NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Crime

Who are the PKK, could they draw Turkey into the Iraq conflict and what does the US think?

By Peter Popham
23 Oct, 2007 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tayyip Erdogan

Tayyip Erdogan

KEY POINTS:

Where do the PKK come from?

The Kurdistan Workers' Party, established in 1970, is a Marxist-Leninist and nationalist Kurdish guerrilla group that since the mid-1980s has been using violence to push for an independent Kurdish state in southeast Turkey. About half of Turkey's Kurdish population - 15
per cent of Turkey's total of 73 million - is concentrated in the region. The party is proscribed as a terrorist group in Britain, the US and several other countries. In the past 10 years its demands have moderated to autonomy within Turkey. It suffered a major reversal in 1999 when its leader, Abdullah Ocalan, was captured but in 2004 felt sufficiently strong to resume its campaign of violence. Since the armed struggle began, about 37,000 people have died.

Why is it in the news now?

PKK guerrillas have hideouts in the high, rugged mountains dividing Turkey from northern Iraq, and in the past month they have repeatedly launched attacks on Turkish Army patrols, killing dozens of Turkish soldiers. The last incident occurred when guerrillas blew up a bridge that a Turkish patrol was crossing, killing eight of them. Several more were killed in a separate explosion. PKK sources published the names of seven of the Turks reported missing, making it clear that the attack was committed by the group.

What happens next?

The Turkish Government under Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is under increasing pressure to take decisive action against the guerrillas. The Turkish Parliament only last week passed a law enabling the Army to cross the Iraqi border in pursuit of the PKK after previous incidents. A retired Turkish major-general told the New York Times that with the latest incident, "the arrow has left the bow. No room is left for the Government to hesitate, postpone or fail to launch a cross-border operation." The nationalist daily Cumhuriyet screamed "Enough is enough", and demonstrators took to the streets across the country demanding tough military action. Windows of the office of the most important Kurdish political party were broken in Istanbul.

So it looks like an invasion, does it?

Conceivably, but with the utmost reluctance on the part of Erdogan. The conservative, pro-Islamic leader of the AKP (Justice and Development Party) who won a strong new mandate at a general election in the summer has worked hard to solve Turkey's Kurdish problem by non-military means. He is also committed to doing all he can to get Turkey into the European Union. A full-blooded cross-border campaign that satisfied the hard-line Turkish nationalists would undo both of those programmes at a stroke. As one member of the AKP, Suat Kiniklioglu, who also sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, put it: "We don't want to go into northern Iraq - it's a mess. We are a country negotiating with the European Union."

Would it end the PKK problem?

Most unlikely. The border area is ideal guerrilla terrain, high, rugged, inhospitable mountains. The guerrillas, who have had years to prepare themselves, are split into small cells and scattered across the mountains in hideouts. Far from obtaining a clear-cut victory and the defeat of the PKK, the result of a military campaign is more likely to be that Turkey would be sucked into an Iraqi quagmire of its own. One reason the PKK is again a force to be reckoned with is that the Iraqi insurgency has enabled it to lay hands on huge quantities of arms, thus making it a more formidable force than in the recent past.

Can the Iraqi Government stop the guerrillas?

They say they are going to try. Turkey is sceptical. After all, the President of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, is himself a Kurd. The PKK is an irritant to Iraqi Kurdistan's regional government, which has requested the guerrillas to lay down their arms and disperse. But his words leave Erdogan unconvinced. "It is beautiful to say such words," he said. "But we would like to see what its outcome is going to be." As both Talabani and Erdogan well know, the Baghdad Government's writ does not run in Iraqi Kurdistan. Even Saddam Hussein was unable to extirpate the PKK from the region.

What does the US think about all this?

It is extremely unhappy. Turkey, after all, is a founder member of Nato: a Turkish invasion of northern Iraq would set one Nato member against a country propped up and occupied by another. Iraqi Kurdistan is the one part of Iraq that has enjoyed relative peace and security since the toppling of Saddam, and a full-scale assault could see the one fragile achievement of the US-led invasion undone.

- Independent

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Crime

Crime

'Gonna whack it': Ex-gang member with hitman aspirations finally named

12 Jul 05:00 AM
Crime

Autistic man indecently assaulted by rapist who had served 33 years behind bars

12 Jul 03:00 AM
New Zealand|crime

Home build dream shattered after business hacked and woman launders couple’s $150k

12 Jul 01:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Crime

'Gonna whack it': Ex-gang member with hitman aspirations finally named

'Gonna whack it': Ex-gang member with hitman aspirations finally named

12 Jul 05:00 AM

The conspiracy to kill lasted only 29 hours before it was thwarted by fellow gang members.

Autistic man indecently assaulted by rapist who had served 33 years behind bars

Autistic man indecently assaulted by rapist who had served 33 years behind bars

12 Jul 03:00 AM
Home build dream shattered after business hacked and woman launders couple’s $150k

Home build dream shattered after business hacked and woman launders couple’s $150k

12 Jul 01:00 AM
Judge clears reporting of material on former Deputy Police Commissioner's computer

Judge clears reporting of material on former Deputy Police Commissioner's computer

11 Jul 07:24 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP