Turkey Seeks PKK Leader's Help: The 'Terrorist' Today Is Tomorrow's Strategist
The mainstream story hints at a diplomatic coup: Turkey, long at war with the PKK—which it, the US, and EU designate as a terrorist organization—now wants to use its jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, as a go-between. This, to convince the US-backed SDF (largely led by PKK-affiliated groups) to join the Syrian government's army. It’s a geopolitical pretzel, where 'terrorist' labels are apparently as
flexible as Turkish foreign policy. (One might wonder how many times Öcalan's perceived influence has shifted based on Ankara's immediate needs.) What Al-Monitor politely omits is the sheer audacity of this move. For decades, Turkey's entire narrative around the PKK has been one of existential threat, culminating in Öcalan's capture in 1999. Now, suddenly, he's a potential bridge-builder? This
isn't diplomacy; it's a desperate scramble to consolidate power in northern Syria, betraying years of anti-Kurdish rhetoric and violence. It's a vivid reminder that 'terrorism' is often just a label applied to enemies, which can be conveniently peeled off and reapplied when interests shift. The US, which has also branded PKK a terrorist group, yet armed the SDF (then claimed them distinct from
PKK) is conspicuously silent on Turkey's latest contortion.