Kurdish Question
Historical Context and the PKK Conflict
The Kurdish question — the political, cultural, and territorial aspirations of the Kurdish people (estimated at 25-35 million, primarily in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran) — is one of the most enduring unresolved national questions in the Middle East. The PKK (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê — Kurdistan Workers' Party) was founded by Abdullah Ocalan in 1978 with an initial Marxist-Leninist, separatist ideology. It launched an armed insurgency in Turkey in 1984. Ocalan was captured in Kenya and extradited to Turkey in 1999, where he has been imprisoned on Imrali Island ever since.
- The PKK is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
- Ocalan's ideology evolved from separatism toward "democratic confederalism" — a model of decentralised self-governance within existing state boundaries rather than an independent Kurdish state — reducing one major obstacle to political accommodation.
- The PKK conflict has multiple dimensions: security (guerrilla warfare in southeastern Turkey), political (representation of Kurdish parties in parliament), and humanitarian (mass displacement, cultural suppression).
- Previous peace attempts: the "Oslo process" (2009-2011) and the "Solution Process" (2013-2015) both collapsed; this 2025-2026 process is the third major attempt.
- The PKK's armed wing in Syria (YPG/SDF) complicates the Turkey-US relationship, as the US has partnered with the SDF against ISIS while Turkey regards YPG as a PKK affiliate.
● Tracked since February 27, 2026 · last seen March 05, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief