Kemalism's impact on the Kurdish separatist movement

This study examines how the philosophy of Kemalism---the guiding philosophy of the Turkish government---impacted the development of a Kurdish terrorist group, the Kurdistan Workers Party, and the tactics used by both. The study then outlines solutions for ending the current fighting, which centers on expanding cultural rights and ceasing terrorist actions by both parties. Ultimately, Kemalism is a twentieth-century philosophy that needs to re-examine its concept of nationalism. The PKK has a twentieth-century idea of Marxism. Both sides need to revise their ideologies and transform them into workable solutions for the twenty-first century.