SUMMARY
PKK (Partiya Karkeran Kurdistan; Kurdistan Workers’ Party) was founded in 1974 by a group of ethnic Kurdish students in Turkey, among others the group’s long standing leader Abdullah Öcalan. PKK changed its name to KADEK (Kongreya Azadi u Demokrasiya Kurdistan; Congress for Freedom and Democracy in Kurdistan) in 2002. In late 2003, it adopted the name Kongra-Gel (Kongra Gele Kurdistan; Peoples Congress of Kurdistan) until it reverted to its original name in 2005. PKK had a number of sub-organisations. Its military wing was called ARGK (Arteshen Rizgariya Gelli Kurdistan; Peoples Liberation Army of Kurdistan) until 2000, when it was renamed HPG (Hêzên Parastina Gel; Popular Defence Forces).
In the beginning PKK was influenced by the Maoist doctrine and pursued the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish state. However, PKK leader Öcalan gradually dropped his demands for Kurdish independence and stated that the conflict could be terminated if Ankara granted the Kurds autonomy or cultural and linguistic rights. In 2005, Öcalan declared that PKK would be part of a new political entity, the KKK (Koma Komalên Kurdistan; Democratic Confederation of Kurdistan) later renamed KCK (Koma Civakên Kurdistan; Democratic Communities of Kurdistan) headed by himself. The proclaimed purpose of KKK/KCK was not to change the existing borders of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, the states housing large Kurdish minorities, but to achieve self-governance in the areas inhabited by the Kurds.
Several states have supported PKK. Syria, Greece and Iran have at times provided PKK with shelter, training grounds and/or financial support. Other states suspected of aiding PKK were Cyprus and Armenia. Northern Iraq has also been a safe-haven for PKK fighters especially since 1991. Moreover, PKK allegedly had links to other leftist groups in Turkey and abroad, such as the Turkish Devrimci Sol and the Greek 17 November Revolutionary Organisation.
The Kurdish community is scattered over a diverse geographical area, forming a network of potential PKK supporters from northwest Europe to Armenia and Iran. Through committed supporters active in the Kurdish diaspora PKK has raised money and has acquired weapons. Another Kurdish group, PJAK (Partiya Jiyana Azad a Kurdistanê; Free Life Party of Kurdistan) active in Iran, claimed to be loyal to Öcalan and announced its participation in KCK.
Abullah Öcalan headed PKK throughout the years. He continued to be the ultimate leader after his arrest in 1999, but after intense internal power struggles, other commanders took over executive power. Murat Karayilan and Duran Kalkan were two key leaders. PKK instigated an intra-state conflict against the government of Turkey in 1984 that continued into the 21st century. During the conflict, it frequently made use of one-sided violence, particularly in the 1990s.
PKK has been involved in the intrastate, non-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.
