Kurdish Political Movement in Turkey

The Kurdish Political Movement or the Kurdish Liberation Movement,^[1][2] refers to the movement that seeks to realize the political demands of Kurdish people living in the geocultural region called Kurdistan^[3] in the lands of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran, such as education in their native language, self-determination, autonomy or an independent state.^[4][5][6] In the context of Turkey, this movement is being pursued by democratic means through left-wing ethnic political parties, as well as through PKK affiliated militant groups.

After the switch to Turkey's multi-party era in 1945, several Kurdish ethnic parties have been established. The first Kurdish minority interests party came into the political arena in 1990 with the establishment of the People's Labour Party (HEP), which was banned by the court in 1993 for being a source of separatism.^[7] Parties that advocate for Kurdish interests have since been ephemeral, often participating in one or two elections before being banned by the Constitutional Court, only to re-organize under another political party.

The Kurdish-interests movement in Turkey's political arena has been controversial, with many condemning the movement as a pathway for separatism and platform for pro-PKK ideologues.^[8] While the PKK does not have a structural relationship or hierarchical control over parties like the People's Democratic Party, HDP, they have aligning political visions, interpersonal and familial ties, and a shared experience of political repression.^[9] On the other hand, these ties have heavily fostered the discourse that Kurdish-interest parties "carry terrorists into the parliament" and has influenced not only the legitimacy of these parties but has also shaped the campaigning and electoral behaviors of other actors.^[10]

Another systematic struggle the Kurdish political movement used to face was the 10% electoral threshold. Minority Rights International, a U.K.-based non governmental organization, has stated that the 10% threshold prevents minority parties’ representation in the political arena. Their 2007 report highlights the fact that while pro-Kurdish parties have consistently acquired the highest percentage of votes in areas the Kurdish population is concentrated in, they have failed to reach the national 10% threshold.^[11] Since 2015, Kurdish-interest parties, starting with the HDP, have been able to poll above the threshold in general elections by successfully courting Turkish leftists.^[12] In 2022 this threshold was lowered to 7%.