The decades-long conflict between Turkey and the rebellious Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) pits NATO's second-largest military against a rebel force that claims to seek the independence of Kurds but is designated a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the EU, and the US.
The conflict has largely shifted to the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan across the Turkish border, where Turkey has intensified its air strikes against the PKK in recent years, therefore restricting the movement of the rebels who have been forced back into tunnels and caves.
The PKK, established in 1978, has had a long, complicated and tenuous relationship with the authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan during the four decades the Kurdish group has been active in the region, mainly since 1984 when it launched its insurgency against Turkey.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the largest and most powerful political force in the autonomous regional government, has taken a much firmer stance against the PKK than its ruling partner, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
According to a senior official in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the KDP, there is no sign of that stance softening.
“The stand of the KRG is very clear … any militants, any armed groups not under the security apparatus of the state of Iraq or the KRG are considered [outside] the law,” Dr Dindar Zebari, the KRG’s co-ordinator for international advocacy, told The National.
The PKK is "an outlaw organization, existing in the region and in the border areas, to accommodate itself," he said from his office in Erbil.
Wars have been fought between KDP forces and the PKK, and the former is open about its desire for the latter to leave and move its conflict elsewhere, especially after Iraq’s National Security Council banned this month the separatist party ahead of meetings between senior officials from Iraq and Turkey in Baghdad.
Turkish and Iraqi officials, including the ministers of foreign affairs, stressed in a joint statement after the meetings that "the PKK organization represents a security threat to both Turkey and Iraq, and it is certain that the presence of this organization on the Iraqi territory represents a violation of the Iraqi constitution".
According to the statement, Turkey "welcomed the Iraqi National Security Council’s decision to consider the PKK a banned organization in Iraq, and the two sides consulted on the measures to be taken against the organization and its banned extensions that target Turkey through Iraq’s territory".
Turkey's cross-border military operations into Syria and northern Iraq against Kurdish militants following deadly attacks carried out by various militant groups between 2015 and 2017 in Turkish cities that left more than 500 dead.
For Dr Zebari, the PKK "should not have a place of activity in Iraqi Kurdistan, using it as a base for any military confrontation. This is very much rejected. This has been our call for years".
“We have so far had nine cabinets in the Kurdistan region through a peaceful transfer of power. So the PKK should not claim ownership and it should not claim the representation of the Kurdish people in the Kurdistan Region."
Yet for the insurgents, the conflict will persist.
The PKK spokesman Zagros Hiwa, who has been a member of for more than two decades, told The National that the fundamental aim of his group is to "defend the democratic and national rights of the Kurdish people," and to find "a solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey, through democratic and political means".
Turkey categorizes the PKK as a terrorist organization, a view shared by the United States, NATO, and the European Union. This classification is based on the PKK's long history of armed conflict against the Turkish state, including attacks on military, police forces, and civilians, which have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths over the decades.
Approximately thirty million Kurds live in the Middle East, mainly in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey where they make up nearly one-fifth of its population of seventy-nine million. They are one of the world’s largest peoples without a state.
Conflict with Turkey
The Turkish military is the Nato's second-largest after the US, equipped with advanced technology and vast manpower. On the other hand, the guerrilla group based in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan relies mainly on light weapons and bombings.
The PKK's activities are seen as a threat to Turkey's national unity and territorial integrity. Turkey accuses the PKK of attempting to create an independent Kurdish state or gain significant autonomy for Kurds within Turkey, which Ankara views as a direct challenge to its sovereignty.
In recent months, a series of Turkish air strikes on the group's positions killed dozens of PKK fighters in Syria and Iraq. In August alone, Turkey carried out 113 attacks, killing 10 PKK members, Mr Hiwa said.
The spokesman noted the increase in Turkish attacks since 2015. He said Ankara had set up more than 100 military posts in Iraqi Kurdistan.
For the group to consider dropping its weapons, a number of objectives must be met, Mr Hiwa explained. Top of their demands is the release of their leader Abdullah Ocalan – also known as Apo – who has been detained in a highly secure jail in Turkey since 1999. Turkey charged Ocalan with treason and separatism.
Mr Hiwa stressed that several other conditions must be met as well.
"First and foremost, the Turkish state must stop using the language of weapons against the Kurdish people, should recognise the identity of the Kurds as equal and free citizens of the state of Turkey – their identity should be recognised formally, constitutionally and they should enjoy their own political, cultural and social rights within Turkey."
Military operations in "northern and southern Kurdistan" should be stopped, he added, referring to Kurdish -majority areas in Turkey and Iraq.
He also called for the release of the PKK prisoners from Turkish jails.
The Turkish government media office didn't respond to requests for comment, however Turkey has long held a critical position of PKK demands so long as it refuses to give up armed resistance.
Meeting those conditions seems a long way off as numerous ceasefires have broken down. The most recent was last year amid an earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey but lasted only a handful of months.
"We have been resisting these attacks for the last 40 years and if these attacks continue – it seems they will continue – we are ready to resist; we are determined to resist another 40 years", the PKK official said.
Disagreements between the PKK and authorities in the region have revolved mainly around the means of delivering the needs of the 30 million Kurds.
“Yes, we do support the aspirations of the Kurds in Turkey, in Syria, in Iran," said Dr Zebari. "But we support the civilian process, which is dialogue, elections, civilian activities … through the political process."
The autonomous region with its government is considered the most successful representation of the Kurds in the region. They have been severely repressed in Turkey and Iran, while in neighbouring Syria – amid the chaos of the brutal 13-year civil war – the Kurds have had some success, although the close link between the regional Kurdish administration there and the PKK has prompted increased pressure from Turkey.
“We do not believe that any sort of military confrontation will be for the benefit of any nation around the Middle East.
“It is time that this process goes through peaceful dialogue. And through public pressure to make these changes happen. And I think the ballots are the way forward as we have seen lately in Turkey,” he said in reference to the elections in Turkey last year.
Further complicating the situation is the close relationship between Turkey and the KRG. Dr Zebari described it as a “very strategic, important and significant relationship”, and referred to the support Turkey offered the Kurds of Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein, who repressed the Kurdish people brutally.
“Turkey has been active in terms of the reconstruction of Kurdistan and bringing in the basic infrastructure in Kurdistan region,” he said.
“It has also been a channel of communication as well as transportation from Kurdistan to the outside world, especially to Europe. So Turkey is a significant partner."
Governance in Iraqi Kurdistan has not always been easy. The KDP has an extremely tenuous relationship with its junior ruling partner, the PUK, which has been seen at times as supportive of the PKK.
Dr Zebari emphasised that no group or individual should inflict damage on the Kurdistan region of Iraq and its self-governance.
“You should not diminish the role of the KRG in its own territories. You should leave the people of Iraqi Kurdistan to move fully and freely return to their own original places,” he said in reference to the thousands of people who have been displaced from their villages bordering Turkey in recent decades by the conflict between the PKK and Ankara.
The best way for the PKK to obtain its freedom and rights was through “dialogue and peaceful participation”, he said.
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 3 (Kroos 4', Ramos 30', Marcelo 37')
Eibar 1 (Bigas 60')
Structural%20weaknesses%20facing%20Israel%20economy
%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
AGUERO'S PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
Apps: 186
Goals: 127
Assists: 31
Wins: 117
Losses: 33
Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
Formula 2, practice 11:30am
Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm
Formula 1 second practice, 5pm
Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
