History of The Kurdistan Workers' Party - Origin

Origin

The PKK's origins is traced back to 1974 when Öcalan and a small group of radicals out of Revolutionary Youth "Dev-Genç" decided to develop Kurdish based left wing organization. Dev-Genç was originated in the 1970s from the radical left in Turkey and drew its leaders, members and militants from the disenfranchised. Following Turkey's rapid industrial development during the 1950s and 60s, there were numerous official and spontaneous strikes and factory occupations between 1968 and 1971. Violent confrontations with the police were common. Numerous groups and organizations arose which in one way or another regarded themselves as socialist. "Dev-Genç" also arose from a rebellion against the leadership of the newly-founded social democratic TIP (Workers Party) in the mid 1960s. Most of these organization were crushed by the security establishment. The members of this new small organization was actively participated different branches of Dev-Genç. In 1971 Abdullah Öcalan joined the underground movements trying to overthrow Turkey's parliamentary system while he was student at the Ankara University Political Sciences Faculty. Öcalan was also sympathetic with the People’s Liberation Party of Turkey (THKO). Öcalan used the skills and the social network that he developed during this period to become the leader. Like "Dev-Genç", Apocus was a splinter organization.

What made Apacus, later PKK, different was that it decided to move its activities from Ankara, capital city, to southern border towns of Turkey. Unlike most Kurdish political parties, which adopted a rather conservative outlook and were organized around tribal leaders and structures, they had fierce stance, strong convictions, and disciplined but decentralized organization which contributed to a steady rise and growing effectiveness Transferring to southern border towns with a radical left rhetoric gave this group initial resources during a time which Turkey had problems with the Syria and was a pawn in the proxy wars of the Cold War.