It must be noted that the wars experienced in the Middle East have constituted the main determinant that keeps the outlawed PKK active in the region for almost 40 years now.
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In reference to the recent developments in northern Iraq and the increasing threat of terrorism, Turkey’s Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli told journalists that “the PKK terrorist group appears to be expanding its presence seriously in northern Iraq.
Second, potential new conflict could open up space in Iraq for the PKK which has already gained ground in Syria due to the prolonged civil war and American support for the PYD.
First, the leading subject matter Turkey pays attention to within its Iraq policy is preventing the outlawed PKK and other terror groups from using the country’s territory.
Not only due to regional stability depending on the territorial integrity of Iraq, the domestic fight against the PKK also has the ability to be shaped by the independence referendum in northern Iraq.
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The independence referendum carries importance for Turkey not only due to potential territorial changes in the region, but also in concern of its fight against the PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by both the US and Europe.
he Operation Euphrates Shield (OES) which was launched on August 24, 2016 in order to clear the presence of terrorist organizations along Turkey’s southern border and to prevent the illegitimate PKK entity in Syria, seems to have reached its major objectives.
The first is, despite listing the PKK as a terrorist organization, Western states are allowing affiliates of this terrorist group to act freely in Europe.
he Turkish government had commenced to negotiate with the PKK in order to resolve the most prominent issue that it inherited since the very first years of the Republic: the "Kurdish issue".
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Deeming those who aren't pro-PKK or pro-Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) as collaborators and emphasizing that they were "warned" numerous times, the newspaper, in short, implied that they were "punished".
While the three major parties in the Kurdistan Region have serious trust issues and problems on the table, the politics of the region is further troubled with the longstanding existence of the PKK in the region.
That is, the YPG can be counted as an ally in the fight against the DAESH even though Turkey, one of the most significant members of the NATO, has been struggling with its organically linked fraction, the PKK.