 "A woman holds a flag of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) during a demonstration against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in central Brussels, Belgium, November 17, 2016. Reuters")
The terrorist attack on Turkey’s state-run aerospace and defence company TUSAS, which killed five people and wounded more than a dozen on Wednesday (October 23) is suspected to have been carried out by Kurdish militants.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, is suspected of being behind the attack. However, he said that the process of identifying the assailants is still ongoing.
The two attackers — a man and a woman — were killed in the attack.
Defence Minister Yasar Guler has also pointed the finger at the PKK.
The attack occurred a day after the leader of Turkiye’s far-right nationalist party that’s allied with Erdogan raised the possibility that the PKK’s imprisoned leader could be granted parole if he renounces violence and disbands his organisation.
What is the PKK?
PKK is a militant organisation founded in 1978 by Abdullah Ocalan with the aim of achieving greater political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. Initially Marxist-Leninist in ideology, the PKK has evolved into a more nationalist movement.
The group began an armed insurgency in 1984, fighting for Kurdish autonomy, which has resulted in a long, bloody conflict with the Turkish state, claiming tens of thousands of lives. The PKK uses guerrilla warfare tactics, targeting Turkish military and civilian sites.
What is the Turkey-Kurdish conflict?
The Kurds, an ethnic minority in Turkey, have historically sought recognition, autonomy, and greater freedoms.
Kurds comprise nearly one-fifth of Turkey’s population of seventy-nine million, according to Council of Foreign Relations.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe Turkish state, for much of the 20th century, repressed Kurdish identity, including banning the Kurdish language and other cultural expressions.
The conflict between Turkey and the Kurdish population stems from longstanding grievances over Kurdish identity, cultural suppression, and political rights.
Under the Erdogan regime, there has been a steady increase in popular discontent, as evidenced by the June 2013 Gezi Park protests and a July 2016 coup attempt. Tensions have also escalated between Turkish authorities and Kurdish groups.
With inputs from AP