The Peace Process between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, 2009–2015

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the 2009–2015 peace process between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). It draws from conflict resolution literature to present the five transformers framework that is used to analyse the main transformations the Kurdish conflict in Turkey has undergone during the past two decades. The article argues that the peace process was not an outcome of external intervention but was an organic process derived of powerful, post-nationalist intellectual leadership where strategic calculations about the benefits of peace motivated dialogue. It concludes that the peace process collapsed due to context and structural transformations following war in Syria and Iraq that empowered the Kurdish PKK movement in a sudden, rapid and large fashion. The result caused strong Turkish fears about implications to status quo. In the end, the parties returned to war in order to gain more control and concessions from future negotiations. Concurring with the authors of the five transformers framework, the personal tranformation of a leader strengthens potential for dialogue when they have a change of heart about how to resolve the conflict.