SEMINAR

1
SEMINAR

• WAR BY PROXY
• A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF SEPARATIST TERRORISM?
•  
• Assoc. Prof. MUSTAFA KIBAROGLU
• Bilkent University
• International Relations Department
•  
• www.mustafakibaroglu.com
• kibar_at_bilkent.edu.tr
• CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE DEFENCE AGAINST TERRORISM
• ANKARA - TURKEY
• 17 April 2006

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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

Separatist terrorism differs from terrorism
carried out in the name of ideology, religion or
economic gain Separatist terrorists attempt to
forge national identity and aim to mobilize a
community by appealing to the nationalistic
background of a particular ethnic group Violence
plays a special role in separatist terrorism. It
keeps an idea alive and sustains the conflict,
even when political objectives are far out of
reach The fear created by violence polarizes
cultural differences within a society and weakens
the will to stay together
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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

Separatist terrorism becomes an effective
instrument to use in war by proxy strategy
between rival states Without considerable
logistical support of all sorts from other
states, separatist terrorist groups can hardly
achieve their objectives States fighting against
separatist terrorist groups must address not only
the root-causes of the terrorists claims but
also, and even more powerfully, deal with the
states that support terrorism
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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

PKK terrorism is an exemplary case where the
degree of terror has been directly proportional
to the degree of logistical support given by
outside powers PKK, the self-proclaimed
representative of the ethnic demands of the
Kurds in Turkey, received substantial support of
various sorts from different countries Originally
, as a Marxist-Leninist organization, support of
the Soviet Union to the PKK was almost for
granted Eventually, seen as freedom fighters,
support of the Western European states came along
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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

More specifically, logistical support given by
Syria has been the most significant, which
enabled the PKK to inflict bloody terror attacks
upon Turkey since the early 1980s There are
diverging views among analysts about the
root-causes of PKK terrorism Until mid-1990s
analysts claimed that Turkey would not be able to
deal with the PKK terrorism without addressing
these root-causes. Most analysts usually
declined to acknowledge the impact of outside
support to the terrorist organization
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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

However, there were other reasons why Turkey
could not deal with the PKK properly Even though
Turkey was a NATO member, PKKs atrocities were
not acknowledged as armed attack from outside
that would invoke Article 5 of the Washington
Treaty Turkeys force posture was deployed
regarding the colossal threat perceived from the
Soviet Union. Syria, backed up by the Soviet
Union, was hardly deterred from supporting the
PKK as Turkeys troop concentration along the
Syrian border was rather weak until early 1990s
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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

Destabilization of Turkeys southeast was
expected, among others, to retard the grandiose
GAP development project which was not welcomed by
Syria Syria thought it could negotiate with
Turkey sharing the waters of the Euphrates and
the Tigris rivers in return for putting a halt to
its support to the PKK Prolonged low intensity
conflict with the PKK claimed the lives of 35,000
people and drained Turkeys treasury Yet, the
PKK could not win the hearts and minds of its
fellow Kurds who are spread all over the
country and who are the first class citizens of
Turkey
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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

Dramatic changes have taken place in and around
Turkey, such as Iraqi invasion of Kuwait the
No-fly-Zones Dissolution of the Warsaw Pact
CFE Treaty Disintegration of the Soviet
Union Turkeys alliance with Israel All of
which have affected the pace of the fight against
the PKK and its staunch supporter Syria
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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

Turkeys troop concentration along the Syrian
border increased several folds Syria anticipated
the dire consequences of sustained support to the
PKK unless it unleashed the head of the terrorist
organization who had long been to
Damascus Turkey and Syria signed the Adana
Protocol in October 1998 which incorporated
clear cut acknowledgement by Syria of its past
support to the PKK Soon after the head of PKK
ended up in a jail in Turkey in February 1999

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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

In accordance with its European vocation, Turkey
realized a number of substantial Constitutional
and legal reforms along with political and
economic packages all of which were welcomed even
by the critics of Turkey Attempts to solve the
so-called Kurdish problem, which, according to
many analysts, necessitated addressing its
root-causes were well underway since
then Turkeys EU candidacy and the start of the
accession negotiations in 2005 were the results
of a series of achievements, among others,
particularly in this field

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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

Notwithstanding the well acknowledged
achievements and the reforms that are bearing
fruit, the PKK terrorism seems to resurge The
situation in northern Iraq, the status of Kirkuk,
in particular, and close link between the Kurdish
tribes in Iraq and the PKK in the region enables
the terrorists to venture in a new wave of
attacks The pace of attacks is likely to
aggravate over the next two years until the
confusion about the future status of Kirkuk is
somehow resolved

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WAR BY PROXY A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF
SEPARATIST TERRORISM?

There are undeniable facts and figures which help
corrolate the war by proxy strategy of rival
countries to the pace of separatist terrorism
that a country has to endure The linkage between
the PKK and its supporter Syria has been decisive
in the degree of terror that Turkey
endured Addressing the political, social,
cultural and economic root-causes of terrorism is
surely a necessity. However, this may not
always be a remedy to the problem if the proxy
war strategy is adopted by the rivaling states

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SEMINAR

• WAR BY PROXY
• A POLITICAL EXPLANATION OF SEPARATIST TERRORISM?
•  
• Assoc. Prof. MUSTAFA KIBAROGLU
• Bilkent University
• International Relations Department
•  
• www.mustafakibaroglu.com
• kibar_at_bilkent.edu.tr
• CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE DEFENCE AGAINST TERRORISM
• ANKARA - TURKEY
• 17 April 2006