PKK

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is a Kurdish militant and political organization founded in 1970 in Diyarbakir, Turkey, by Abdullah Öcalan and others. It originated as a leftist, Kurdish nationalist movement seeking greater autonomy or independence for Kurds inside Turkey. Its early program combined Kurdish nationalism with Marxist-Leninist ideology, and it later evolved into broader self-determination goals for Kurds in the region.

In 1984 the PKK launched an armed insurgency against the Turkish state, beginning a protracted conflict in southeastern Turkey. The group has used guerrilla warfare, bombings, and attacks on security forces and public targets, causing substantial casualties among Turkish security personnel and civilians. The PKK's operations have extended into northern Iraq and, at times, Syria, where it has had contingents and influence on Kurdish forces and local actors.

The PKK is organized with military, political, and social wings. Its armed wing is the People’s Defense Forces (HPG), and its political and administrative structures have evolved under a leadership that historically centered on Öcalan until his capture in 1999 and imprisonment on Imrali Island. Abroad, Turkey, the United States, and the European Union designate the PKK as a terrorist organization; the designation has influenced Turkish counterinsurgency and international responses.

Peace process: In 2013–2015 there was a Turkish-initiated ceasefire and talks, but hostilities resumed in 2015 after the breakdown of the peace process and splintering within Kurdish politics. Since then, the PKK has remained active with periodic ceasefires and conflicts; Turkish military operations have targeted PKK bases in Turkey and in neighboring regions.

The PKK's current status varies by region. In Turkey, the conflict continues to affect security and politics; in Iraq and Syria, the PKK and its affiliates have played roles in Kurdish regional security and local governance, though the organization remains banned and contested by Turkey’s government and various international actors.