An article by Italian journalist Benedetta Argentieri* for The Post Internazionale, translated and condensed for MedyaNews, provides a comprehensive overview of the 40-year conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The article highlights significant developments leading up to the summer of 2024, when the Turkish government intensified its military and political actions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), actions that the PKK has described as ‘occupation.’
The conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK marks its 40th anniversary on 15 August. The war began on that date in 1984, when the PKK, one of the world’s longest-running guerrilla movements, launched its first action in response to the oppressive conditions following Turkey’s 1980 coup d’état, the bloodiest in the country’s history. Despite numerous attempts to resolve the Kurdish question through negotiations and international efforts, including the ‘Solution Process’ of 2013-15, the conflict persists. PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s persistent call for a permanent ceasefire, even after years of imprisonment, remains a key inspiration for peace.
Argentieri’s article delves into the conditions of Öcalan’s isolation, noting that he has been unable to meet with his lawyers for the last five years. “The only place he could see the outside world from his tiny cell was a small slit through which he could see a tree. After he told his lawyers how this plant gave him hope, the authorities cut down the tree,” Argentieri writes. The article also details Öcalan’s restricted life: “He has not seen his family for at least four years, and his lawyers for five years. He is in his cell 23 hours a day, and 24 hours on weekends. He is not allowed to see anyone, and he has been banned from phone calls and letters for more than three years.”
The harsh conditions of Öcalan’s detention have spurred ongoing efforts from civilians, organisations, political parties and international bodies to humanise his circumstances. However, Argentieri points out, “Europe has kept up the pressure and is determined to support Turkey in destroying the party [referring to the PKK] while ignoring international organisations.”
One notable international initiative mentioned in the article is a recent open letter from a group of Nobel laureates** calling on the Turkish state and regional and international organisations to engage Öcalan as an interlocutor for peace. Despite the significance of this appeal, Argentieri observes that both the Turkish government and the EU have chosen to ignore the letter.
The article highlights the persistent challenges that exist in the task of achieving peace and also in the ongoing isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, which continues to draw international attention and criticism.
(*) Benedetta Argentieri is an Italian journalist and filmmaker known for her work on documentaries that explore significant social and political issues. She gained recognition for her documentary “The Matchmaker,” which earned the Phoenix Award at the 32nd Cologne Film Festival in 2022. In her acceptance speech, Argentieri dedicated the award to the people of Rojava, the Kurdish majority regions of northern Syria, highlighting their efforts to build a new society based on democracy, ecology and women’s liberation in the face of ongoing challenges, particularly those posed by the Turkish state. Argentieri emphasised the importance of supporting projects in the Middle East that aim to bring peace after years of conflict.
(**) Click here for an interview by MedyaNews with Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize winner and one of the Nobel Laureates who signed the letter.
