Since the late 1960s, Turkey has been confronted with numerous
terrorist activities from various groups, including radical
leftists, ethnic separatists, and religious organizations. The most
challenging terrorist organization that Turkey has struggled
against, however, is the ethnic separatist group known as the PKK
(Kurdistan Workers Party or "Partiya Karkeren
Kurdistan"). Turkey has spent more than $125 billion (USD) to
fight the PKK, a group that the United States and European Union
recognize as a terrorist organization. There are, however, few good
studies of the PKK and its related aliases. The editors of this
book seek to address this omission with 12 fine papers that examine
the PKK's historical development, its political and social
background, and its interactions with media. There is a specific
emphasis in the book on the sources of the PKK's financial
support, including its involvement in money laundering and
smuggling in drugs, cigarettes, and arms.
Charles B. Strozier is a Professor of History and the founding Director of the Center on Terrorism, John Jay College, CUNY. He is the author or editor of 11 books, the most recent of which is "Until The Fires Stopped Burning: 9/11 and New York City in the Words and Experiences of Survivors and Witnesses," Columbia University Press, 2011.
