Table of Contents
7.0 Impact of terrorism activities. 9
1.0 Introduction
PKKis an organization that was started in 1978. The group was initially known as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and the founders were a group of students from the Kurdish community, and the leader was known by the name Abdullah Ocalan. It took part in violent conflicts with their main goal being to demand for the Turkish State.
In 2000, the group’s name was changed to Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress (KADEK). During this time, the group changed its operations and was concerned with accomplishing its goals without the use of violence. It was in 2003 when PKKname was adapted for the group, and the main aim of the group during this time was to promote peace while at the same time enhancing self defense.
2.0 PKKGoals
The main organization goal of PKK (KGK) was to establish a Kurdish State. This was meant to improve the political as well as the cultural rights for the Kurds. Ocalanmade it clear to the members of the group that they were fighting for national independence in Turkey.The group aimed at fighting the government as well as the Kurdish military in order to get control of the country. This would not be possible without the support of the Kurdish population, and the leader together with the members made it their responsibility to ensure that more people supported the existence of the group (Smith, pg.29, 2005).
3.0 PKK Operations
Ocalan was responsible in handling the group’s operations since its establishment. He made it possible for the group to fight in order to accomplish their goals in order to create a fruitful organization. The group had its first operation in 1980 when it joined the Armenian radical group in bombing the Turkish Consulate. This was said to be the first activity that showed a form of collaboration between the two groups (Brown, CotéJr& Lynn-Jones, pg.2 2010). While in France, the group used the available training camps to enhance its transformation to a mature military group.
The first camp was founded in 1982 and since then the group was able to create many small camps that would not be easily destroyed. It was in 1984 when the group expanded and it was able to launch attacks over various government systems and the military as well. Various countries such as Germany, Iraq, France and Turkey were affected by the group’s operations. With the existence of the many training camps that the group had facilitated, communication was enhanced among the leaders and more attacks would be launched to show the existence of the group and enhance its operations over a number of countries (Crenshaw, pg. 103, 1983).
According to Brown, CotéJr& Lynn-Jones (pg. 38. 2010) lack of support for the group from Syria and Turkey made it impossible for PKK (KGK) to continue with its operations. Change was enhanced in the mid 1990s when several bombings were launched by the group. The manner in which the operations were carried out was changed and women become more involved in the group. Among the fifteen bombings that had been launched, the women had to carry out operations on eleven of them. This showed that the group had adapted another way of carrying out their operations.
The group’s operations during this time were meant to gain support from the Kurdish population, a situation that was meant for the group to gain support of the Kurdish people. The group made various efforts to ensure that the Kardish population supported it, and some of the activities involved rioting, sabotage, and ambush of other people within the population.
Both the Kurds and non Kurds were attacked during this time and the PKK (KGK) was focused on individuals who did not show any support to the existence of the group.The group also used prison force to ensure that they gained appeal from the Kurdish population so as to ensure that they gained more support over their existence (Heupel, pg. 12, 2009).
Before the arrest of PKKleader, the group members had the intention of destabilizing the authority at Turkish, and they did this through various means. They confronted the government to ensure that it lost control of the Kurdish population. The members would humiliate tourists especially from the western countries to ensure that no person felt safe while in turkey. They would kidnap and assassinate official leaders from the different tribes and those who were termed as rulers were also kidnapped.
In 2003, PKKfound its way to acquisition of weapon from the Iraq army and more people died while others were injured as a result of the frequent attacks that the group had facilitated. The group became more powerful and it became more involved in attacks than before. It was in 2007 when the group bombed Ankara, and this resulted to the Turkish army launching actions to fight against the members of the group. The period after Ocalan’s arrest was facilitated by conventional war.
Here, the group members were determined to seize the cities, and enhance control of the Kurdish State.Though the members struggled to ensure that this was made possible over the years, it was not possible for the group to achieve these results because their leader was absent from the control of the activities. However, they were able to recruit more members and enhance a force that would not diminish the capability of the group to fight in order to accomplish their goals (Smith, pg.46, 2005).
The group got involved in terrorism activities and it majored in drug trafficking. Common people who were leading the group together with Ocalan facilitated these activities. Such operations made the group to be termed as one of the terrorist groups that existed in the world, and that was responsible in influencing the security of the people. The effort made by the Turkish security to fight the PKKled to more clashes between the group and the security forces in Turkey. However, the operations were successful as the PKKwas not able to fight against the Turkish security forces (Cronin, pg.37, 2009).
4.0 PKK Accomplishments
PKKcontinued with the group’s involved until the year 1999 when their leader was arrested. He was found in Kenya and the Turkish Court sentenced him to death. However, the sentence was converted and Ocalan was sentenced to life imprisonment. Later the same year when Ocalan was arrested, during his life in prison, he took an initiative to create peace. This led to the change of behavior and attitude from the members of the group. They renounced from violent activities and called for exchange of ideas on issues relating to the Kurdish with Ankara. It was during the group’s congress that members accomplished their goal of fighting for the Kurds rights politically and not on violence use (Heupel, pg 67, 2009).
However, the group continued with its operations and it continued in violent activities resulting to more attempted bombings especially in western parts of Turkey. This was an accomplishment because more people became casualties of the PKK bombings and illegal activities. They had accomplished their intention of creating insecurity in Turkey and ensuring that people were not comfortable in the country (Mango, pg. 99, 2005).
The PKKgroup was supported the issue of gender equality. During its establishment, the number of female members was less compared to the male members. However, in the 1990s, the female members had risen to thirty percent of the total group militants. The leaders ensured that they recruited women from different societies and environments to ensure that they were equally distributed and thus enhance continuation of the group’s activities. The group was fair and did not only support the involvement of male persons, but rather extended its activities to women who would be involved in a number of operations that the group gets involved in them.
Apart from the increased number of female members in the group, the overall number has also increased since the foundation of the group. Initially, the total number of PKK members was 17000, but the number reduced when Ocalan was arrested. However, the group’s invasion to Iraq yielded better results in terms of the number of the group members and more people got to join the group. Since then, the group has been recruiting more members leading to an increased number of militants both in Turkey and Iraq.
The group was able to get access to dangerous weapons that facilitated their operations that made it possible for it to become strong. The weapons enhanced frequency of their operations and more bombings were launched as a result of the existence of the dangerous weapons in the hands of the PKK group. The group was successful in its operations because it used weapons such as AK-47 Kalashnikovs, rocket launchers, grenades, land mines, pistols, and rifles. Getting such weapons was an accomplishment that the group had made over its years in existence and during its operations against Kurdish state (Davis, pg.78, 2012).
The group has been in a position to get financial and operational support from various organizations and countries as well. This was an accomplishment because the group would not be in a position to carry out its operations without support and finances. It is important to note that PKK has legitimate businesses that provide finances that support its activities.
In addition, other affiliate organizations such as Confederation of Kurdish Associations support the group’s operations effectively (Cronin, pg.18, 2009).The countries that support the PKK operations include Syria, Iran, Greece, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and other European States. Such countries would provide support to the group as they would allow its members to move freely without being harassed, others supplied weapons to the group, and others provide safe environments for the group members and campaign for their freedom as well (Beck & Miner, pg. 56, 2013).
5.0 PKKDissolution
The dissolution of PKK can be associated to the arrest of the group’s leader Ocalan after the international community criticized their activities. Similarly, The United Security Council had been quite concerned with the activities of the PKK/PKK and thus devoured to undertake its first thematic debate focusing on the drug trafficking allegations made against the terrorism group. This sitting of the UN was held on 8th December 2009 as a result of an ever growing concern towards the international security.
In the same year November 2009, the FBI Director Robert Muller also met with top Turkish officials and addressed the efforts of the US and Turkey merging efforts to combat terrorism in the regions. The United States also expressed its appreciation towards the operations that the Turkish government was engaging into in its fight against terrorism as well as transnational organized crime (Mügge, pg. 78. 2010).
The Turkish ArmedForces (TSK) has under taken various attacks on the bases of the Kurdistan population. These attacks have occurred during winter times and they have been directed to take advantage of the optimal political conditions that would forestall the activities of the PKK. Through the Prime Minister HoshyarZebari, the government described the raids as being “limited military incursion” which would be for the best interests of all the Turkish population. These operations occurred on February night involving the long-range artillery and aircraft that sought to destroy the organizational structures of the terrorist groups (Davis, pg.28, 2012).
The PKK was seen to have integrated at this point following the attacks to evade the Turkish forces with majority of them moving towards Iraq region. Through the use of aerial and artillery attacks, most of the communication networks were destroyed thereby making the PKK leadership ranking obsolete (Mügge, pg. 84. 2010).At the end of this battle, the TSK had achieved most its goals among them the destruction of the PKK military equipment and land mines.
Beck & Miner (pg. 64, 2013) hypothesis Ankara as being determined more than ever to end the war the illegal working of the PKK. On the other hand, it is highly likely that the PKK has a lot to lose in the war especially after most of their bases were destroyed in their planed attacks by the government. The war has been supposed to happen at a timely point in history where the politics are at their optimal and thus a huge save of the military and diplomatic costs. However, the underlying question remains as to whether the attacks are part of the limited attacks from the PKK that would stop in a while and never see the war end.
6.0 PKKContinuity
Ever since its establishment, the PKK has been blamed for murder and attacks mostly within Turkey region with aim of achieving Kurdistan independent. Statistics have shown that since 1984, more than 30,000 Turkish citizens have been killed because of this illegal terrorists group. It has been noted that PKK does not discriminate in carrying out of its activities as it kills anti –discriminatory innocent civilians, teachers, government officials and other citizens of Turkey. Further to that it has been established that most of the murders are deliberately executed an aspect that has led to huge economic losses for the nation of Turkey (Brown, CotéJr& Lynn-Jones, pg. 87. 2010).
PKK has been able to sustain its activities based on a number of factors within and outside of Turkey. The use of suicide bombings among the group has been portrayed as an act of intimidation for the population of Turkey making people fear the group. Further kidnapping terrorists has greatly affected the economic potential of Turkey as travel bans have been issued against their safety in Turkey. Another economic area that has been targeted by the PKK is the forest, which it has burnt intentionally over the years.
The capturing of PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan in 1999 was predicted to be a move that would stop the working of the terrorist groups. However, more attacks ensued and the group changed their courses from “peaceful methods” to a more political struggle. In order to prove that they had completely changed, the group even went ahead and changed their names from the PKK to KADEK (Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress). This announcement was made in April 2002 as PKK pressed on to be recognized as a political party.
Efforts to make the PKK acceptable to the public have been met by a lot of pressure, as the organization has remained to be a terrorist and dangerous group in the Middle East. Indeed even after the changing of names and the formulation of the so-called strategy of change, the organization has achieved fewer acceptances. This is because the officials of the organization failed to decommission the arms and worse still went ahead and carried out attacks in the larger part of Anatolia (Özcan, pg. 26. 2005).
The operations of the PKK are undertaken through secretive missions, which target specific groups of people. Although measures have been put in p-lace in order to counteract the actions of this group, the results have been dismal. The major reason is that PKK still maintains its militants as well recruit new ones to carry out their objectives. Similarly, the group’s strength has increased over the years even following the provisional made on “Law of Reintegration into Society”. This stipulation came into effect on 1st June 2013 and sought to give amnesty to members of the PKK. However, it did not achieve its targeted provisions as it had earlier on anticipated.
The growing number of PKK militants has been facilitated by the fact that the group uses coercion to scare the public and threaten the government. It is for this case that the terrorists group’s number has risen up to approximately 5,000 across Iraq. Statistics have indicated that majority of this group members live in Northern Iraq, which act as the terrorist’s headquarters.
The international community has criticized the activities of PKK and called on military action to be taken against them. The fact that the group paints a new picture in terms of policy change is merely a makeup and should not be taken as a complete reform of the group. In addition to that, PKK is not right to claim it’s reformed since it still keeps arms and militants and constantly threatens the public. Thus, the changing of name and the declaration of the group’s mission is not a building block that can be taken into account as the unconditional truth.
7.0 Impact of terrorism activities
Acts of terrorism have occurred throughout human’s history and man has tried to solve them. The PKKuse political terrorism as a way in which they can be able to generate fear in the community through intimidation. However, today the attacks have become even more rampant all over the world. Unlike before, terrorist’s attacks do not affect only a small portion of the society but alms’ every part of the world has had a taste of terrorism activities. Consequently, the definition of terrorism has now been stated to be a deliberate course of action, which creates fear in a bid to bring out a political change (Özcan,pg. 63. 2005).
Terrorism activities affect the political, economic, social and psychological well being of people all over the world. In terms of political, terrorists usually aim at what they call “political motivation” as in the case of the PKK in which the members believe that war can also be a form of diplomacy in achieving what they want. In most cases, the urge may come because of trying to overthrow a regime, which has been perceived to be illegitimate or simply lacking public support. PKK has used this notion as it has continued to provoke the functionality of the Iraqi government through recruitment of followers who eventually hope to oust the current state.
Culturally, the working of a terrorist organization may be aimed at creating ethnic and religious fears among the diverse people living together in harmony. Through this PKK has destroyed the economic opportunities, which have been presented to the citizens of Iraqi by killing the professionals in the field such as the teachers and the students.
According to Heupel (pg. 18. 2009), many terrorist groups’ members are unbalanced based on their vicious behavior, which results to them suffering from psychosis. The same case is transferred to the victims who are tormented in unimaginable pain. Children have remained to be the greatest victims when it comes to terrorist activities as those living in Iraq. This is for the reason that they are vulnerable as some of them have been in the hands of the terrorists or even witnessed their activities. Through the activities of PKK, children have been disrupted from their daily routines such as their area of residence as well as schooling. In worse cases the death of parents, siblings or even close friends are aspects, which are set to affect the lives of the children in a traumatic way.
8.0 Conclusion
The PKK group is an organization that formed by young Kurds in 1978, and the leader was known as Ocalan. The group was formed to ensure that the Kurdish State gained independence and the cultural as well as the political rights of the Kurds were improved. Since its formation, the members have been constantly involved in violent activities that aimed at destructing the Kurdish security force in order to obtain the country’s independence. They got involved in activities that aimed at attracting more people to support the group. Such activities included rioting, kidnapping, sabotage, and bombing. The group’s operations started immediately after the establishment of the group, and they have continued over time even to date (Cronin, pg. 49. 2009).
Ocalan, who was the leader of the PKKgroup ensured that training camps were opened in various countries to ensure thatthe group members gained training to become paramilitary personnel who were able to carry out the group operations effectively. Not only were the male personnel recruited in the group, but also the female were involved and would carry out the assigned duties as if the male would. This was done to ensure that all members in the group were treated fairly and that there was gender equality in the group.
The group would not have functioned effectively without having to accomplish major goals that facilitated the group’s existence. The number of people who joined the group during its foundation was high and though it decreased after Ocalan was arrested, the number has been increasing since then resulting. The group has gained financial as well as operational support from various countries and organizations. The group has therefore achieved great results because of the accomplishments it has made in other areas of its operations (Mügge, pg. 60, 2010).
The continuity of the group has resulted to various impacts within the Kurdish population. For instance, people have been physiologically, emotionally, and physically affected by the activities that the PKK group has been involved in.Bombings and attacks have led to creation of fear among the people and countries have also experienced lack of harmony and war. These have led to the group being listed as a terrorist group because its activities and use of weapons against the public is illegal and causes alarming.
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