PKK, Ocalan and the Iraqi Kurds

[kurdistani]

Given the fact that Apo is one of the most devise figures in Kurdish politics I have decided to write a short piece about him and his relationship with the PKK and the Iraqi Kurds.

The PKK is one of the most interesting political organisations in the world not just in the Middle East. It grew out of the radical meliu that developed in Turkey in the late 1970s. During this time Turkey was racked by class conflict and economic instability. Granted that Turkey was a NATO state and was an important strategic partner for the US, it was not supported by the US in the same way that Iran was at that time.

In the universities of Western Turkey many young Kurds became infected with Stalinism or Maoism. Some even went the other way and joint the grey wolfs. However, the impact of the KDP in Iraq and the figure of Mullah Mustafa as well as the economic backwardness and cultural difference of Kurdistan of Turkey lead many, like Ocalan, to reject tradition Turkish Leftism which was highly Kemalist in nature. In fact the fact that the USSR had supported Kemal against the Greeks and Armenians was a source of pride for the Turkish left. Thus, groups like the PKK began to form in Western Turkey. Meanwhile, in Kurdistan radical groups and Kurdish nationalism was also growing. However, this movement was dominated by the urban professionals, yet radicalism continued to grow and in 1979 Mehdi Zana an open Kurdish nationalist won the mayoral election in Diyarbekir.

However, the 1980 coup changed every thing. Many of the larger and more open Kurdish movements were crushed as well as many leftist parties. However, the PKK managed to survive and after 1982 were left to face a weakned Kurdish movement in Turkey which the wiped out. For example the PSK and Rizgari were branded as traitors and reformists. Many of their activists were killed. Then the PKK turned on some of the larger tribal groups AND not just pro Govt tribes but also Nationalist tribe that had links with other nationalist parties. Still by demonstrating their hitting power and propagating amongst the Kurdish under class the PKK and Ocalan managed become the leaders of the Kurdish movement in Turkey. Orginally the claimed that they wanted a United independent Kurdistan. However, to make the Syrian Ba’ath party happy they dropped the clauses to do with Syria. Ocalan even said that the Syrian Kurds were refugees from Turkish Kurdistan.

Ocalan also claimed that the Kurdish movement was a Class struggle rather than a national struggle… After the collapse of the USSR the PKK was put into an ideological malaise which was increasingly filled by Apo’s cult of personality. In the 1990s the PKK fourght the Turkish Army bravely but by 1994 it was obvious that they were loosing. At this point the PKK attempted to take Bahdinan region in Iraq. It was claimed that the KDP and PUK had been attacking the PKK with the help of Turkey… this had happened in 1992 but Turkish brutality in Zakho and Barzan lead the Kurdish-Turkish alliance to break down… The PKK attack came during the civil war between the Iraqi Kurdish parties and in fact much of Arbil and Suleymania were supporting the PKK. Only Dohuk, which had suffered form PKK attacks on civilians remained anti PKK. The PKK did this because rather then trying to pursue good relations with the Iraqi Kurds believed that they could seize power in the south… and did not care that they might give the Turkish Army the excuse they needed to occupy South Kurdistan.
After Apos trial most Iraqi Kurds felt that the PKK had lost its way….
Now if the PKK is claim that it wants a ‘democratic republic’ I don’t see why it need to keep its armed wing. Or at least why should its armed wing be in South Kurdistan. By being there they are risking the safety of the KRG… all to satisfy Apos ego…

Now… I want to make a point about the difference between the Iraqi Kurdish Parties and the PKK….. The PKK is an oppositional party. This means it does not have the responsibity for ruling a population. However, the Iraqi Kurdish parties HAVE TO provide for their people. This means that they don’t have the diplomatic room to say we want to liberate Turkish Kurdistan or we want to break Iraq up. If they did this it could end very badly for them. Rather they have to follow a policy by which they entrench Kurdistan while not pissing off all the hostile neighbours. The PKK on the other hand is just in an ideological malaise at the moment. They don’t know what they stand for. This is because Apo has defeated them on a discursive level. Ocalan could have softened the Kurdish line without defeating the movement on a discursive level by claiming that Mustafa Kemal was a great man.

[tomjez]

Wah! I feared some Pro PKK rubbish
On the contrary it is a very clever and lucid analysis on PKK...
I wrote my minor thesis of political sicences on Kurdish problem in Turkey, focusing on PKK, and a good part is dedicated to relations with PDK and UPK
If you read french I would be happy to send it to you!

regards

tom

[kurdistani]

Je suis desole mais je ne puet pas parler la language franaise

[abdur]

There were also times during the civil war that the pkk joined their troops with Talabani's Puk. I've seen a video of Apo and Talabani in the '80 where they declared that they would cooperate. Because of Apo's pride/ego/policy the pkk got no friends anymore, they lost all their previous allies (Greece, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Puk and the turkish left) and the EU put them eventually on the terrorlist.

I agree on the point of difference. For example: the pkk is using the rojhelati uprising effectively with the new Pejak and Roj-tv while the southern parties dont even let their own people demonstrate against the iranian regime. This is "1-0" for their public relations.

[Diri]

There were also times during the civil war that the pkk joined their troops with Talabani's Puk. I've seen a video of Apo and Talabani in the '80 where they declared that they would cooperate. Because of Apo's pride/ego/policy the pkk got no friends anymore, they lost all their previous allies (Greece, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Puk and the turkish left) and the EU put them eventually on the terrorlist.

I agree on the point of difference. For example: the pkk is using the rojhelati uprising effectively with the new Pejak and Roj-tv while the southern parties dont even let their own people demonstrate against the iranian regime. This is "1-0" for their public relations.

You can't just say that... You need to REASON... WHY AND WHO? AND WHEN?

KDP AND PUK HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOSE - THE PKK HAS NOTHING TO LOOSE... THAT IS WHAT MAKES THE SITUATION DIFFERENT FOR THEM!

[abdur]

Kurdistani gave the reason already and i gave an example...

[Diri]

Kurdistani gave the reason already and i gave an example...

To reason doesn't mean to "give a reason"... It means to "THINK"... What I wanted you to do - THINK about WHY, WHEN and WHO...

[kurdistani]

There were also times during the civil war that the pkk joined their troops with Talabani's Puk. I've seen a video of Apo and Talabani in the '80 where they declared that they would cooperate. Because of Apo's pride/ego/policy the pkk got no friends anymore, they lost all their previous allies (Greece, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Puk and the turkish left) and the EU put them eventually on the terrorlist.

I agree on the point of difference. For example: the pkk is using the rojhelati uprising effectively with the new Pejak and Roj-tv while the southern parties dont even let their own people demonstrate against the iranian regime. This is "1-0" for their public relations.

I have met allot of PIJAK peshmerga... PKK has IN THE PAST given the names of PIJAK memebers to Iran... PIJAK was used as a bargining chip....

[kurdistani]

In the 1980s PUK and KDP gave PKK some technical assistance......

[tomjez]

Yeah but as you said nobody can cooperate with Öcalan if öcalan is not the leader. This guy could not stand anyone being on the same level as himself. He was equally unable to have a second in command. PKK was "ME and the others". Honestly this guy said once "I AM THE KURDISH PEOPLE, THEY ONLY EXIST THROUGH ME"

[Vladimir]

That's why he is 50% Turkish. Anyway Ocalan is the past. Time for a new leader.

[Diri]

Yeah but as you said nobody can cooperate with Öcalan if öcalan is not the leader. This guy could not stand anyone being on the same level as himself. He was equally unable to have a second in command. PKK was "ME and the others". Honestly this guy said once "I AM THE KURDISH PEOPLE, THEY ONLY EXIST THROUGH ME"

The problem is the KURDS who are shouting "WE DON'T WANT KURDISTAN IF WE DON'T HAVE APO"... WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THEIR HEADS??? GO SEE A DOCTOR!

GIVE ME KURDISTAN ANY DAY - AND I WILL TAKE IT - I DON'T NEED A PERSON LIKE APO BEFORE I ACCEPT KURDISTAN!

INFIDELS

[Vladimir]

Ocalan must become Shehid for the sake of Kurdistan. Forget it Ocalan, you are not the Kurdish Ataturk.

[Diri]

Ocalan must become Shehid for the sake of Kurdistan. Forget it Ocalan, you are not the Kurdish Ataturk.

LOL LOL


SECONDED!

[abdur]

To reason doesn't mean to "give a reason"... It means to "THINK"... What I wanted you to do - THINK about WHY, WHEN and WHO...

My bad, i didnt read it well.. but come to the point, is there anything that you disagree with my post?

By the way, i wrote "new Pejak" because some time ago the old Pejak leadership dissolved the party because of the murder on their former leader Sipan in Maxmur and they joined another party. But the cadres who stayed loyal to Apo/Karayilan re-made the party.