ABSTRACT
Developments in Turkey since the late 1990s pose a puzzle for this analysis. This chapter argues that Parti Karkaren Kurdistan (PKK)/state violence is best described as a classic rural insurgency, rather than a popular uprising. It addresses identity, and argues that, despite the civil war, the boundaries of Kurdish identity are more open than is often appreciated. Although polarization has occurred for some individuals, processes of assimilation continue simultaneously, and further ethnification is not inevitable. The chapter addresses support for Kurdish nationalism by examining returns from three recent elections. Although Kurdish nationalist parties have been competitive, the majority of Kurdish voters favoured rightist and Islamist parties, which suggests that support for nationalism is weaker than usually thought.
