Key Milestones in the Turkey-PKK Conflict Timeline

The PKK, founded in 1978 for Kurdish liberation, began armed conflict in 1984. Ocalan was arrested in 1999 but initiated peace talks in 2013. However, the conflict escalated after 2015, leading to military operations by Turkey and crackdowns on Kurdish politics. Recent outreach from nationalists to Ocalan hints at a potential for renewed dialogue.

The Turkey-PKK conflict has seen significant developments since its inception. Founded in 1978 by a group of Ankara University students, the PKK aimed for Kurdish liberation through armed struggle, with Abdullah Ocalan as its leader. Following a military coup in Turkey in 1980, both Ocalan and the PKK fled to Syria and Lebanon, where they began an armed conflict against Turkish state forces in 1984, leading to intense violence in the southeastern regions of Turkey.

Ocalan was arrested on February 15, 1999, in Kenya and subsequently sentenced to death in Turkey, later commuted to life imprisonment in 2002. During his confinement on Imrali Island, peace initiatives emerged, culminating in his call for the PKK to lay down arms during Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, in 2013. This was part of negotiations with Turkey’s government, mediated by the pro-Kurdish HDP party, alongside meetings organized by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization in Oslo.

However, the truce began to deteriorate after a bomb attack in Suruc in July 2015, coinciding with increasing political pressures on President Erdogan due to the HDP’s electoral success. This led Turkey to launch military operations against PKK locations in Iraq and ramp up operations within Turkey, worsening the conflict dramatically, particularly in southeastern cities like Diyarbakir.

The breakdown of peace negotiations following the failed coup attempt in 2016 intensified government crackdowns on Kurdish political activities and the detainment of Kurdish politicians. In recent developments, the nationalist MHP party surprisingly reached out to Ocalan, urging a non-violent stance, supported by Erdogan. Meetings between DEM lawmakers and Ocalan took place on Imrali Island on December 28, January 22, and February 27, fostering potential dialogue for peace.

The Turkey-PKK conflict has evolved through key moments, from the PKK’s formation to ongoing negotiations for peace. Ocalan’s role as a leader and his calls for disarmament highlight the complexities of these negotiations, while recent political dynamics suggest a potential opening for dialogue. However, the history of violence and political unrest underlines the challenges ahead in achieving lasting peace.

Original Source: www.newarab.com