recent years, and has long been victimized by discrimination and neglect from the nation's government. Part of the complexity of this relationship stems from the fear the Turkish government has of this group of citizens attempting to secede from the nation state, despite the fact that these actions have now proven to be abandoned initiatives. Instead of fostering an encompassed identity which would include the Kurdish population within the greater idea of Turkey, Erdogan’s government has stalemated negotiations with the militias and put this precarious situation on hold. This, added to the long-term tradition of granting minimal guarantees to Kurdish cultural freedoms, and the current state of emergency, raise doubts on whether Erdogan has effectively used this situation to breakdown Kurdish resistance (Entessar, 2009). The relationship Turkey has with different Kurdish populations across neighboring nations provides an interesting frame of comparative reference, as it gives insight into the complex geopolitical factors that condition the Turkish government's approach. The following image provides a visual aid in understanding the differing perspectives held by the Turkish office in regards to different Kurdish populations.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35595023
The Kurdish Issue and the EU
Turkey's geopolitical interest has been highlighted in recent years as turmoil in the Middle East has become a concern for global powers. This nation has been an essential ally to Western countries in seeking to handle the fallout of the civil war in Syria, combating the rise of armed religious extremist groups such as the Islamic State, and aiding in the management of the flow of refugees heading to Europe (New York Times, 2016). Yet the Kurdish conflict within Turkish borders remains one of the most contentious issues for the country’s stability, and has been further exacerbated by the recent coup. Therefore, this issue holds a special strategic significance internationally, as it may affect Turkey’s ability to remain engaged in crisis cites above (Arango, Yeginsu and Hubbard, 2016). It is precisely due to the nation's influence in matters of Europe interest that the European Union has involved itself extensively in Kurdish/ Turkish relations. The EU's influence stems from the prospect of Turkey possibly joining the EU as it grew closer to its Western partners. Negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the EU began in 2005; however during November of this year, the European Commission has accused Turkey of “serious backsliding” in the rights of its people and the rule of law since the failed July coup (“Turkey ‘backsliding’”, 2016). The Commission also highlighted key issues reflecting Turkey’s increasing distance from the West, arguing that Turkey is not heading in a European direction. The extensive detentions, disproportionate use of force on the PKK, serious charges of human rights violations against the Kurds, and renewed consideration of reinstating the death penalty are some of the reasons given that explain the EU’s hesitance to include Turkey. As a result, the worsening relations have led to fears that the March 2016 agreement between the EU and Turkey may collapse. The increasing tensions between Europe and Turkey seem to prolong the wait for the promise of visa-free travel. Despite the EU’s growing concerns for Turkey, the Commission refrains from imposing sanctions or halting negotiations due to the heavy reliance both sides have on the other ” (“Turkey ‘backsliding’”, 2016).
The European Union’s hesitancy is largely due in part to Turkey’s movement away from the West, as Erdogan’s actions raise questions about Turkey as a democracy. For years, Turkey has been seen by the West as a model for the Muslim world, one that exercised a secular government and held liberal ideals similar to those of Europe. The state’s movement towards EU membership and peace settlements with its Kurdish minority has granted it favor with the West; however, as Turkey’s President Erdogan accuses Europe of aiding in the spread of terrorism, and imposes his mass purge of the media and Kurdish populations, the answer to Turkey’s democratic government is split. On one side, victims of the post-coup purge, leftists, and secularists argue Turkey’s democracy had ended long ago, while the other side believes the state is misunderstood by the West and is changing for the better. As a NATO member, Turkey remains a vital partner to the West, albeit a conflicting one; especially as the U.S. continues support for Syrian Kurds fighting the Islamic State, and Erdogan continues his claims of the U.S.’s alliance with coup supporters. Under Erdogan’s regime, and in the wake of the coup, Turkey strays further from EU recognition than ever. This, when paired with the clashes with Kurdish militias and discontent of its Kurdish population, serves to further discredit Turkey as a legitimate democracy.
Kurdish demonstrators protest against President Erdogan during a rally in Paris on November 5, 2016. Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37887946
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I have always been interested in the Kurdish situation and this post was very informative. I did not know that the Turkish's government main concern was Kurdish secession which makes sense. Great work!
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