Turkey is fighting an unprecedented battle in the world against terrorism, as no other country confronts terrorist organizations and fights them on so many fronts as Turkey. On the one hand, it is fighting ISIS and on the other it is confronting the Fethullah Gülen terrorist organization (FETO), as well as the 39-year-old struggle against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization that aims to divide Turkish territory, all while continuing its legal struggle against many far-left organizations.

In addition to the diversity of terrorist organizations Turkey is fighting, its 39-year conflict with the PKK is unparalleled in the world. No other country has been fighting a terrorist organization for so long.

A map published on the BusinessInsider website, which shows terrorist attacks around the world from 1970 to 2015, indicates that Turkey ranks first in terms of the number of terrorist attacks among countries. The red dots on the map depict places where terrorist incidents have taken place. Focusing, we notice the intensification of these attacks in Turkey's eastern and southeastern Anatolia, which are bordered by Syria, Iraq and Iran. The eastern and southeastern part of Turkey, which appears in red on the map due to the concentration of terrorist incidents there, is the area that the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization seeks to separate from Turkey.

A map published by Business Insider indicates that Turkey ranks first among the countries with the highest number of terrorist attacks (Business Insider)

One of the complicated aspects of Turkey's confrontation with the PKK is that the group receives support from the United States, a NATO member state as well as Turkey. In addition, the party receives support from other European NATO member states, including Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Greece. It remains strange, especially when we learn that Turkey's only objection to Sweden's request to join NATO was Sweden's support for the PKK and FETÖ, demanding that it cease this support.

Turkey is appealing to Sweden, which describes itself as a law-abiding country that cherishes democracy, asking it not to "support terrorism." What is surprising is that the world is limited to just witnessing this situation. Turkey began its battle against the PKK 39 years ago, on August 15, 1984, when the PKK terrorist organization launched its first attacks on the state, targeting the city of Shamdinli in Hakkari province and the city of Iroh in Sirt province.

For 39 years, Turkey has continued its continuous struggle internally and externally against the PKK terrorist organization. In return, this organization continues to launch attacks with the support of the so-called "allies", namely the United States and the European Union.

The terrorist organization, founded as the Apocular Group in Ankara in 1973, began operating under the name PKK from November 27, 1978 in the village of Fis, Lice, Diyarbakir province. The group launched its attacks for the first time, targeting associations and killing Kurdish politicians in the area. The PKK, which began its operations by killing Kurds, fired the first shot at the state on August 15, 1984. He then launched mass killings against ethnic Kurds living in the area, instilling a constant fear in the citizens who live there today.

It has been 39 years since the first attacks by PKK terrorists on the evening of August 15, 1984 in the Iruh area of Siirt and Shamdinli in Hakkari, in which Corporal Suleiman Ayden was killed and 9 soldiers and 3 civilians were injured. In the 39-year war against PKK terrorism, a total of 14,851 Turkish citizens were killed, including men from the Turkish armed forces, police and security forces.

According to data from the Ministry of National Defense, the number of government officials and civilians injured during the ongoing war with the PKK has exceeded 32,685 and has become veterans. Since the first attack by the party, 14,235 days have passed, and we have seen 14,851 of our citizens martyred. If you compare these figures, it shows that approximately one martyr has been martyred every day for 39 years.

Ministry of National Defense data indicate that the PKK, which has become unable to operate internally, has suffered significant losses. During the period, 45,667 party members were killed, 6370,8136 were injured, 12,10 surrendered and 72,183 others were arrested in various operations. In total, <>,<> terrorist party members have been neutralized.

PKK terrorism costs Turkey two trillion dollars

Today, under the protection and support of the United States and European countries, NATO members, the direct and indirect cost of terrorist activities of organizations operating in Syria – the People's Protection Units (YPG), the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and especially the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which receive overt material and military support from the United States – on the Turkish economy has reached about two trillion dollars.

While the Turkish armed forces, police, intelligence service, gendarmerie and security forces have inflicted heavy losses on the PKK terrorist organization, which has cost two trillion dollars economically over 39 years, there are two important reasons why the terrorism threat continues:

The first reason is that these terrorist organizations are supported by foreign countries, such as the United States and Europe. No organization with international support, such as the FETÖ, can be completely eliminated, as the common factor between the two organizations is the support of the United States and European countries.

The following countries, which are members of NATO, provide significant support to terrorist organizations hostile to Turkey:

  • United States: The United States supports the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist organization, providing them with money, weapons, and military training support.
  • Germany: Germany provides financial support and asylum to PKK terrorists, FETÖ and RPT. The PKK collects royalties in Germany, recruiting terrorists and smuggling wanted persons and drugs worth billions of euros. Germany is a hub for FETÖ members in Europe, where their companies and media organizations are run.
  • Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands: These countries grant political asylum to PKK terrorists, FETÖ and RPT.
  • Greece: A gateway for PKK, FETÖ and EPR terrorists, Greece has set up terrorist camps on its soil.
  • France: It is one of the countries hosting the largest number of PKK terrorists in Europe.
  • United Kingdom: Known for protecting FETÖ members, it makes it easier for PKK members to publicize their ideas.
  • Austria is a safe haven for members of the PKK and FETÖ.

PKK cadres in the Turkish parliament

The second important reason is domestic political support: just six years after the August 6, 15 incident, when the PKK terrorist organization fired the first bullet at the state, it included its members in the Turkish parliament on the CHP lists.

The PKK terrorist organization has operated in the political sphere under multiple names, including: People's Action Party (HEP), Freedom and Democracy Party (ÖZDEP), People's Democratic Party (HADEP), Democratic Society Party (DTP), Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Democracy Party (DEP), People's Democratic Party (DEHAP).

This organization was quick to establish a new party whenever one of its parties was closed. Now, with an ongoing closure case against the HDP in the Constitutional Court, the party remains represented in the Turkish parliament under the name "Left Green and Future Party," preserving most of its previous ideas and propaganda.

Although there are politicians who ignore the bloody terrorist acts of the PKK and the political arm of the party, in addition to the support of the United States and European countries, these politicians are considered one of the most prominent obstacles to combating and ending this terrorism. By the beginning of 2024, Turkey's battle against the PKK will enter its 40th year.

As a result of this conflict, the party has become unable to move inside Turkey. Thanks to the efforts of the Turkish Armed Forces and the National Intelligence Service, the party is also going through difficult times in Syria and Iraq. More than 100 of its terrorist leaders have been eliminated. 2024 is expected to see greater challenges for the PKK than in previous years.