The Nexus between Illicit Drug Trafficking and Terror: The PKK as an Example of Hybrid Transnational Threat

Abstract

All terrorist groups need finance to operate. It is a means for certain groups to accomplish their objectives; for others, it is the aims itself per se. Terrorist groups are therefore involved in different levels of organized crime. One of them is illicit drug trafficking, which has a nexus with organized crime and terrorist groups. This study aims to demonstrate a better understanding of the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) evolution into an organized criminal organization and its funding sources. From this point of view, the PKK is classified as a narco-terrorist organization with strong financial motives in this paper. As it will be analyzed on paper, its financial motivations frequently have weighed in the same level as its political motivation. It began to act as a hybrid organization through transnational offences, and it has steadily strengthened its criminal capabilities. Its members retain their deceptive political rhetoric to perform their illegal operations more easily. The organization can also be defined as a hybrid transnational organized crime group by UN standards, given the severity of its crimes and its criminal network spanning the Middle East, Turkey, and Europe.

Keywords

• PKK
• Terrorism
• Narco-Terror
• Illicit Drug Trafficking
• Hybrid Organization

Yasadışı Uyuşturucu Ticareti İle Terör Arasındaki İrtibat: Sınıraşan Hibrit Tehdit Örneği Olarak PKK

Abstract

 Terörist grupların faaliyet gösterebilmeleri için finansmana ihtiyaçları vardır. Kimi gruplar için finansman hedeflerine ulaşması için bir araç iken; kimileri için de amacın bizatihi kendisidir. Terörist gruplar bu nedenle farklı organize suç düzeylerinde faaliyet göstermektedirler. Bunlardan biri de organize suç ve terörist gruplarla bağlantı noktası olan yasadışı uyuşturucu kaçakçılığıdır. Bu çalışma, ilgili bağlantıyı ortaya koyarak, Kürdistan İşçi Partisi (PKK) terör örgütünün söz konusu yasadışı finansal kaynaklar aracılığıyla gelişimini derinleştirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Buradan hareketle, bu çalışmada PKK güçlü mali güdülere sahip bir narko-terör örgütü olarak sınıflandırılmaktadır. Çalışmada görüleceği üzere, örgütün finansal motivasyonlarının sıklıkla politik motivasyonları ile aynı derecede önem arz etmektedir. Her ne kadar örgüt siyasal söylemleri yasadışı işlemlerine paravan olarak kullansa da sınıraşan suçlar yoluyla melez bir örgüt olarak hareket etmeye başlayan örgüt zaman içinde suç işleme kapasitesini sürekli olarak güçlendirdi. Örgütün Orta Doğu, Türkiye ve Avrupa'daki suçları göz önüne alındığında, BM kriterlerine göre de uluslararası bir hibrit organize suç grubu olarak da sınıflandırılabilineceğini ortaya koymak çalışmanın bir amacıdır.

Keywords

• PKK
• Terörizm
• Narko-Terör
• Yasadışı Uyuşturucu Kaçakçılığı
• Hibrit Organizasyon

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