Kurdistan Workers' Party: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia


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* Received safehaven and modest aid from [[Syria]], [[Iraq]], and [[Iran]].

* ''Aid'' received through intimidation from constructors and merchants running business in the region.

* Extortion. InIt commonhas withbeen manyclaimed terrorist organizations,that the PKK routinely extorts money from people who start new businesses, and benefits from bids on government contracts. In order to finance the purchase of more sophisticated weaponry such as the [[Germany|German]] design [[surface-to-air missile|SA]] [[FIM-92 Stinger]] missles, of which a number were discovered in mountain depots raided by the security forces. People also allege that in the spring of [[1994]], the PKK has begunbegan to "tax" rich businessmen of Kurdish origin nationwide. Other professions such as doctors, contractors, builders, farmers, and teachers reportedly are not immune to extortion either. Although the largest portion of PKK's income is derived from drug smuggling, its annual budget is estimated to be $86 million [[USD]]. This includes income from extortion in both Turkey and abroad, especially from Kurdish and Turkish workers, most of who reside in Germany. The British National Service of Criminal Intelligence - [[NSIC]]) reported that in [[1993]] PKK extorted 2.5 million [[pounds sterling]] from immigrants and businesses. According to the same source, PKK obtained 28 million [[USD]] from drug smuggling in Europe in [[1993]]. In addition, only those businessmen of whom PKK approves entered bids for government contracts in the southeast, in return for a "commission" to the organization. Likewise, temporary workers in the southeast who were paid a monthly net salary of $1,000 [[USD]] were forced to give up $700 [[USD]] of this sum to the PKK. {{ref|PKK1}}

* Transfer of money to the organization from the people entitled to payments in European countries, under refugee status

* Smuggling of illegal workers and immigrants (costing on average $5,000 per person). The route of illegal imigrant traffic passes through [[Turkey]] to [[Greece]] then to [[Europe]] and the [[United States]].

* Money collected through drug trafficking and arms-smuggling.

* Transfer of money to the organization from the people entitled to payments in European countries, under refugee status

* Revenues obtained from commercial establishments belonging to the organisation.

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==Tactics==

The group in operate in high and mountanousmountainous rural as well as dense urban areas. The structure and height of this mountainous region in south eastern Turkey makes it very difficult for [[helicopter|helicopters]] and other aircraft to maneuver, making it difficult for government troops to respond in a timely fashion to any ambush. While escaping/evading govermentgovernment troops members of the PKK often hide in underground safehouses or caves. Although nothing remotely close to [[Vietcong]] tunnel networks nor vegetation cover, the mountains and snow made them virtually invisible, especially during [[winter]].

* Until 1990s PKK to gain support sometimes attacked Kurdish civilians who would not cooperate with the group on a regulary basis or who were informers or [[collaborator]]s with the Turkish army. PKK often raided villiges that did not "adequately" supported the organisation. Doing so the were either punishing the "non-supporters" or "intimidating" who was left to support the organisation. Later blaming the deaths to the [[Military of Turkey|Turkish Military]] as a part of its [[propaganda]] campaign. Some 3,223 schools, attended by 166,000 students in 22 districts of two provinces, remained shut in 1996 as a result of their destruction by the Turkish army in the burning of kurdish villages thought to shelter PKK supporters. 156 teachers have allegedly been killed by the PKK. According to June 1995 findings of the State Ministry for Human Rights Affairs, 809 villages and 1,612 hamlets have been forcibly evacuated by the Turkish army in 19 provinces. Whereas, the State of Emergency Region Governate announced that 753 villages and 1,535 hamlets were completely evacuated, and 235 villages and 141 hamlets partially evacuated. This activity prompted the government to evacuate some remote villages by force if the villagers did not want to leave their homes. After leaving their homes, the villages were often burned and livestock machine-gunned by the Army to create ''free-fire'' zones and to deprive the [[guerillas]] of resources, this is sometimes called ''draining the water'' in [[counter-insurgency]]. The evacuation has caused significant problems in the cities where the evacuees resettled (mostly larger metropolitan cities). The infrastructure had more people than it can handle.

* The organisation members often hid themselves in these villages while escaping a pursuit from government troops by "blending in" with the population.

* Planted [[Russia]]n and [[Italy|Itallian]] made [[Landmines|Anti-personnel mines]].

* Sabotaging the [[GAP Project]]. On occasions engineers working on the project were abducted, foreigners were usually released. The completion of this project would destroy more Kurdish villages and [[human rights]] organisations and NGO's are actively campaigning against it.

* Planted [[Russia]]n made [[Landmines|Anti-vehicle mines]] were layed against patroling [[Turkish Gendarmerie]] vehicles, however frequently civilian trucks and busses triggered these mines as they are heavy enough. Generally the gendarmerie patroled with Armored vehicles which were either too light to trigger the mine or were armored well enough for the crew to survive the blast while vehicle was rendered useless aside from non-armored yet heavy vehicles such as suply trucks.

* Sabotaging the [[GAP Project]]. On occasions engineers working on the project were abducted, foreigners were usually released.

* Abducting/killing doctors, teachers, and other non-military government employees.

* Bombing tourist sites and hotels and kidnapping foreign tourists damaging Turkey's tourism industry.

* Also just like the [[Vietcong]], the organisation members often hid themselves in these villages while escaping a pursuit from government troops by "blending in" with the population.

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* From [[11 November]], [[2003]] to [[4 April]], [[2005]] the organisation changed name and operated under the banner of KGK (KONGRA-GEL). In [[2004]] the armed wing of PKK, HPG (People's Forces of Defence) announced that they ended the unilateral truce they had sustained since the time of Öcalan's capture.

* On [[2 April]], [[2004]] The [[Council of the European Union]] (the 15 EU governments) decided to update the European Union list of [[terrorism|terrorist]] organisations to include Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) (aka. KADEK). Later ammended to include KDK (KONGRA-GEL). This also applies to all and any members joining the EU.

* On [[2 April]], [[2002]] to [[11 November]] [[2003]], same day as the European Union list of [[terrorism|terrorist]] update, the organisation changed name and operated under the banner of KADEK ([[Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress]])

* Later in [[2004]] [[United States Department of the Treasury|US Treasury]] has amended its regulations to include all the aliases and off-shoots of PKK in its sanctions list maintained by OFAC ([[Office of Foreign Assets Control]]). The list aims at blocking terrorist property. The organisations currently listed under the PKK aliases item include KADEK (Congress for Freedom and Democracy in Kurdistan), KONGRA-GEL, HSK, KHK and PKK. The organisation also is on the [[U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations]].

* On [[4 April]], [[2005]]: Organisation changed name and still operating under the banner of PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party)