Highlights
– Kidnapping of German tourists is a new tactic
– The PKK is under siege
– Competing factions within organization exist
The kidnapping of three German climbers on July 9, 2008 at Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) guerillas surprised many observers and provoked outrage in Germany. On July 20, 2008 the hostages were freed when their PKK captors abandoned them while Turkish troops were in close pursuit. The German climbers in the climbing team were specifically targeted by the PKK guerillas.
Although kidnapping of civilians was a tactic used by the PKK in the 1990s, it is rarely used today. The July 2008 kidnapping is the first perpetrated by the PKK in 17 years. The motivation for the kidnapping is clear but the objectives of the kidnapping remain murky. The PKK is angered by Germany’s crackdown on the PKK and Kurdish media outlets that produce propaganda for the organization. The German government has recently extradited two PKK suspects to Turkey and banned the broadcast of Kurdish language television on the grounds that it acted as a propaganda tool for the PKK. In order to release the German hostages, the PKK demanded that the German government renounce its crackdown on the PKK and hostile policies towards the Kurdish people and the PKK. These are rather vague demands and the PKK did not offer specific metrics on how these conditions may be satisfied. The German government refused to give in to what they deem blackmail by terrorists.
European Support for Kurdish Issues in Decline
In recent years, Europe as a whole has made strides to tighten PKK propaganda and fundraising activities. For years, the Turkish government had complained a double standard existed in Europe regarding the PKK and terrorism. Specifically, Turkey believes European countries do not do enough to support Turkey in its counter-terrorism policies. Turkey’s democratic and human rights record in the past, especially towards its Kurdish minority use to evoke sympathy outside Turkey and made it difficult for the Turkish government to gain international cooperation against the PKK.
Europe is home to a widespread Kurdish Diaspora, making it a fertile ground for sympathy towards the Kurdish cause. Germany in particular is home to 2.4 million Turkish immigrants and includes about 600,000 people of Kurdish descent. However, with an improved human rights situation in Turkey coinciding with Turkey’s pursuit of European Union (EU) accession talks, more cooperation has begun to take place between European countries and the Turkish government. At the same time, with the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) and a shift in attitudes towards the transnational nature of terrorism, many European states once sympathetic to the Kurdish cause have seemingly turned against it.
PKK Motivations
Questions abound as to why the PKK would seek to target the German government with such a bold action. The PKK has also released statements declaring it has nothing against Germany per se. However, asserting that if those attitudes existed, it would seek to attack economic targets. Yet even that sounded like a veiled threat.
The PKK as an organizational entity remains effectively under siege. After several summers of renewed attacks by the organization, Turkish security forces mounted a major offensive against PKK forces near and across the Iraqi border. This has resulted in losses for the organization and impacted its operational capabilities. From this perspective, it is certainly possible that the PKK with its back to the wall is changing strategies in an act of desperation. There have also been reports in the Turkish press that the kidnapping is an indication of a power struggle between PKK factions. Allegedly, a factional PKK leader, Fehman Hussein ordered the kidnapping contrary to the decision authority of PKK leader Murat Karayilan.
Outlook
The hostages have now been freed. However, at the present time, it seems they were released more out of fear from the approaching Turkish troops than benevolence. Yet, the PKK also chose not to harm the hostages. It is likely that this kidnapping will be seen as a sign of weakness and continued disintegration of the PKK. However, kidnapping of foreigners is a common tactic used to gain attention by some terrorist organizations. Should the PKK continue down this path, it is likely the organization will devolve from its original goals, a potentially dangerous new trend.
