Demonstration in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, in support of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. (Credit: Yasin Akgul/AFP)
For some, he is the most recognizable face of the Kurdish issue in Turkey and beyond. For others, he is a “terrorist,” the man who led a violent insurgency against the Turkish state at the cost of tens of thousands of lives. Yet nearly a quarter century of imprisonment on the island of Imrali, off the coast of Istanbul, has done little to diminish his influence. Quite the opposite. Whether adored or despised, Abdullah Öcalan remains an icon whose words are listened to with near-religious reverence. And his Feb. 27 statement calling for the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) marks a turning point. If Öcalan’s initiative succeeds, it would mark one of the most significant developments in the Middle East in recent years, given that the PKK has affiliated and allied groups across the region and that Ankara’s regional policy is...
For some, he is the most recognizable face of the Kurdish issue in Turkey and beyond. For others, he is a “terrorist,” the man who led a violent insurgency against the Turkish state at the cost of tens of thousands of lives. Yet nearly a quarter century of imprisonment on the island of Imrali, off the coast of Istanbul, has done little to diminish his influence. Quite the opposite. Whether adored or despised, Abdullah Öcalan remains an icon whose words are listened to with near-religious reverence. And his Feb. 27 statement calling for the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) marks a turning point. If Öcalan’s initiative succeeds, it would mark one of the most significant developments in the Middle East in recent years, given that the PKK has affiliated and allied groups across the region and that Ankara’s...
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