Abdullah Öcalan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abdullah Öcalan
|
|
|---|---|
Öcalan in 1997
|
|
| Born | 4 April 1949 Ömerli, Turkey
|
| Nationality | Kurdish |
| Citizenship | Turkey |
| Education | Faculty of Political Science, Ankara University |
| Occupation | Founder and leader of militant organization PKK, political activist, writer, political theorist |
| Organization | Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) |
| Spouse(s) |
Kesire Yıldırım
(m. 1978) |
| Relatives |
|
|
Philosophy career |
|
|
Notable ideas
|
Democratic confederalism
Jineology |
|
Influenced
|
|
Abdullah Öcalan (born 4 April 1949), also known as Apo, is a founding member and leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). This group has been involved in a long-standing conflict.
Öcalan lived in Syria from 1979 to 1998. He helped start the PKK in 1978 and led it into conflict in 1984. Syria supported the PKK for many years.
In February 1999, Öcalan was taken into custody in Nairobi, Kenya, by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT). He was then imprisoned on İmralı island in Turkey. After a trial, he was first sentenced to death. This sentence was later changed to life in prison when Turkey stopped using the death penalty. He has been held on İmralı island since 1999.
Since 1993, Öcalan has supported finding a political solution to the conflict. His time in prison has varied, with long periods where he had no contact with the outside world. At other times, he was allowed visitors. He also took part in talks with the Turkish government that led to a temporary peace process in 2013.
From prison, Öcalan has written several books. He developed ideas like Jineology, which focuses on women's rights and is a key part of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK). His idea of democratic confederalism is used in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), a self-governing area in Syria.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Öcalan was born in Ömerli, a village in eastern Turkey. While some records say he was born on April 4, 1949, he has said he doesn't know his exact birth date. He believes he was born around 1946 or 1947. He is the oldest of seven children.
He went to elementary school in a nearby village. He wanted to join the Turkish army but did not pass the entrance exam for military high school. In 1966, he started studying at a vocational high school in Ankara. There, he met people with different political views, including those interested in improving Kurdish rights.
After graduating in 1969, Öcalan worked at a government office in Diyarbakır. This is when his political ideas began to form. A year later, he moved to Istanbul and joined meetings of groups interested in Kurdish rights. He later studied law at Istanbul University and then political science at Ankara University.
He was arrested in 1972 for taking part in a protest and was held for seven months. In 1973, he helped found a student association in Ankara. In 1975, Öcalan and others wrote a booklet about their goals for a "Revolution in Kurdistan." They believed Kurdistan was like a colony and planned for a revolution. This idea slowly gained support, and by 1977, they had many followers.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party
In 1978, Öcalan founded the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In July 1979, he moved to Syria.
The PKK focused on teaching its members about its ideas, including Marxism–Leninism. Öcalan believed that having strong ideas was very important for the party. With Syria's help, he set up training camps in Lebanon for PKK members.
In 1984, the PKK started an armed campaign against government forces. Their goal was to create an independent Kurdish state. Öcalan tried to bring together different Kurdish groups. He met with leaders of other Kurdish parties to discuss cooperation.
In 1988, Öcalan said that gaining full independence from Turkey was not their only goal. He suggested that talks should happen to create a federation within Turkey, where Kurds would have equal rights. He also met with other Kurdish leaders to sign agreements.
In the early 1990s, Öcalan spoke about wanting a peaceful solution to the conflict. He said that different groups could live independently within the same country if they had equal rights. In 1993, he declared a ceasefire to allow talks with the Turkish government. However, these talks stopped after the Turkish president died.
Öcalan also met with politicians from Germany to discuss the PKK's activities there. He promised that the PKK would support a peaceful solution. Over time, many countries, including the United States and the European Union, listed the PKK as a terrorist organization.
Until 1998, Öcalan was based in Syria. However, Turkey pressured Syria to stop supporting the PKK. As a result, Syria forced Öcalan to leave the country.
Time in Europe
Öcalan left Syria on October 9, 1998. For the next four months, he traveled to several European countries. He hoped to find a solution to the Kurdish-Turkish conflict.
He first went to Russia, where the Russian parliament voted to offer him asylum. Then, he traveled to Italy, arriving in Rome in November 1998.
In Italy, Öcalan asked for political asylum. Turkey asked Italy to send him back. Italy did not send him to Turkey because Italian law did not allow sending someone to a country where they might face the death penalty. Italy also did not want him to stay. Öcalan eventually left Italy in January 1999, hoping to find a safe place in Russia.
He then flew to Greece and later tried to go to the Netherlands to discuss his legal situation. However, his plane was not allowed to land there. He returned to Greece and then flew to Nairobi, Kenya, after being invited by Greek diplomats.
Capture and Imprisonment
Öcalan was taken into custody in Kenya on February 15, 1999. This happened while he was on his way from the Greek embassy to the airport. The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) carried out this operation. He was then flown back to Turkey for trial.
After his capture, there were protests by Kurds around the world. Many people condemned his capture.
His Trial
Öcalan was taken to İmralı island. He was questioned for 10 days without being able to see his lawyers. A special court was set up on İmralı island to try him. His lawyers faced difficulties in representing him. They were only allowed short visits, and some visits were canceled.
The trial began on May 31, 1999. Öcalan was accused of treason and separatism. On June 29, 1999, he was sentenced to death. Human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called for a new trial.
In 2002, Turkey stopped using the death penalty. Öcalan's sentence was then changed to life in prison. He appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In 2005, the ECHR ruled that Turkey had violated some of his rights during his arrest and trial. However, Turkish courts refused his request for a new trial.
Life in Prison
After his capture, Öcalan was held alone as the only prisoner on İmralı island. Even after his sentence was changed to life in prison, he remained the only inmate for many years. More than 1,000 Turkish military personnel guarded the island.
In 2009, Turkish authorities announced that other prisoners would be moved to İmralı. This was done after a European committee visited the island and raised concerns about his conditions. Öcalan was then allowed to see other prisoners for a few hours a week.
From July 2011 until May 2019, his lawyers were not allowed to visit him. They filed many requests, but all were denied. The Kurdish community has held regular protests to raise awareness about Öcalan's isolation. In 2012, many Kurdish political prisoners went on hunger strike to ask for better conditions for Öcalan and for the right to use the Kurdish language in education. Öcalan asked them to end the hunger strike, and they did.
His lawyers were finally allowed to visit him again in April 2019.
Peace Efforts
Öcalan has been involved in efforts to find peace. In November 1998, he proposed a 7-point peace plan. This plan suggested stopping attacks, allowing refugees to return, and giving Kurds more self-rule within Turkey. It also called for equal democratic rights for Kurds and Turks and official recognition of the Kurdish language and culture.
After his capture, Öcalan called for the PKK to stop its attacks. He supported a peaceful solution for the Kurdish conflict within Turkey's borders. In 1999, some PKK members surrendered to Turkey at Öcalan's request. However, this peace effort was not continued by the Turkish government.
In March 2005, Öcalan proposed "Democratic Confederalism in Kurdistan." This idea called for a border-free confederation (a loose union) of Kurdish regions in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. He suggested that these areas would follow EU law, local country law, and Kurdish law. The PKK later adopted this idea.
In 2006, Öcalan asked the PKK to declare a ceasefire and seek peace with Turkey. He said, "The PKK should not use weapons unless it is attacked." He also stressed the importance of a democratic union between Turks and Kurds. He worked on a plan for Turkey to become more decentralized and democratic, but his proposal was taken by Turkish authorities.
In January 2013, peace talks began between the PKK and the Turkish government. Öcalan met with politicians on İmralı Island. On March 21, Öcalan declared a ceasefire between the PKK and the Turkish state. He said, "Let guns be silenced and politics dominate... It's the start of a new era." The PKK leadership agreed to the ceasefire. However, the ceasefire ended in July 2015 after two Turkish police officers were killed.
New Political Ideas
Since being in prison, Öcalan's political ideas have changed a lot. He has been influenced by thinkers like Murray Bookchin. He moved away from his earlier beliefs and developed a new idea called democratic confederalism.
Democratic Confederalism
Democratic confederalism is a system where local communities have control over their own areas through elected councils. Decisions are made by groups in each neighborhood, village, or city. Everyone is welcome to join these councils.
In this system, there is no private property in the usual sense. Instead, people have the right to use buildings, land, and other resources, but they cannot buy or sell them like private businesses. The economy is managed by the community councils. Important parts of democratic confederalism are feminism, protecting the environment, and direct democracy.
In 2005, Öcalan suggested that Kurds should use Bookchin's ideas. He promoted shared values like environmental protection, self-defense, gender equality, and respect for different religions, politics, and cultures. The PKK adopted Öcalan's ideas. This philosophy is also used by the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and is put into practice in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
On Women's Rights
Öcalan strongly supports women's liberation. He believes that women are often stuck in traditional roles and unfair relationships with men. He writes that all forms of slavery are linked to the way women are traditionally seen as only housewives.
Personal Life
Öcalan has said that his father is Kurdish and his mother is Turkmen. Some sources say his grandmother was Turkish. His mother was a strong influence and often criticized his father. Öcalan has said that he learned to defend himself from unfairness during his childhood.
Like many Kurds in Turkey, Öcalan grew up speaking Turkish. According to one person who met him in 1991, Öcalan did not know the Kurdish language at that time.
In 1978, Öcalan married Kesire Yildirim. They had a difficult marriage with many disagreements.
Öcalan's sister, Havva, had an arranged marriage. This event made him think about women's rights and led to his ideas about freeing women from traditional roles.
His brother, Osman, was a PKK commander but later left the group. His other brother, Mehmet Öcalan, is a member of a pro-Kurdish political party. His niece, Dilek Öcalan, was a member of parliament, and his nephew, Ömer Öcalan, is also a current member of parliament.
Honorary Citizenships
Several places have given Abdullah Öcalan honorary citizenship:
- Palermo
- Olympia
- Naples
- Castel del Giudice
- Castelbottaccio
- Pinerolo
- Martano
- Reggio Emilia
- Palagonia
- Riace
- Berceto
- Fossalto
Images for kids
-
Öcalan supporters in London, April 2003
-
Protest for freedom of Öcalan in Germany, 21 January 2016
See Also
In Spanish: Abdullah Öcalan para niños
