EXPLAINER: Why Istanbul blast has political implications

ISTANBUL (AP) — The attack on a central avenue in Istanbul over the weekend was a stark reminder of bombings in Turkish cities between 2015 and 2017.

Those blasts crushed the Turkish public’s sense of security at the time and also heralded a new phase in Turkey’s decades-long fight against outlawed Kurdish groups.

After Sunday's explosion with a TNT-laden bomb that killed six people and wounded dozens of others, Turkish police apprehended a Syrian woman who is accused of planting the device after crossing illegally from Syria. Authorities said she confessed to carrying out the attack on behalf of Kurdish militants.

Here’s a look at the militant groups, the nearly four-decade conflict and its political implications.

TURKEY VS THE PKK

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey since 1984 with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in southeast Turkey, which has since morphed into a campaign for autonomy.

The conflict between militants and state forces has killed tens of thousands of people. The PKK is considered to be a terror group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

A fragile peace process and a 2½-year cease-fire with the PKK collapsed in 2015 as the Islamic State group began bombings in Turkish cities. Kurdish militants also launched car bombings.

Street battles between Turkish forces and Kurdish fighters turned southeastern towns into conflict zones where rights groups also documented civilian deaths. The International Crisis Group says in its fatality tally that 6,264 people, including Turkish forces and PKK fighters, have been killed in clashes or attacks since 2015.

The Turkish government is often very quick to blame the PKK for attacks, which has traditionally targeted Turkish military or police.

A 2016...