Report reveals PKK drug operations worth billions in Europe and the US

A recent report by Turkey's General Directorate of Security reveals the PKK's deep involvement in the global drug trade and sheds light on the group's considerable influence in Europe and the United States.

The comprehensive investigation published on Friday showed how the PKK – which is classified as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States and the European Union – uses the illegal drug trade as a key source of funding for its activities.

According to the report, the PKK is deeply entrenched in the illegal drug market, particularly in Europe. The findings indicate that the group controls a significant portion of the European drug market and generates billions of dollars annually from its drug trafficking activities.

According to data compiled in the report, Turkish security forces conducted 470 anti-drug operations against the PKK and related organizations from 1980 to 2022. These operations resulted in the arrest of 1,694 individuals and the seizure of significant quantities of drugs. The items seized included 96,289 kilograms (212,280.91 pounds) of marijuana, 5,452 kilograms of heroin and 140,698 ecstasy tablets, as well as 121 million cannabis plants and various other drugs.

More recently, from 2016 to 2023, Turkish gendarmerie units conducted 355 operations against the PKK's drug-related activities. These efforts resulted in the arrest of 1,130 suspects and the seizure of 182,105 kilograms of marijuana powder, 123,272 kilograms of hashish and 482,719,171 cannabis plants.

The operations reportedly prevented around TL 685 billion (US$20.1 billion) in illicit proceeds.

International reports confirm Türkiye's recent findings. Several reports from international law enforcement agencies have shown that the group is able to finance its bloody campaign of terror through drug trafficking in the EU, earning over $1.5 billion annually, relying on its supporters and pro-PKK political groups across Europe.

Europol's latest EU Terrorism Situation and Trends Report shows that the group “maintains an apparatus that provides logistical and financial support to its agents in Turkey and neighbouring countries and promotes its political objectives.”

Previously, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol highlighted the significant role of the PKK in European drug trafficking, including the production and distribution of drugs as well as street-level drug trafficking, in the 2019 EU Drug Market Report.

The 2022 Europol report also identified the PKK as a leading actor in money laundering and extortion, coordinating these activities through the Congress of the European Democratic Kurdish Society (KCDK-E) based in Belgium.

In response to these revelations, the EU had expanded its sanctions against the PKK and its allies.

In July 2022, the Council of Europe renewed its blacklist and maintained restrictive measures against 13 individuals and 21 entities with links to the PKK. These measures included freezing assets and banning economic transactions with the groups mentioned.

Currently, the PKK is also classified in the United States as a criminal organization that finances its terrorist activities through organized crime. Key PKK leaders such as Murat Karayılan, Cemil Bayık and Duran Kalkan are wanted by the US authorities for their role in drug smuggling and terrorism.

Turkey has repeatedly warned European states about the threat to public order posed by the PKK. The PKK is classified as an “ethno-nationalist” and “separatist” terrorist organization by the EU police authority Europol.

Germany is, among other countries, the country where the threat from the PKK is particularly pronounced. This year, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) reported that the PKK has the largest number of followers among the foreign terrorist groups active in Germany.

In 2023 alone, PKK members were involved in 286 crimes, including violent attacks causing personal injury and property damage. The report found that since 2013, over 300 foreign fighters have been recruited from Germany and received military training in Syria and Iraq.

Although Turkey has repeatedly called on its NATO ally Germany to take tougher action against the PKK, the terrorist group's activities are largely tolerated by the authorities and Berlin is unwilling to take stronger action against the group.

The PKK exploited legal loopholes and vague policies in Europe to recruit militant members and fund its activities. European countries, particularly Belgium, have been criticized for their perceived tolerance of PKK activities, including propaganda and recruitment efforts in France, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Although the PKK has been designated a terrorist organization by the EU, there has been considerable criticism of European countries for their inaction.

Turkey has repeatedly called on its allies, including the US and EU members, to increase their support in the fight against PKK terrorism. However, these appeals have largely gone unanswered. Particularly controversial is the US's continued support for the PKK's Syrian offshoot, the YPG. Critics argue that this support, which was supposed to strengthen efforts against Daesh, contributes to regional instability and indirectly supports the PKK's activities.

Although the terrorist PKK is officially banned in the EU and individual member states, in practice it is allowed to demonstrate in European countries, raise money for its terror campaign and threaten or attack locals. In its activities in Europe, PKK sympathisers quickly organise and carry out violent acts that lead to clashes with security forces.

What is the PKK?

The PKK, whose ideology is based on Marxist-Leninist principles, was founded in 1978 by Abdullah Öcalan and other terrorists. It allegedly emerged from a nationalist movement that advocated Kurdish autonomy and pursued its goals through political means. In the 1980s, however, it turned to armed struggle.

In the early 1980s, the group's violent tactics began to target Turkish security officials and civilians. The group's campaign of violence resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 people, including civilians, women, children and Kurds. The PKK's methods include bombings, assassinations and ambushes that spread fear and destabilized the regions in which it operated.

The PKK has been involved in numerous high-profile attacks, including bombings of tourist areas and kidnappings of foreigners. Its violent activities extend beyond Turkey's borders and also affect neighboring countries such as Iraq and Syria. It has recruited fighters and carried out operations in these countries.

Turkey’s ongoing fight against the PKK is one of the country’s most persistent and difficult conflicts.

The country's response to the PKK has included extensive military and security operations. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have conducted numerous operations against PKK strongholds both inside Turkey and across the border in Iraq and Syria. These include large-scale troop deployments, airstrikes and cross-border raids on PKK bases in northern Iraq. Special forces such as the Turkish Gendarmerie and elite commandos carry out high-risk operations aimed at disrupting PKK activities and arresting key figures.