Vedeneev I.N.

TURKISH LEFT AND THE KURDISH NATIONAL MOVEMENT:
THE ISSUE OF SUCCESSION (1960-1980)

The article further provides a broad perspective of the socio-economic conditions in which the national movement of Kurds in Turkey developed. It is concluded that despite the influence of the early Turkish left movements (in the 1960s) on the Kurdish movement, this influence is not limited to them. The characteristic features of the Kurdish movement have become radicalism and the use of terrorist methods to achieve their political goals. There are three stages in the development of national movement. The first stage is the formation of the first left-wing movements in Turkey. The key mistake of the intelligentsia lies in their hope for the military, who will carry out social reforms. The second stage is the emergence of the first revolutionary cells that aim to seize power through force. The movements are unprepared and lose their leaders. Against the background of the Left’s radicalisation, the legal Turkish Workers’ Party (TİP) is banned. The third stage is the formation of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the beginning of the revolutionary struggle, which coincides with the 1980 military coup. The PKK survives beholden to the support of the Kurdish parties from other countries (Iraq). In our viewpoint, the inconsistent policy of the TİP leadership, which contributed to the ban of the party, led to fatal consequences for the formation of the national movement of Kurds in Turkey.

Keywords: Kurds, Turkey, Iraq, liberation movement, PKK, left-wing terrorism.

Институт Востоковедения РАН, Москва (Россия)

Institute of Oriental Studies RAS, Moscow (Russia)

Download (pdf)

Это произведение доступно по лицензии Creative Commons «Attribution-ShareAlike» («Атрибуция — На тех же условиях») 4.0 Всемирная