Influence of Regional and Global Dynamics on Drugs & Conflict Nexus and Vice Versa: The Case of PKK

This chapter examines the nexus between drug trafficking and conflict, with a particular focus on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its activities across Türkiye, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Europe. It explores how regional instability, notably the erosion of Iraq’s central authority post-2003 and the Syrian Civil War, has facilitated the PKK’s expansion, allowing it to leverage ungoverned spaces for operational and logistical purposes. The chapter analyses the PKK’s strategic adaptation in each country, including its limited but pragmatic presence in Iran, its extensive safe havens in Iraq’s Qandil Mountains, and its strong affiliate structure through the PYD/YPG in Syria. Furthermore, it highlights the PKK’s significant role in the international drug trade, underscoring how revenues from narcotics trafficking sustain its insurgency, fund recruitment and arms acquisition, and expand its influence into European drug markets. By assessing the policies of regional state actors towards the PKK, the chapter reveals how geopolitical rivalries, ethnic ties, and cross-border smuggling networks have shaped the group’s resilience. Ultimately, it argues that the PKK’s embeddedness in regional conflicts and illicit economies perpetuates insecurity in the Middle East and complicates international counterterrorism and counternarcotics efforts.