1st Edition

Turkish Counterterrorism Strategy against the PKK A Security-Oriented Perspective

Edited By Cenker Korhan Demir, Erol Başaran Bural Copyright 2026
284 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
by CRC Press

284 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
by CRC Press

Türkiye’s response to PKK terrorism stands as one of the most sustained, complex, and evolving counterterrorism efforts in the modern era. This book offers the first comprehensive English-language analysis of Türkiye’s counterterrorism strategy, adopting a security-oriented perspective that integrates military, political, legal, economic, and social dimensions. It presents a holistic and critical... Read more

Part I: Strategic foundations for countering the PKK

1. A holistic perspective to Türkiye’s fight against PKK terrorism

Hakki Bahadir Öztürk

2. Examining the political, economic, and social dimensions of countering the PKK

Begüm Çardak and Arman Sert

3. Criminal justice model in countering the PKK

İlkut Taha Tasli

4. The international law perspective in countering the PKK

Burak Güneş and Murat Turpçu

Part II: Counterterrorism operations and security capacity enhancement

5. Urban terrorism strategy of the PKK and Türkiye’s fight against it

Mehmet Kurum

6. A legal and operational analysis of Türkiye’s cross-border counterterrorism operations against the PKK

Emrah Özdemir

7. Developments in Turkish defence/security technology and the fight against the PKK

Arda Mevlütoğlu

8. The role of intelligence in countering the PKK

Cenker Korhan Demir and Elif Merve Dumankaya

Part III: Emerging threats and evolving countermeasures

9. Fighting against the PKK and its organized crime capabilities

Haydar Karaman

10. Combatting the PKK as a cybersecurity threat

İlyas Firat Cengiz and Mehmet Emin Erendor

11. Persuasion processes as a de-radicalization strategy in counterterrorism against the PKK

Merve Önenli Güven

12. Narrative in combatting the PKK’s propaganda

Ferit Malkara

Biography

Cenker Korhan Demir, PhD, is a Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Hasan Kalyoncu University in Gaziantep, Türkiye. He earned his PhD from the National Defence University in Ankara with a dissertation on ethnic-separatist terrorism. His main research areas revolve around international security, terrorism, radicalisation, insurgency, strategy, and war studies. Dr. Demir has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and has authored several books on terrorism and security. He currently leads a research project funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye that explores the intersections of radicalisation and migration.

Erol Başaran Bural, MSc, is the Director of the Research Center for Defense against Terrorism and Radicalization Association (TERAM). He graduated from the Turkish Military Academy in 1992 and served in the Turkish army for 24 years. He earned a master’s at the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy, Security Sciences Faculty, International Security and Terrorism in 2021. Bural’s primary research focuses on terrorism, counterterrorism, intelligence, and psychological operations. He has published one book and numerous book chapters, academic articles, columns, analyses, opinion pieces, and reports mainly on terrorism, counterterrorism, intelligence, and psychological operations.