Editing Kurdistan Workers' Party (section)

==== Cease-fire and renewed conflict ====
On 13 April 2009, the [[2009–2010 Kurdistan Workers' Party ceasefire|PKK declared a cease fire]] after the DTP won 99 municipalities and negotiations were spoken about. The AKP first spoke of the [[Democratic initiative#Kurdish initiative|"Kurdish Opening"]], then it was renamed in the "Democratic Opening" to appease nationalist interests and then the "National Unity Project".<ref>{{cite book |last=White |first=Doctor Paul |title=The PKK: Coming Down from the Mountains |publisher=Zed Books Ltd. |year=2015 |isbn=978-1783600403 |pages=50–51 |language=en}}</ref>

On 21 October 2011 Iranian foreign minister [[Ali Akbar Salehi]] announced Iran would co-operate with Turkey in some military operations against the PKK.<ref>{{cite web |date=20 October 2011 |title=Turkey, Iran to Cooperate Against Kurdish Rebels |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/turkey-iran-to-cooperate-against-kurdish-rebels-132316303/170915.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131194726/http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Turkey-Iran-to-Cooperate-Against-Kurdish-Rebels-132316303.html |archive-date=31 January 2012 |access-date=10 December 2012 |publisher=Voice of America}}</ref>

2012 was the most violent year in the armed conflict between the Turkish State and PKK since 1999. At least 541 individuals lost their lives as a result of the clashes including 316 militants and 282 soldiers. In contrast, 152 individuals lost their lives in 2009 until the Turkish government initiated negotiations with the PKK leadership.<ref>Güneş Murat Tezcür,"[http://www.luc.edu/faculty/gtezcur/files/TezcurInsightTurkey.pdf Prospects for Resolution of the Kurdish Question: A Realist Perspective], {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016083217/http://www.luc.edu/faculty/gtezcur/files/TezcurInsightTurkey.pdf|date=16 October 2013}}" Insight Turkey 15 (Spring 2013): 69–84.</ref> The failure of this negotiations contributed to violence that were particularly intensified in 2012. The PKK encouraged by the rising power of the Syrian Kurds increased its attacks in the same year.

During the [[Syrian Civil War]], the Kurds in Syria have established control over their own region with the help of the PKK as well as with support from the Kurdistan Regional Government in [[Erbil]], under President Masoud Barzani.<ref name="Kurd-Shiite-Sunni-Split">{{cite web |last=Salem |first=Paul |date=29 November 2012 |title=Insight: Iraq's Tensions Heightened by Syria Conflict |url=http://middleeastvoices.voanews.com/2012/11/insight-iraqs-tensions-heightened-by-syria-conflict-96791/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619200757/http://middleeastvoices.voanews.com/2012/11/insight-iraqs-tensions-heightened-by-syria-conflict-96791/ |archive-date=19 June 2013 |access-date=3 November 2012 |publisher=Middle East Voices}}</ref>