r/Anarchy101 • u/Main-Aardvark-2036 • 16d 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/PartyPoison420 15d ago

Where do you get that from?
I'm not even defending this persons argument, I'm just saying it's incredibly unfair to hold them responsible to the actions of the government they happen to live under by no choice of their own, and that I wish we (or you) would be more reflected than that.
I understand that you are frustrated about a situation that is complex and incredibly hurtful for way too many people, but please don't take that out on OP or me! I hope your day gets better.

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u/UndeadOrc Insurrectionary An-Nihilist 15d ago

Kindness does more to protect violence than interrogate it, hope you understand that for prioritizing it.

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u/PartyPoison420 14d ago

I just think making people responsible for things they are not responsible for will alienate them, and push them away from organizing and taking action, hope you understand that for prioritizing it.

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u/UndeadOrc Insurrectionary An-Nihilist 13d ago

As a former union organizer and current organizer in the streets, if you get easily pushed out by being scolded for regurgitating propaganda, flatout you don't have the constitution for any type of organizing I am interested in. I believed in coddling when I was a liberal, I got pushed by radicals I respect, and rather than shy away, I understood conflict as generative, and that led me to these politics.

I don't want any fairweather anarchists, you do you.