The 15 August 1984 PKK attacks, which were led by Mahsum Korkmaz (known as "Agit"),[2] marked the start of the last phase of Kurdish–Turkish conflict.

Training camps were opened in Syria and in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley and propaganda teams were sent across the border to make contact with the local populations.

After years of preparation, the PKK launched its first major attacks on 15 August 1984.

[4] Initially, Turkish authorities did not take the attacks seriously,[5] however the attacks were followed up by a raid on a police station in Siirt on 17 August,[4] which was soon followed by an attack that killed three of General Kenan Evren's Presidential Guards in Yüksekova and an ambush which killed 8 Turkish soldiers in Çukurca, in Hakkâri province.

[5] Insurgent violence in the predominantly Kurdish South-East of Turkey escalated heavily after the attacks.