Can the PKK Hurt Turkey?
In the aftermath of the aforementioned political reforms in Turkey, the PKK’s popularity among Turkish Kurds has waned. Moreover, the PKK no longer enjoys the same degree of support it once garnered from Syria, nor the same freedom of movement it once had inside Iran. Both Damascus and, to a lesser extent, Tehran yielded to pressure from Ankara and began to deny open support (through not sanctuary) to the PKK. The PKK is also distanced from the PUK in Iraq. In his new role as an Iraqi statesman, PUK leader Jalal Talabani has publicly sided with Turkey against the PKK’s latest offensive. Moreover, amid reports that Iraqi Kurdish members of the PKK are leaving the terrorist organization to join the KDP, former KDP official and current Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari promised not to allow the PKK to remain in Iraq. Nevertheless, the PKK is still very much active in northern Iraq. At the same time, the PKK continues to receive support from elements in Europe. The organization will li
