In an interview, Omer Ozkilcik, a security analyst at the SETA Foundation, answering the question “Who fund the PKK?” said:
“The PKK has some financial resources. But the most important of them is drug trafficking. The PKK is active in the crime of drug trafficking and its distribution internationally. It is active in the field from Afghanistan to Europe.”
The security analyst went on to cite PKK financial resources. “The group’s second source of funding is the presence of its members and supporters in Europe. They extort money from the Kurdish businessmen and Kurds living in Europe. But in recent years, especially since 2014, the United States, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have become the PKK’s finance supporters. Saudi, UAE and US financial aid to the YPG is not something to be hidden.”
“And we know that this money is also sent to the PKK. On the other hand, the UAE is trying to confront Turkey in all possible ways. An example is in Idlib, where the UAE is financing the various groups while trying to weaken Turkey, so direct UAE funding to the PKK to attack Turkey is not surprising, but the volume of Turkish operations against the PKK is so large that their money can not help the PKK to be able to resist.”
