"Is Turkey-PKK dialogue on the horizon?
Kurdish Herald Vol. 1 Issue 2, June 2009 -
by Servet Tosun and Jeff Allan
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was founded as the 1970s drew to a close, marking a turning point in the Kurdish national movement just as Turkish military oppression of dissident groups – such as Kurds and leftists – was at its height. Cengiz Candar of the Turkish newspaper, Radikal, has described the PKK as a consequence of the “Kurdish problem” that emerged soon after the establishment of the Turkish Republic. This “problem” has given birth to a number of revolts in various incarnations, and has continued with violence that has claimed thousands of lives over the last 25 years. Candar states that the PKK is not a single organization, but it is a well-networked entity. While their leader, Abdullah Öcalan, has been imprisoned for over 10 years, the military cadres of the PKK are still well-organized and active in the Qendil Mountains straddling the Iraq-Turkish border. A significant portion of the PKK’s financial resources come from its civil organizations supported by Diaspora Kurds in Europe, and the PKK enjoys the psychological support of many Kurds in Turkey."
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