Turkey and Kurd Conflict (symbol photo)
Turkey and Kurd Conflict: There has been a terrorist attack in Turkey’s capital Ankara. On Wednesday evening, a terrorist attack took place on the campus of the country’s government aerospace and defense company ‘Tusas’ near Ankara. 5 people died and 22 people were injured in this attack. Kurdish organizations are being said to be behind this attack. Turkey’s Interior Minister has expressed suspicion on the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the leftist Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party. However, no organization has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The roots of enmity between Turks and Kurds can be seen historically, politically and culturally. This hostility has been going on for many decades and has several major reasons.
historical background
The Kurds are a major ethnic group living primarily in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I, the Kurds hoped to have their own independent state. But despite the Treaty of Sèvres of 1920, the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 did not grant them any such statehood, leaving them divided among different countries.
political and cultural repression
Kurds in Turkey faced cultural and linguistic oppression for a long time. The Turkish government took harsh measures to suppress the Kurdish language, culture and identity. The Kurdish language was banned and Kurds were forced to adopt Ottoman identity.
Kurdish nationalism and the PKK
In the 1970s and 1980s, Kurdish nationalism gained momentum and the Kurdish Workers’ Party was formed. The PKK began an armed conflict against the Turkish government, resulting in violent clashes and a large number of deaths on both sides. The Turkish government considers the PKK a terrorist organization and takes strict action against it.
modern political situation
Today, the issue of the Kurds remains an important political and social issue in Turkey. The Turkish government has made some reforms, but conflict with the PKK continues. Kurdish leaders and supporters are often arrested by the Turkish government and military operations continue to take place in Kurdish areas.
international influence
The situation of the Kurds in Syria and Iraq has also affected Turkish-Kurdish relations. During the Syrian Civil War, the Kurds gained autonomy, which made Turkiye feel threatened. Even in Iraq, the autonomy of the Kurdistan Regional Government remains a matter of concern for Turkey.
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