History of The Kurdistan Workers' Party

The history of the Kurdistan Workers' Party began in 1974 as a Marxist-Leninist organization under the leadership of Abdullah Öcalan. In 1978 the organization adapted the name "Kurdistan Workers Party" and waged Urban War between 1978–1980. The organization restructured itself and moved the organization structure to Syria between 1980–1984 just after the 1980 Turkish coup d'état. The campaign of armed violence began in 1984. The rural-based insurgency lasted between 1984–1992. The PKK shifted its activities to include urban terrorism between 1993–1995 and later 1996–1999. The leader of the party captured in Kenya in the early 1999. After a "self declared peace initiative of 1999," returned to active stage in February 2004. Since 1974, it had been able to evolve, adapt, gone through a metamorphosis, which became the main factor in its survival. It had gradually grown from a handful of political students to a radical organization became part of targets of War on Terrorism.