Table of Contents
Who are the PKK in Iraq?
Kongra-Gel was founded by Abdullah Ocalan in 1974 as a Marxist-Leninist separatist organization and formally named the Kurdistan Workers� Party (PKK) in 1978. The group, composed primarily of Turkish Kurds, began in 1984 its campaign of armed violence, which has resulted in some 30,000 casualties.
What happened to PKK?
In July 2015, a two-and-a-half year long ceasefire broke down, and the almost four-decade long conflict between Turkish security forces and militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – recognised as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU – entered one of its deadliest chapters in nearly four …
What are the main targets of the PKK?
PKK’s primary targets include police, military, economic, and social assets in Turkey. PKK also attacks on civilians and diplomatic and consular facilities. PKK is also involved in extortion, arms smuggling, and drug trafficking.
Who IS YPG in Syria?
The YPG International or People’s Protection Units International (Kurdish: YPG Enternasyonel) is a military unit made up of foreign fighters in the Syrian Democratic Forces. It was created in December 2016 as the Antifascist International Tabûr (AIT) of the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Is Kurdistan a communist?
The Communist Party of Kurdistan (Kurdish: Partiya Komunistê Kurdistan; Turkish: Kürdistan Komünist Partisi; abbreviated KKP) is a political party in Turkey, founded in 1982 as the Kurdish branch of the Communist Labour Party of Turkey (TKEP).
How many has PKK killed?
In total, more than 40,000 civilians, guerrilla fighters and Turkish soldiers have been killed since 1984 when the PKK launched its first operation against the Turkish army, the second largest within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
What is the goal of the PKK?
Around 1995, the PKK ostensibly changed its aim from independence to a demand for equal rights and Kurdish autonomy within the Turkish state, though all the while hardly suspending their military attacks on the Turkish state except for ceasefires in 1999–2004 and 2013–2015.
What did PKK do?
Both the PKK and the Turkish state have been accused of engaging in terror tactics and targeting civilians. The PKK has bombed city centres and recruited child soldiers, while Turkey has depopulated and burned down thousands of Kurdish villages and massacred Kurdish civilians in an attempt to root out PKK militants.
Where is the PKK now?
Since July 2015, roughly one in six deaths in the conflict have occurred in Iraq, the majority of them PKK militants. With the KRG’s acquiescence, Turkey now has 2,000-3,000 troops stationed at around 40 outposts in northern Iraq, some as far as 40km from the border, Turkish security analysts estimate.
Is Istanbul safe terrorism?
Though Istanbul is 900 miles away from all that turmoil, there is the ongoing threat of terrorist attacks. That said, Istanbul is pretty safe. The situation has calmed down. You may see authorities stopping people to check IDs, but that just means that security is heightened.