Since the beginning of Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip, members and supporters of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK)—also known as the People's Protection Units, and the Kurdistan Communities Union—have consistently used arguments drawing parallels between the Kurds and the Palestinians.
These discussions, primarily taking place within Turkey and the Kurdish diaspora in Europe, were recently invoked by Netanyahu.
On his social media account on December 22, 2023, Netanyahu wrote: "Erdogan, whose army has killed women and children in Kurdish villages inside and outside Turkey, and who usurped northern Cyprus should not preach to Israel."
The Kurdish Issue in Turkey
In fact, the origins of the issue date back to the aftermath of the Ottoman Empire's collapse, where Turkey had a long-term and highly complex problem: the state did not recognize the Kurds' ethnic identity, language, history, or existence, leading to a ban on the Kurdish language for many years.
Practically, there is no need to discuss other problems for a nation unable to speak its mother tongue, and so armed organizations like the PKK emerged, signalling the start of armed conflicts with Turkey.
However, when Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power in 2002, he had solutions for the republic's escalating issues, including the nearly century-long Kurdish matter.
Erdogan's Radical Steps Regarding the Kurdish Issue
Before 2002, if you asked a member or supporter of the PKK for the reason behind their support, they could list at least twenty reasons, with the prohibition of their mother tongue at the forefront.
Erdogan initiated the "Peace Process" to resolve the matter, establishing a committee of trusted people in Turkey, based on their knowledge and reputation, and sent them across the country to discuss resolving the issue.
The mutual agreement allowed Kurds to speak their mother tongue, the PKK to cease its armed attacks, and for all to live together peacefully.
I was also involved in this process as an advisor to then-Prime Minister Erdogan and, being of Turkish father and Kurdish mother, I was a vital witness to this issue, often astonished seeing my mother unable to speak her mother tongue.
Ultimately, Erdogan took bold and radical decisions to solve the Kurdish problem, including lifting the bans on speaking, writing, and composing music in Kurdish.
Additionally, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) established a Kurdish-language channel, and the Anadolu Agency, Turkey's official news agency, began publishing news in Kurdish for the first time in its century-long history. I had the honor of initiating this service in 2012 as the General Director.
PKK's Breach of the Agreement
The Turkish government introduced a preferential system for those wishing to learn in Kurdish at schools. One could compose Kurdish music, publish a newspaper or magazine, or broadcast on television. Along with several other reforms, the country experienced a complete peace and joy.
Therefore, the popularity of the "Justice and Development Party" substantially increased amongst Kurds, and the "Peoples' Democratic Party," which claimed to represent the Kurds, became the second-largest party in their view.
Meanwhile, the PKK remained committed to refraining from violent acts. But, the situation changed with the Syrian Civil War.
When conflict broke out in Syria, the US and Israel offered the PKK to establish a state in Syrian territory known as "Rojava," under US and Israeli auspices.
A primary condition for this deal was for the PKK to fight the "Islamic State," halt the peace process, and return to armed conflict against Turkey.
The PKK accepted this offer, forming an army in Syria known as the "People's Protection Units," to whom the US provided billions of dollars' worth of weapons.
Initially to combat the "Islamic State," the US continued arming them after the group's defeat.
In 2016, the PKK attempted to take control of cities and towns in Turkey, leading to violent clashes and significant destruction. Nevertheless, these areas were cleared of the PKK, and all destroyed buildings were rebuilt.
However, the PKK's actions provoked substantial negative reactions from the Kurdish public, rendering the party incapable of conducting activities within Turkey. Turkey strongly opposed the establishment of a PKK state in Syria, undertaking military operations abroad.
What happens in Syria is not civilian massacres as Netanyahu claimed but a conflict against an armed terrorist organization attempting to occupy Turkish land.
The Kurdish Issue Cannot Be Equated with Palestine
Separatist Kurdish movements with Marxist and leftist inclinations have a complex regarding the Palestinian cause. They criticize the support for the Palestinian issue within the Islamic world and wonder why nobody supports the Kurdish movement. They argue for a Kurdish state citing the Palestinian right to one, but are the two comparable?
Palestine is not an ethnic identity but a region encompassing Jerusalem, and all Muslims, including Kurds, Arabs, and Turks, have a duty to defend Jerusalem's independence. Almost all religious Kurds support the Palestinian cause, even if they are not leftists.
It is a significant error for separatist Kurdish movements to define or measure themselves against the Palestinians. Palestinians fight to reclaim their occupied lands, while organizations like the PKK and its affiliates seek to occupy or divide the lands of other states.
Moreover, Palestine is a state recognized by the United Nations, mentioned in international agreements, and has lands occupied by Israel.
In Turkey, most Kurds strongly oppose the creation of a separate Kurdish state, as PKK and People's Protection Units' actions have caused thousands of deaths pursuing the establishment of Kurdistan by taking lands from four countries (Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran).
Israel as One of the Key Roots of the Kurdish Problem
If asked, supporters of the PKK, who undertake armed actions against Turkey, may recite a list of reasons that existed 25 years ago.
However, these reasons no longer justify armed defense. Still, the PKK continues its armed attacks.
Every ethnic nation should have a democratic state to freely live their language, culture, and traditions. Today, the PKK and similar armed groups are supported by the US, trained by Israel, and transformed into mercenaries. Their leaders are also no longer predominantly Kurdish.
Last week, the PKK attacked Turkish bases in northern Iraq, apparently also because of Turkey's strong support for the Palestinian cause. Netanyahu's statements were not made in vain, and Israel is a party to the Kurdish issue, using it as leverage against Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
Thus, they will continue using this card in the future, with the PKK attacking any state the US and Israel wish to hold accountable.
