Posted on 11/25/2018 4:43:32 PM PST by Texas Fossil
On November 6, the U.S. unexpectedly announced a total of $12 million in reward payments for information on three senior members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) – Murad Karayilan, Cemil Bayik and Duran Kalkan. These three have led the PKK’s decades-long rebel war against Turkey. For Ankara and Washington, the PKK is a terrorist group.
But it’s not that simple. The PKK is fighting for Kurdish rights and freedoms in Turkey, which Turkey has long violently repressed its Kurdish minority. A sister party of the PKK also is a partner in the US-led war against the self-proclaimed the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria and Iraq. The PKK, which has long-sought a negotiated settlement with Turkey, has never targeted US or European citizens, nor ever sought to undermine their interests. Yet the US and EU consider the PKK a terrorist organization, although increasingly, there are signs this may be changing. On November 15, the European Court of Justice said that the decision issued about the PKK between 2014 and 2017, which included the party in the “terror list” was not based on “sufficient evidence.”
Since being founded in 1978, the PKK’s ideology, strategy, goals have shifted. The group has gone from being a dogmatic, separatist Marxist-Leninist organization to striving to create a pro-democracy organization that promotes, ecology, women rights, ethnic and religious coexistence and cooperation. At the same time, the PKK has abandoned the goal of an independent state and now calls for a self-rule system based on a local democracy. The PKK also is no longer solely focused on Kurdish rights in Turkey: it now is championing a multicultural/multiethnic solution
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
Court of Justice of the European Union rules PKK wrongly on the terror list
“The PKK ban and racism must be fought together”
Here is 2 part lengthy well written article about this issue.
It's time for the US to delist the PKK — here's why, Part I
It's time for the US to delist the PKK— here's why, Part II
Here is an article that is amazing, in spite of being 3 years old.
“When are terrorists not terrorists? When, as with the PKK, national self-interest gets in the way” (Jan. 2016)
It was an early but accurate assessment of why this Kurdish group is still labeled as a terrorist group.
I don’t think it has to be a taboo subject, but it is.
The PKK personifies the problems with our entire Middle East policy and belies any strategy. No FReeper would support the PKK on their face. Marxist rebel groups generally find little sympathy here; however, as part of the Kurdish “family,” the PKK helped defeat ISIS, and their enemy , our esteemed ally, Erdogan, is an Islamic Tyrant with visions of Caliphate dancing in head.
Here we come to the essence of the issue. Whom do you choose: the evil one, the cute one, the popular one, the rich one, or the upstart rebel?
Do you see where we’ve really arrived? Our only “strategy” has resolved to the oldest one in Arabia, “enemy of my enemy.” Everyone’s favorite Senator, McCain, was a fervent supporter, as was Bush and Obama (though with different friends and enemies). In fact, everyone who plays in the sandbox eventually gets pulled into the same losing game.
We have no business deciding between factions, good or bad, except those that affect our direct national interest. Engaging in internecine alliances in the M/E will just suck one into quicksand.
We should support the Kurds, but we don’t have to fall for Turkeys games. The PKK shouldn’t be on our terrorist list, but they shouldn’t be on our dance card, either.
Well said. Over time, I've come to like, trust, respect and made friendships with Syrian Kurds. YPG/YPJ, SDF, MFS Syriacs. It is amazing what they have accomplished with our help. And they are reliable allies.
The 3 year old Australian article that I posted in my comments basically states what you just wrote.
I don't find anything impressive about Marxist or other leftists. In fact I despise all Totalitarian leaders, no matter what spectrum they come from.
A number of years ago I had lengthy conversations with those I trust in Syria about not letting the freedom won in battle and blood be jerked away by ideology when war is over. It is hard to understand their mindset until you see what they have had to do just to live. England did not help this mess a bit after WWI. English Bureaucrap did in the Kurds.
I think now, it is more clear what Turkey under Erdogan is. The warm fuzzy of NATO membership has worn thin. Left to his own design he will destroy Turkey and some of the Region. What he did in Efrin (Afrin) should make him guilty of war crimes. It won't because the EU needs him, or they think they do. They need the Dardanelles. Russia wants what Turkey has, and has a strong stomach created by associating and dining with some really foul elements. Russia gave Erdogan the green light on Efrin. I think Russia knew what would happen, did it anyway. I suspect Assad now realizes it was a serious mistake.
Yes. De-list PKK, recognize them for both good and bad they represent. The YPG/YPJ are influenced by Ocalan, he is PKK. What happened among Syriacs, Kurds, Arabs, Alevi's, Ezidi's in N. Syria must be respected. They have had to work together to survive and the fruit of that if allowed to stand is good.
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