ROLE OF THE KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY IN RECOGNITION OF THE KURDISH QUESTION

Abstract

Annotation. The creation of a number of states in the Middle East after the First World War condemned the Kurdish population to a stateless existence. And this fact is already more than 100 years old. The article presents an analysis of the activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party on the basis of scientific articles, monographs by Western European and American researchers, which are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. An assessment of its historical evolution is given, from its foundation to the present, an assessment of the ideological foundations and the impact on regional and international politics are carried out. The article shows that the PKK for the first time achieved recognition of the Kurdish issue and its internationalization. It is shown that the PKK was able to mobilize the Kurdish population not only in Turkey, but also at the international level, creating a Kurdish parliament in exile, conducting an armed and political struggle against Turkish rule over the past thirty years. Foreign researchers' assessment of the role of the Kurdistan Workers' Party in recognizing the Kurdish issue in Turkey is ambiguous. Along with characterizing the PKK as capable of self-organization, foreign researchers have highlighted the PKK’s ability to survive and adapt to constantly changing conditions. Criticism of the PKK's armed struggle is shown as the preferred method of action.

Key words: political party, Kurdistan, Middle East, Turkey, PKK, Kurds.