Kurdistan is a term used to describe areas traditionally inhabited by members of the Kurdish ethnic group in eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, and northern Syria. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), now known as the People's Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) was formed on November 27, 1978, with the stated goals of claiming rights for the Kurdish minority and independence from Turkey. The group began an armed insurgency in 1984. It is considered a terrorist organization by the US Department of State.

In 1999, when its leader Abdullah Ocalan was captured, the PKK said it would proceed with peaceful tactics. In 2004, the group declared an end to the ceasefire.

Recently, Iran has been conducting military operations against the Iranian wing of the PKK, the PJAK. Syria, however, has been accused of harboring and supporting PKK members, which may be linked to deteriorated relations between the two countries following Turkey's criticism of Syria's response to internal dissent.

 

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reuters.com	Turkish civilian killed in attack by Kurdish rebels	05/19
turkishweekly.net	Turkish Press Review (May 18, 2012)	05/18
turkishweekly.net	Turkey Pays High Attention to Stability in Neighboring Countries, Says President Gul	05/18
punchng.com	Three Turkish soldiers killed in clashes	05/18
turkishweekly.net	U.S. has Solid Alliance with Turkey, US Department of Defense Says	05/18
jamestown.org	Syrian Kurds Play the Russia Card in Pursuit of Autonomy	05/18
today.az	'Syria supports terrorism in Turkey'	05/18
turkishweekly.net	PKK Raid Kills Three Officers near Syria	05/18
eurasianet.org	Turkey: A Lethal Drone Attack Hits Turkish-American Military Cooperation	05/18
today.az	Turkish soldiers killed in shootout with PKK terrorists	05/17
dailystar.com.lb	Three Turkish soldiers killed in PKK clash	05/17
english.alarabiya.net	U.S. provided intelligence for Turkish air raid: official	05/17
turkishweekly.net	Turkish Press Review (May 17,2012)	05/17
aina.org	Four Turkish Soldiers Killed in Clashes With Kurds	05/16
todayszaman.com	Four soldiers killed in clashes with terrorist PKK	05/16
english.alarabiya.net	U.S. provided intelligence for Turkish air raid: official	05/16
stripes.com	Turkish attack on civilians tied to information from US military drone	05/16
todayszaman.com	Kurdish leader to discuss Iraq, Syria tensions, PKK terrorism in Ankara	05/15
strategypage.com	KURDISH WAR: You Go First	05/15
thecuttingedgenews.com	Turkey on Edge - Flooding out Terror? Turkey’s Ilisu Dam Project	05/14
turkishweekly.net	Six Terrorists Surrender in Southeast	05/14
globalvoicesonline.org	Turkey: Outrage at Sentencing of Scarf Case Student	05/11
turkishweekly.net	Turkey Focuses On Cutting PKK's Financial Sources	05/10
english.alarabiya.net	Turkey refuses to extradite Iraqi VP Hashemi	05/10
turkishweekly.net	No Hashemi Hand-Over, Says Ankara	05/10
dw.de	Turkey won't deport Iraq's al-Hashemi	05/09
turkishweekly.net	One Soldier Killed in Land Mine Explosion in East of Turkey	05/09
aina.org	Turkey Focuses On Cutting PKK's Financial Sources	05/09
dailystar.com.lb	5 Kurdish rebels killed in clash in Turkey's southeast	05/08
today.az	Forty six people arrested in counter-PKK operations	05/08
rferl.org	Turkish Troops Kill Five Kurdish Rebels	05/08
turkishweekly.net	5 Terrorists Killed in Tatvan	05/08
english.alarabiya.net	Turkey refuses to extradite Iraqi VP Hashemi	05/08
upi.com	5 PKK terrorists killed in eastern Turkey	05/08
chinadaily.com.cn	IAEA expert dies in Iran's car accident: media	05/08
speroforum.com	Turkish Troops Kill Five Kurdish Rebels	05/07
todayszaman.com	Five terrorists killed in anti-PKK operation in Bitlis	05/07
todayszaman.com	28 detained in anti-KCK operations across Turkey	05/07
turkishweekly.net	Three Soldiers Killed in Clash with Terrorists in Eastern Turkey	05/04
rferl.org	Five Killed In Turkey Violence Linked To Kurdish Rebels	05/04
turkishweekly.net	Terrorist Organization PKK Exploits More and More Children Everyday	05/04
dawn.com	Clashes in Turkey kill three soldiers, two PKK militants	05/04
turkishweekly.net	Turkish Security Teams Kill Two Terrorists in Southeastern Turkey	05/04
turkishweekly.net	U.S. Supports Turkey's Target of Being among World's Top Ten Economies	05/04
dailytimes.com.pk	Clashes in Turkey kill 3 soldiers, 2 PKK militants	05/04
af.reuters.com	PKK militants kill three Turkish soldiers - officials	05/04
todayszaman.com	Three soldiers killed in clashes with terrorist PKK	05/03
english.farsnews.com	Cyprus Denies Turkey's Accusations about Military Ties with Israel	05/02
eurasianet.org	Turkey: Twitter Cuts Two Ways	05/02
english.farsnews.com	Iraqi MP Calls on Kurd Officials to Keep Distant from Turkey	05/01
english.farsnews.com	Envoy: Israel Supporting PJAK, PKK through Southern Cyprus	05/01
dailystar.com.lb	Turkish parliament to draft new constitution: source	05/01
aina.org	Iraqi MP Calls on Kurdish Officials to Keep Distant From Turkey	04/30
todayszaman.com	PKK dominates European drug trafficking, report says	04/30
todayszaman.com	High court gives life sentences to Molotov cocktail throwers	04/30
upi.com	Grenades suggest Iranian support of PKK	04/29
daralhayat.com	Kaka Wants to Secede	04/28
turkishweekly.net	Europe Still a Base for PKK, Security Body Says	04/27
turkishweekly.net	Kurdish rebels kill 4 Revolutionary Guards in Iran	04/26
todayszaman.com	Europol: The PKK, radicalism, solo attacks cause concern	04/25
nytimes.com	| Europe: Turkey: 5 Killed as Rebels Clash With Military	04/25
upi.com	Soldier killed in clash with PKK in Turkey	04/24
today.az	Explosion hits military convoy in Turkey	04/24
realclearworld.com	Turkey's Kurdish Predicament	04/23
tamilguardian.com	Syria’s Kurds remain on uprising’s sidelines – but PKK backs Assad	04/22
todayszaman.com	Police detains seven in operations against PKK youth branch	04/22
turkishweekly.net	We Always Supported Friendly Relations With Turkey, Says Barzani	04/21
todayszaman.com	One wounded in armed attack on Şırnak university preparation course	04/21
turkishweekly.net	PKK and BDP Should Extend Support to Turkish Government's Democratic Move, Says Barzani	04/21
turkishweekly.net	Barzani Says PKK to Endure Results If It Maintains Armed Struggle	04/21
today.az	Erdogan, Barzani urge PKK to let go arms	04/21
turkishweekly.net	Barzani: Kurdish Autonomy will not Allow PKK to Rule in Northern Iraq	04/20
thedailynewsegypt.com	Turkey calls for tougher action against PKK	04/20
turkishweekly.net	Turkish Press Review (April, 9, 2012)	04/20
thecuttingedgenews.com	Syria on Edge - How Bashar al-Assad Built Minority Alliances and Countered Minority Foes	04/20
turkishweekly.net	Turkey Expresses Uneasiness About Developments in Iraq	04/20
turkishweekly.net	Turkish Press Review (April 19, 2012)	04/19
turkishweekly.net	Regional Head of Northern Iraq Arrives in Turkey	04/19
todayszaman.com	KRG's Barzani in Ankara, calls on terrorist PKK to lay down arms	04/19
todayszaman.com	Erdoğan: Military operations will stop if PKK lays down arms	04/19
todayszaman.com	KCK indictment reveals inner functioning of terrorist organization	04/18
turkishweekly.net	Turkish Press Review (April 18 2012)	04/18
todayszaman.com	In new talks, Parliament seeks ways to address issue of jailed deputies	04/18
turkishweekly.net	Iraqi Kurd Leader To Pay Turkey Visit For Terror	04/17
todayszaman.com	KRG leader Barzani visits Turkey as alliance with Iraqi Kurds deepens	04/17
todayszaman.com	Police searching for PKK bombs in İstanbul graveyard	04/16
todayszaman.com	Police win hearts of public on 167th anniversary	04/14
strategypage.com	BALKANS: Checklist For Invading Syria	04/13
aina.org	Turkey's Relations With the Syrian Opposition	04/12
af.reuters.com	Turkish soldiers killed in PKK clash at Iraqi border	04/12
dailystar.com.lb	Turkey seeks consensus for intervention in Syria	04/10
todayszaman.com	Publisher Zarakolu among 15 released pending trial in KCK case	04/09
todayszaman.com	Adana agreement paves legal path for Turkish intervention in Syria	04/08
todayszaman.com	Democratization gains momentum in Turkey, much remains to be done	04/07
ww4report.com	Kurds split from Syrian opposition council —protesting Turkish pressure	04/06
jamestown.org	How Kurdish PKK Militants Are Exploiting the Crisis in Syria to Achieve Regional Autonomy	04/06
turkishweekly.net	Kurdish Autonomy Is Ready to Help Turkey in Solving Terror Problems	04/06
today.az	Kurdish autonomy i ready to mediate between Turkey and PKK	04/06
today.az	Turkey may cease relations with EU	04/06
strategypage.com	KURDISH WAR: The Sad Syrian Situation	04/05