Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has announced a significant development in its capacity to neutralise military drones, in a much-anticipated statement, the release of which was recently hinted at by the organisation’s executive committee member Murat Karayılan in the run-up to the Newroz celebrations.
“Today, with proven tactical expansion and technical means, our potential to fight with high performance and our determination to secure victory has become much stronger,” the statement read.
The announcement, detailed in a statement from the People’s Defence Centre (HSM), the PKK’s military headquarters, and reported by the Firat News Agency (ANF), highlighted the group’s claimed success in neutralising Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, which have been a critical component of Turkish military operations.
In an interview with ANF last week, Karayılan said that the Kurdish people could imminently expect an important announcement, describing the forthcoming announcement as a crucial tool to advance their cause. His comment attracted heightened attention* both in the Kurdish community and in the Turkish media, which is not usually known for reporting directly on statements made by PKK members.
Drone useage has been a critical element of Turkey’s military strategy against the Kurdish fighters. The statement highlighted a significant setback for the Turkish military, reporting the downing of 15 Turkish-made drones in various engagements in Iraqi Kurdistan and northern Syria since February 2023, including models such as Bayraktar TB2, ANKA, AKSUNGUR and AKINCI.
These drones are among the most advanced in the Turkish arsenal, designed for reconnaissance and combat roles, and their neutralisation represents a notable claim by the PKK. The group also released footage of the downed drones on Wednesday.
The HSM emphasised the strategic importance of this capability to the PKK, suggesting that it could change the balance of power in its ongoing conflict with Turkish forces. The use of drones has become increasingly central to modern warfare, offering advantages in surveillance, targeting and attacking enemy positions with reduced risk to personnel.
The PKK’s claim to have neutralised these assets could therefore represent a significant tactical development and is being presented as a direct challenge to the Turkish military’s tactics and a significant blow to its surveillance and offensive capabilities in the region.
The use of drones in warfare has increasingly becoming a global concern, as evidenced by their deadly impact in regions such as northeastern Syria, where they have targeted peaceful Kurdish, Yazidi and Armenian communities. Nevertheless, Turkey’s drone programme has attracted positive international attention in some circles.
Previous revelations have shown that the Turkish government leases drones from a company partly owned by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son-in-law, Selçuk Bayraktar, at a daily cost of 1.2 million liras (around $45,000), regardless of whether the drones are in the air or not. Experts warn that praise for this drone system underlines a larger issue: the global endorsement of Turkish foreign policy that endangers the lives of marginalised groups.
*Last week, Karayılan’s indication of the imminent release of “good news” sparked widespread speculation in various circles in Turkey, including conservatives, journalists associated with the banned Fethullah Gulen movement, liberals and Kurdish nationalists. Speculations revolved around an end to the armed conflict, the start of a new peace process with the Turkish government, the start of a new democratic civil movement or the promotion of Kurdish national unity by the organisation. However, analysts suggested that the news was more likely to revolve around new methods of self-defence and resistance, prompted by reports of the Turkish government’s intentions to launch a major ground operation in Iraqi Kurdistan.
HSM’s announcement coincides with the Kurdish celebration of Newroz, adding a symbolic dimension to the timing of this news and underlining a message of resilience and determination.
