Problems and prospects of solving the Kurdish issue in Turkey during the rule of the Justice and development party

The purpose of the article is to study the Kurdish issue in Turkey, the causes and ways of its settlement by the Turkish political elite represented by the Justice and Development Party. An analytical approach is used to analyze the information collected and substantiate the results obtained. The historical method is also used, which allows processing and reviewing information in chronological order. The author believes that the Turkish state did not grant the Kurds political and cultural rights, which led to the longest crisis in the Turkish Republic since its foundation. The Kurds in Turkey remain on the periphery of political life, regardless of the nature of the government, whether secular or Islamic, civilian or military leadership in the country. The Kurdish issue has moved from demanding the national rights of the Kurds to acquiring signs of a separatist trend, especially due to their concentration in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran in one geographical area, which increases their ability to communicate and receive foreign aid. The problem has been further complicated for Ankara by the fact that the Kurds in Turkey bear the brunt of the Kurdish issue. The Justice and Development Party acknowledged the failure of previous governments to resolve the Kurdish issue, as government policies based on violence and isolation increased support for the Kurds through the Kurdistan Workers' Party. The leaders of the Justice and Development Party have adopted a new policy based on the resumption of cooperation with the Kurds and the search for political solutions to the Kurdish issue. This policy made it possible to gain the trust of the Kurds, which led to significant support for the Justice and Development Party in all the elections in which it participated. The political elite of the Justice and Development Party also began to pursue a policy aimed at recreating the Ottoman Empire, which in turn created new problems for solving the Kurdish issue. The political activity of the Kurds increased inside the country, the Kurdistan Workers' Party was dissolved, and the Kurds switched to active political action. Regionally, the Syrian Kurds are approaching the creation of an autonomous region. Internationally, the Kurdish cause enjoys increasing sympathy and support from the Kurdish communities in Europe. The theoretical significance of the study is due to the structuring of information concerning the emergence and attempts to resolve the Kurdish issue in various historical periods, and the assessment of the role of the Justice and Development Party in this process. The practical significance of the study lies in the substantive recommendations of the author of the study on ways to peacefully resolve the Kurdish issue.