Analysis of the Goals, Methods, Strengths, and Weaknesses of the PKK and PJAK Groups

The PKK and PJAK militants are spread across three bases—northern, central, and southern—jointly and scattered in single houses, each with a capacity of approximately one team, in a relatively large area. The bombing and shelling of these group's bases by the Turkish army and the forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have led to the evacuation of some bases in the Khanireh and Qandil areas. The main objective of this research is to identify the goals, methods, strengths, and weaknesses of the PKK and PJAK organizations. This research is applied and has been conducted using a historical-comparative method. Information was gathered through library research and fieldwork, with a sample size of 40 people. According to the findings, the PKK and PJAKhave strengths, but to the same extent that they have strengths, they also have significant weaknesses. In terms of achieving their objectives, the PKK and PJAK have been weakened compared to the Islamic Republic of Iran and currently lack the ability to reach their malicious goals. Methodologically, they have undergone fundamental changes, having abandoned their previous severe and harsh methods and now mainly focusing on cyberspace and digital operations. Based on the research results, the PKK and PJAK have 7 objectives, 15 methods, 10strengths, and 18 weaknesses. The main goal of PJAK is to establish political branches and insist on the unity of Kurdistans in Syria, Iran, Turkey, and Iraq. PJAK's primary method is the dispersion of militants across headquarters and mountains, presence in border regions, and having teams composed of members from different countries. The main strength of the PKK and PJAK is adherence to the chain of command, commitment to Öcalan's ideology and philosophy, as well as the slogan of non-discrimination among citizens of different countries. The main weakness of the PKK and PJAK is the political ban in Turkey, MIT's infiltration into the group, pressure from the United States and the European Union due to the group's designation as a terrorist organization, and Öcalan's continued imprisonment.