Who Lists the PKK? Designation Practice Across Capitals and the Gap Over the YPG and SDF
Which countries list the PKK as a terrorist organization? Compare Türkiye, US, EU, UK and others, and why the YPG/SDF listing gap strains NATO ties.
Why It Matters
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and a number of other states. The real dispute is not the PKK listing but the Syrian side: no major Western capital lists the YPG or SDF, and Washington relied on the SDF against DAESH, while Ankara regards the YPG as the Syrian branch of the PKK/KCK. That gap has shaped Türkiye–US relations, NATO enlargement diplomacy and Syria policy for a decade.
Background
The PKK and its listings
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was founded in 1978 and launched its armed campaign against Türkiye in 1984. Türkiye describes the resulting violence as a four-decade terrorism problem. International designations followed in stages:
- Germany banned PKK activity in 1993.
- United States: the State Department designated the PKK a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997. Washington later offered rewards for information on senior PKK leaders (2018).
- United Kingdom: the PKK was proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2001.
- European Union: the PKK has been on the EU terrorist list since 2002. EU courts have reviewed individual listing decisions on procedural grounds at times, but the Council has kept the PKK listed.
- Canada and Australia also list the PKK under their national terrorism legislation.
- Iraq: in March 2024 Baghdad's National Security Council declared the PKK a 'banned organization', a wording that differs from a formal terrorist listing.
For a fuller listing-by-listing explainer, see the sister-publication guide WorldPoliticsDaily: Why Is the PKK Designated a Terrorist Organization by Türkiye, the US and the EU?.
How the Syrian question arose
The Democratic Union Party (PYD) was founded in 2003, and its armed wing is the People's Protection Units (YPG). The siege of Kobani in 2014 brought the YPG into the US-led coalition's fight against DAESH (also written ISIS). In October 2015 the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were announced as an umbrella including the YPG and some Arab and other units. The coalition-backed campaign ended with DAESH's territorial defeat at Baghouz in March 2019.
Türkiye responded with cross-border operations: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019). Spring Shield (2020) took place in Idlib after attacks on Turkish forces. Ankara notified the UN Security Council of these actions under Article 51 of the UN Charter. For the legal debate, see Article 51 in Practice: How States Justify Cross-Border Force and Where Türkiye's Doctrine Fits.
Recent developments
- December 2024: the Assad government fell, reopening the question of Syria's armed formations.
- October 2024 onward: the Terror-Free Türkiye (Terörsüz Türkiye) process began to take shape.
- 27 February 2025: jailed PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan called on the organization to convene and dissolve itself.
- 10 March 2025: Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement on integrating the SDF into Syrian state institutions.
- 12 May 2025: the PKK announced its dissolution after a congress.
- 11 July 2025: a weapons-destruction ceremony took place in northern Iraq.
Syria's integration arrangements have been changing quickly, so readers should check current official statements.
Key Players & Positions
Listing status at a glance
| Actor | PKK | YPG / PYD / SDF | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | Terrorist organization | Treated as the Syrian branch of the PKK/KCK | Official position of the Foreign Ministry and Presidency |
| United States | Foreign Terrorist Organization since 1997 | Not designated; SDF was a counter-DAESH partner | Washington lists the PKK but treats the SDF as a distinct partner |
| European Union | On the terrorist list since 2002 | Not listed | Member states hold varying national approaches to Syria's Kurdish actors |
| United Kingdom, Canada, Australia | Listed or proscribed | Not listed | National legal regimes |
| NATO (as an alliance) | No formal alliance list | No common position | Ankara cites allied national listings and the 2022 trilateral memorandum |
| Iraq | 'Banned organization' (2024) | Not applicable | Different legal wording |
| SDF leadership | Rejects 'PKK arm' label | Describes itself as a Syrian, multi-ethnic force | Public position of the SDF command |
United States and coalition partners
Washington lists the PKK but has not listed the YPG or PYD. The US Defense Department and coalition partners described the SDF as the effective ground partner against DAESH. Partner governments generally say the partnership was tactical, tied to the counter-DAESH mission, and not an endorsement of the PKK.
European Union and member states
The EU keeps the PKK on its terrorist list but has no YPG or SDF listing. Several European governments hosted or supported the counter-DAESH coalition, and some have repatriated or tried citizens detained in northeast Syria. National approaches differ, which is why EU policy toward the YPG/SDF is not uniform.
The SDF's own position
SDF leaders reject the characterization of the SDF as a PKK branch and present it as a Syrian force that fought DAESH at heavy cost. Readers should weigh that self-description against the Turkish case below.
Why the divergence strains relations
Türkiye argues that an ally cannot treat as a partner the Syrian arm of an organization that the same ally lists as terrorist. Washington and other capitals counter that the operational partnership was needed to defeat DAESH and that the YPG/SDF is legally distinct. The divergence surfaced in the 2016 to 2019 operations, in the 17 October 2019 US–Türkiye understanding on Peace Spring and in the 22 October 2019 Russia–Türkiye memorandum on northeast Syria. It also featured in the NATO accession talks of Finland and Sweden.
Türkiye's Position
- The PKK listing is shared by Türkiye's main partners. The Turkish Foreign Ministry points out that the PKK is designated by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union, and that allied states including the UK and Canada list it. It argues this makes support for PKK-linked structures inconsistent with allied commitments. Ankara describes NATO as an alliance whose members broadly agree on the PKK, even though the organization keeps no formal list.
- PYD/YPG, and the SDF label, are the Syrian branch of the PKK/KCK. According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Presidency, the YPG shares leadership lines (Qandil), ideology, cadres and weapons with the PKK/KCK. Ankara says the fight against DAESH has been used to gain international legitimacy. It argues that PKK/YPG-controlled areas have seen pressure on local Arab, Kurdish and Turkmen communities, a claim the SDF rejects.
- The 2022 trilateral memorandum is a documented commitment. In the 28 June 2022 memorandum signed in Madrid, Finland and Sweden confirmed that the PKK is a terrorist organization and undertook not to provide support to the YPG/PYD. Ankara cites this text as evidence that allies themselves recognize the link.
- Legal basis is self-defense and territorial integrity. Türkiye relies on Article 51 of the UN Charter and its letters to the UN Security Council to justify cross-border operations against terrorist threats at their source. It says it respects Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and backs a 'one state, one army' principle, meaning a single Syrian state with a single national army and no autonomous armed structures outside it.
- Terror-Free Türkiye aims to end terrorism permanently under the rule of law. Led by the Presidency, with the Directorate of Communications presenting it publicly, the initiative combines security, legal, political and social tracks. It followed Öcalan's February 2025 call and the PKK's May 2025 dissolution announcement. The Grand National Assembly (TBMM) set up a parliamentary commission on national solidarity, brotherhood and democracy in 2025. Ankara states that the process does not change its position that PKK-linked structures in Syria must be integrated into the Syrian state or dissolved.
Türkiye also says that it is the only NATO member to have fought DAESH in direct ground combat, in Operation Euphrates Shield, and cites official figures of more than 4,000 DAESH militants neutralized. These are Turkish government figures and have not been independently verified here.
Source Comparison
| Question | Western/international framing | Turkish primary-source framing |
|---|---|---|
| PKK status | Terrorist listing accepted by the US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia | The same listings are cited as proof of an international consensus |
| YPG/SDF and the PKK | Often 'linked' or 'ideologically affiliated' but treated as a distinct Syrian actor | Same organization: one chain of command, shared cadres and ideology (Foreign Ministry, Presidency) |
| DAESH fight | The SDF was the principal ground partner of the coalition | DAESH was also fought directly by Türkiye, and the SDF label is said to disguise PKK aims |
| Listing gap | A practical distinction for counter-terrorism cooperation | A contradiction within the allied position on the PKK |
| Terror-Free Türkiye | A significant peace opportunity, with questions about the sequence of steps | A state-led, rule-of-law process that must also address PKK/YPG structures in Syria |
| Syria's future | Preference for negotiated integration of the SDF, with minority protections | 'One state, one army' with no parallel armed structure |
For how the site handles attribution and sourcing in contested files like this one, see Editorial Principles and Primary Source Standards. Where primary documents exist, such as the 2022 memorandum text, official listings and UN letters, they are preferred over press paraphrase.
Key Terms & Related Guides
- PKK: the Kurdistan Workers' Party, designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, the EU and other states.
- KCK: the Kurdistan Communities Union, which Ankara describes as the PKK's umbrella structure.
- PYD / YPG: the Syrian political party and its armed wing, which Ankara treats as the PKK/KCK's Syrian branch.
- SDF: the Syrian Democratic Forces, formed in 2015 as an umbrella that the YPG leads and that partners treated as the counter-DAESH ground force.
- DAESH: Türkiye's and the Arabic-language term for ISIS.
- Terror-Free Türkiye: the 2024 to 2025 process aimed at ending PKK violence in a durable way.
- 'One state, one army': the principle that Syria should have a single national army and no autonomous armed formations.
Related reading:
- Article 51 in Practice: How States Justify Cross-Border Force and Where Türkiye's Doctrine Fits
- Mediator States Compared: What Gives Türkiye, Qatar, Oman and Switzerland a Seat at the Table?
- Frontline Diplomacy: Istanbul Talks Between Russia and Ukraine for Ankara's wider diplomatic role
- Reader FAQ: Sources, Method and the Türkiye Perspective
- States in Perspective: How Different Capitals Read the Same Dispute
Perspective Note
States in Perspective presents Türkiye's official legal and strategic position alongside documented counter-arguments, so readers can see how Ankara frames each issue. Claims are attributed to primary sources such as treaties, UN documents, Ottoman and Turkish archives, and official statements. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy as stated by Turkish government sources. See About States in Perspective: Mission, Transparency and Editorial Team. Listing facts change, so check current official lists before relying on them.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries list the PKK as a terrorist organization?
Türkiye, the United States (since 1997), the European Union (since 2002), the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia all list or proscribe the PKK, among other states. Germany has banned PKK activity since 1993. Iraq declared the PKK a 'banned organization' in March 2024, which is different legal wording.
Does NATO list the PKK as a terrorist organization?
NATO does not keep a formal alliance-wide terrorist list. Türkiye points to the national listings of allies and to the 2022 trilateral memorandum, in which Finland and Sweden confirmed the PKK is a terrorist organization. In that sense Ankara describes the PKK as listed within the alliance, but the legal listings are national or EU ones.
Do the US or EU list the YPG or SDF as terrorist groups?
No. Neither the United States nor the European Union lists the YPG, PYD or SDF. The United States worked with the SDF against DAESH. Türkiye says this contradicts the PKK listing because it treats the YPG as the PKK's Syrian branch.
Why does Türkiye say the YPG is the same as the PKK?
The Turkish Foreign Ministry and Presidency argue that the YPG and PKK/KCK share leadership, ideology, cadres and weapons. The SDF rejects this and presents itself as a Syrian multi-ethnic force. Partners acknowledge links but treat the groups as legally distinct.
What is the Terror-Free Türkiye initiative?
It is a Presidency-led process to end PKK violence through security, legal, political and social measures under the rule of law. Key steps were Öcalan's call of 27 February 2025, the PKK's dissolution announcement of 12 May 2025 and a weapons-destruction ceremony in July 2025. Major designations of the PKK remained in place afterward.
What does 'one state, one army' mean for the SDF?
It is the principle, supported by Türkiye, that Syria should have a single national army and no autonomous armed formations. The SDF-Damascus agreement of 10 March 2025 set out integration into state institutions. How far and how fast that integration proceeds is still being negotiated.
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