The US turning into a good “partner” as a result of the ISIS factor has carried the imaginary horizon of the PKK to an extraordinary extent. The PKK began to think that bringing Turkey to its knees was possible. Critical condition to achieve that was to end the Turkish-Kurdish Peace Process started in 2013.
Although it is being put forward as Turkey’s cross-border operation had two purposes, and both the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are terrorist organizations, it is not quite right. ISIS was seen as an “enemy” by the Turkish government since the beginning and it was declared as is. However, there were two elements that prevented the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government from taking the position this way. One of them was the creation of an axis that connects the Turkish conservatism of the central Anatolia to Kurdish militant Salafism of the southeastern region of Turkey, with tendency for ISIS. Turkey is an open society. If the society has segments that incline towards militancy as a result of its own cultural and ideological codes and this inclination has a response as a result across the border, it is not possible to prevent the issue in question with absolute state power.
Second reason was the attitude of the US. Washington wanted Ankara to do its “dirty work” in Syria but Turkey put distance to the incidents in the Middle East by putting the condition of “joint” action. The arrival of ISIS in the current position has changed everything. At the end, the US reached closer to the position Turkey stands by and Turkey took a step forward in becoming an efficient partner of the coalition.
A different turn of events took place when it comes to the operations against the PKK. Despite the fact that it is a listed terrorist organization, the PKK was seen as a potential partner. It was expected that the Kurdish-Turkish peace process would enable an opportunity for integration and this would be placed on a solid ground with a new democratic constitution. Keep in mind, the AK Party sought to establish a relationship with the PKK since it came to power and tried different ways almost nonstop since 2004.
But, the PKK never favored the peace process. It took an indecisive position and overlooked the advantages the Middle East would have provided. Collapse of the central state in Syria created an opportunity for the PKK to get into action to form its own state. This was not only going to be a Kurdish state, but a state the terrorist group would establish for “itself.” That is why all other Kurdish stakeholders in Rojawa, or Northern Syria, were crushed and these people were forced to flee to Turkey and northern Iraq long before ISIS arrived.
Turkey being left outside of the equation in the Middle East led the West to romanticize and instrumentalize this oppressive structure. Now on, the PKK was an extension of “democrat” and civilized secular part of the world that fights with radical Islam. In the meantime, the US turning into a good “partner” for them as a result of the ISIS factor has carried the imaginary horizon of the PKK to an extraordinary extent. It began to think that bringing Turkey to its knees was possible. Critical condition to achieve that was to end the Kurdish-Turkish peace process. That is the reason pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) joined the anti-AK Party camp in Turkey and declared it would not be part of any cooperation with the AK Party.
In the meantime, the PKK started to take steps for a parallel state by trying to undertake the public order under its wings in the eastern and southeastern Turkey. Ahead of the elections, collecting tributes from the businessmen was made systemized, businesses that did not get “permission” faced tax penalties imposed by PKK, and construction vehicles were burned down. Also, the PKK tried to transform the justice system to this parallel structure by establishing holding own trials.
The AK Party government bore all these until a certain point because it did not want the peace process to be harmed. However, the entire intent of the PKK was towards ending this process. The statements that came after the elections, the position taken and the latest killings by the PKK showed that it is not ethical and realistic to see the PKK as an addressee. The PKK is now following a line where politics would be taken hostage by violence. But, there stands a different “game” ahead of us following the deal made between the US and Turkey.
Life is calling on the PKK to be realistic. If it is able to do well, it may be on the stage as a humble actor. Otherwise, the PKK will not be able to stop Kurds from becoming a burden to it and remain as a terrorist organization.
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