The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) published a statement on Tuesday: “The whole world should know that the [Turkish government] is our enemy.”
Accusing Ankara of massacre of Kurds, torture, displacement, and destruction of historical and residential areas, TAK warned that Turkey is not a safe country for investment or tourism. “All the cities of Turkey… are our battlegrounds and our actions will be much more intense than in the past.”
TAK first appeared on the scene in mid-2004, carrying out small, non-lethal attacks that quickly escalated into targeting and killing civilians and tourists.
They claim Abdullah Ocalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), as their leader but have said they severed ties with that organization as they could no longer accept what they called the “passive struggle methods” of the PKK.
TAK’s stated aim is to oppose Turkey’s repression of the Kurdish minority and to avenge the deaths of Kurds killed by Turkish authorities. They have deliberately targeted the tourism industry in an effort to damage the country economically.
TAK has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in Turkey in 2016, including a bombing in Ankara in February that killed 29, another in March that killed 37, and one in central Istanbul in December that killed 38.
This year, they stated they carried out a gun and bomb attack outside the main courthouse in Izmir in January that killed two, a police officer and an employee of the court.
The PKK has renounced the use of terrorist tactics and Ocalan has committed to seeking a political resolution to the Kurdish issue. The PKK’s armed wing claims it limits its activities to confrontations with and attacks on Turkish security forces.
Turkish security forces are engaged in a renewed conflict with the PKK in the southeast of the country. At least 2,844 people have been killed in the renewed clashes since July 20, 2015 according to the International Crisis Group that is monitoring the conflict.
Of the casualties, 1,286 are PKK members, 944 are from the state security forces, 395 are civilians, and 219 are “youth of unknown affiliation,” individuals who could not be confirmed as civilians or PKK supporters.
Human rights groups report higher civilian casualty figures as well as mass displacement caused by the conflict and state demolishment of neighbourhoods.
Turkey, the EU, and the US have named the PKK a terrorist organization.
