Turkey sentenced a pro-Kurdish mayor to nearly 20 years in prison on terrorism charges today, Wednesday. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Turkey would not hesitate to launch a new offensive in northern Syria if Kurdish-led groups proceeded with plans for local elections in the region.
Turkey views the Kurds as a terrorist group linked to a banned Kurdish organization that has led an insurgency against Turkey since 1984, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands. There is a long-standing conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurds. For generations, Turkish authorities have treated the Kurds harshly, attempting to erase their identity, culture, and history.
Kurds led several rebellion movements in the 1920s and 1930s, but these were suppressed with force. Tens of thousands were displaced to areas far from their towns and villages as part of a demographic change policy, and the names of Kurdish villages, towns, and cities were changed. Kurdish names and clothing were banned, and the use of the Kurdish language was prohibited. The existence of Kurdish ethnic identity was denied, and they were referred to as "Mountain Turks."
In 1978, Abdullah Öcalan founded the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which called for the establishment of an independent state in Turkey. The party began an armed struggle six years after its founding.
