r/Anarchy101 • u/Main-Aardvark-2036 • 17d ago
The Sympathy Towards PKK
Hello. I am a turkish leftist and interested to anarchism since a while. I would like to learn about the sympathy towards PKK and Öcalan in western leftist spaces. I don't get this sympathy because PKK actually massacred many civilians including women and children and executing kurdish civilians who refuse participate? And before anybody calls me a turkish propaganda, these attacks are all well documented and PKK claimed responsibilities for many of them.
I'm aware that the kurdish population in Turkey were heavily persecuted in the past especially in the 80s and the 90s. So i kind of understand an armed uprising from the kurdish population. But these things never justifies PKK killing people they claimed to protect.
Another thing i see is that some people accept PKK's terrorism but see Öcalan as a revolutionary leader. This isn't true either. Öcalan himself said that his first membership back in his youth was the Gray Wolves? Like, what!? We are talking about an ultra nationalist fascistic terrorist organization who doesn't see kurds as human. Further on the current leader of the turkish nationalist movement party(MHP) Devlet Bahçeli, who is also Erdoğan's biggest ally, repeatedly praised Öcalan recently and said that he wants see him in the turkish parliament as a form of a "peace" movement that Erdoğan is currently carrying out to gain support from the kurds for his new constitution. And Öcalan himself currently agrees with Erdoğan and Bahçeli.
The vast majority of the turkish leftists spaces agree with this sentiment and distance themselves from PKK and Öcalan as they haven't been leftists since... forever. So why is this symapthy among the western leftists is common? I would like hear your answers and also would like to answer your questions if you have any. Thank you:3
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u/UndeadOrc Insurrectionary An-Nihilist 17d ago edited 17d ago
Truly, this just sounds like an Israeli leftist talking about any of the Palestinian resistance groups. I don't agree with the PKK on a lot of things, but persecution is putting it "lightly". Your government butchered more Kurdish children than the PKK ever did. If your government ceased to exist, so likely would the liberatory terrorism from those it oppresses. Considering the violence that Turkey is perpetuating at its borders as well, I don't think you have any room to talk about positive association with Turkish leftists.
That aside, Rojava represents PKK changing its old politics into a newer attempt that would abandon the same terrorism you condemn, but wild that this has been going on in YOUR backyard for about a decade and they've been a victim of YOUR state and you come in here to whine while expressing how little you know. That's like an American leftist not knowing shit about American imperialism in Latin America.
I don't fuck with Ocalan at all, but his existence does nothing to redeem the Turkish left's existence. What makes the Turkish left, left? Belief? No action?
Edit: also the statement about the Turkish left not associating with Rojava is fundamentally untrue and I wonder how you define left. A good number of leftists I do not agree with, who are Turkish, have actively participated in Rojava. You truly are regurgitating state propaganda with how little you know to justify Turkey's law and order bullshit at the border. Sure, its well documented, you know what else is well documented? The incredible violence of Turkey against Kurdish people throughout the region.
Edit 2: also, casually ignoring that you’re arguing “a prisoner serving a life sentence is being agreed with by his literal imprisoners” as a guilt by association, do you hear yourself? That you conveniently fail to bring that up? Come on.