45 years of struggle, creativity and giving

45 years ago, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was founded in the village of Fis in the Liji in Amed region in Northern Kurdistan, by a group of 22 people, and its number has now reached millions of people.

On the occasion of the anniversary of the founding of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, we collected some important stages in the history of its struggle that has been going on for half a century.

Leader Abdullah Ocalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, was born on April 4, 1949 in the village of Amara in the Khalafti district of Raha in Northern Kurdistan.

He attended primary school in the village of Jebin in Khalfeti between the years 1957-1962, middle school in Nizip between the years 1962-1965, and attended high school at Tabu Cadastro Vocational High School in Ankara between the years 1965-1969.

Between the years 1969-1970, Leader Abdullah Ocalan worked as an employee for a year on the Amed-Biyas-Argni road, and there he was introduced to the idea of Kurdish freedom. In 1970-1971, he joined the Faculty of Law at Istanbul University and studied there for a year. There he met the revolutionary Mahir Jayan and worked as a member of the Eastern Revolutionary Cultural Center (DDKO). In the fall of 1971, he registered at the Faculty of Political Science in Ankara.

* On April 7, 1972, a protest event was organized at the Faculty of Political Sciences to condemn the Kizildra massacre, and leaflets were distributed. Leader Abdullah Ocalan was one of the leaders of that activity. He was arrested and spent nearly 7 months in Mamak prison.

* On Newroz Eid 1973, leader Abdullah Ocalan held a meeting on the banks of the Gobuk Dam, which supplies Ankara with water, where he gathered 6 students, who were the first group to organize the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. He explained to them his thesis, “Kurdistan is a colony,” and launched the group’s activity.

* In January 1975, the Ankara Association for Higher Education (AYOD) was founded instead of the ADYOD organization, and Leader Abdullah Ocalan was elected as its president.

* On New Year’s Eve in 1976, leader Abdullah Ocalan held a meeting for the first time in the city of Dikmen in Ankara to organize the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

*In 1976, Ali Dogan Yildirim was martyred as a result of an accident, the first martyr in the group.

* The funeral of Fauzi Aslansoy, who was killed by the fascists in 1976, was the first mass action of the Kurdistan Revolutionary Group that entered the history of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. During that event, Mehmet Khayri Durmuş, Kemal Pir, and Mustafa Cazkur were arrested and transferred to Diyarbakir Prison.

* On May 18, 1977, Hakki Qarar was assassinated in Diluc by the leader of the Red Star subversive group, Alaeddin Kaban.

* On March 16, 1978, the fascists threw a bomb at the students of Istanbul Technical University, and as a result of the shooting, 7 revolutionaries were killed.

* On May 18-19, 1978, Helwan Youth Leader Halil Çavgun was assassinated in an attack carried out against the revolutionary group in cooperation with “Suleimanlar” mercenaries and the Turkish state police in the Helwan region of Raha Governorate. Then the struggle against the “Suleimanlar” group began with revolutionary action.

* On November 27, 1978, the founding conference of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party was held in the village of Fis in the Liji district of Amed, with the participation of 22 delegates, and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party was established.

* On July 2, 1979, Leader Abdullah Ocalan entered Kobani, accompanied by Adham Akcan, through Perseus.

* On July 10-15, 1981, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party held its first conference.

* Bessie Anoush, who was martyred on March 17, 1981 in the Turkish state’s attack in Maraş, became a symbol of the first martyrs in the history of women’s struggle.

* On March 21, 1982, Mazloum Dogan, one of the leading cadres of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, carried out his guerrilla operation under the slogan “Resistance is Life” in the Amed prison of the “fascist” Turkish military September 12 regime, and was martyred as a result.

* On May 1, 1982, Abdelkader Gobekcu from Elyeh was martyred in a camp in Beirut as a result of a bombing by Israeli aircraft. He was the first martyr of the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Lebanon - Palestine.

* On May 17, 1982, Ferhat Kurtay, Necmi Oner, Ashraf Anik, and Mahmut Zengin, who followed the approach of Haqqi Qarar and Mazlum Doğan, set themselves on fire in Amed Prison and were martyred, and the operation entered the pages of history as “The Night of the Four.”

* Resistance to the great strike to the death began on July 14, 1982 by PKK prisoners led by Mehmet Khayri Durmuş in Amed Prison.

* Kemal Pir was martyred on September 7, 1982, Mehmet Khayri Durmuş on September 12, 1982, Akif Yilmaz on September 15, 1982, and Ali Cicek on September 17, 1982.

* On May 2, 1983, members of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the commander of the Central Military Committee, Muhammad Karasungur and Ibrahim Bilgin, were assassinated by the forces of Southern Kurdistan.

* On May 25, 1983, the Turkish army, with a force of about 10,000 soldiers, entered the area located 5 km between Zakho and Amadiya, and launched the first occupation attack on the lands of Southern Kurdistan.

* On May 27, 1984, the Turkish army carried out an offensive operation against Kurdish militants in southern Kurdistan under the name “Operation Pursuit,” and on October 11, 1994 under the name “Operation Sun.”

* On August 15, 1984, under the leadership of Commander Akid (Masoum Korkmaz) and Kozluklu Ali (Abdullah Avcı), the “first shot” was fired in Aruh and Shamzenan, and this operation was recorded in history as a revolutionary process of the social movement. In this process, the establishment of the Kurdistan Resistance Forces (HRK) was announced.

* On March 21, 1985, was announced the establishment of the (Kurdistan National Liberation Front) in order to organize the Kurdish people in all parts, especially in Northern Kurdistan and everywhere where Kurds live.

* On March 28, 1986, the leader of the Guerrilla campaign on August 15, Akid (Masoum Korkmaz), was martyred.

* On October 25-30, 1986, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party announced the formation of the Kurdistan People’s Liberation Army (ARGK) at its third conference.

* On March 3, 1987, 30 Turkish army warplanes bombed the areas where ARGK fighters were located in the name of “Air Operation Beyond Borders.”

* On October 31 - November 1, 1987, in accordance with the decisions of the Third Conference, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party held a women’s conference and the Kurdistan National Women’s Union (YJWK) was established.

* In 1987, YCK founded the Kurdistan Youth Union.

* On August 5, 1991, the Turkish state carried out its first occupation operation. Within the framework of “Operation Sweeping,” the Turkish army crossed the border line and launched an attack on Khakurk.

* On August 10-11, 1991, the Kurdistan National Women’s Union (YJWK) announced the establishment of TAJ (Kurdistan Women’s Freedom Movement) at its third conference.

* On May 6, 1992, the Turkish army began a large-scale ground operation in the Bahdinan region in southern Kurdistan.

*On October 2, the Kurdistan Democratic Party launched an attack against PKK fighters, and the Democratic Party, which on March 19, 1995, launched an attack led by the Turkish army in Southern Kurdistan against PKK fighters, was defeated, under the name “Operation Hammer.”

* On October 24, 1992, leader Beritan Hevi (Golnaz Karatas) confronted the betrayal of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and fought until the last bullet. In order not to become a prisoner, she threw herself from the top of the mountain and was martyred.

* From 8 to 19 March 1995, the first Free Women’s Conference was held in Matina and YAJK (Union of Kurdistan Women’s Freedom) was announced. On this basis, it was decided to establish the Free Women's Unions.

* On March 21, 1995, Newroz, the Turkish state attacked the territory of Southern Kurdistan under the name “Operation Steel.” According to battle statistics revealed by the ARGK, at least 800 Turkish soldiers were killed in the occupation attack until May 2, 1995.

* From 8 to 28 December 1995, the PKK changed its flag at its fifth conference (the torch symbol instead of the hammer and sickle). The Presidential Council was formed.

* The PDK and YNK signed an agreement against the PKK on July 11 in Dublin, Ireland, under the supervision of the United States and the Turkish state. The agreement included launching an attack against PKK fighters from August 26, 1995, and the attack continued until September 3, 1995.

* On March 6, 1996, the Turkish army attacked the Zap and Haftanin region in an occupation attack called “Operation Atmaja.”

* On May 6, 1996, the Turkish occupation state carried out assassination attempts via a truck bomb against the leader Abdullah Ocalan in Damascus, but the attack was foiled.

* On June 30, 1996, Zilan (Zeinab Kanaki) executed the the first commando operation in Dersim. This process signaled a new phase. Leader Abdullah Ocalan said, "Zilan is the leader and we are her soldiers."

* On May 14, 1997, the occupation operation began in Southern Kurdistan under the name “Hammer”, in which the Turkish state and the forces of the Kurdistan Democratic Party actively participated.

* On May 16, 1997, dozens of wounded PKK fighters, including journalists, artists and doctors, were brutally martyred by the Kurdistan Democratic Party while receiving treatment at Hewler Hospital in Southern Kurdistan.

* On September 17, 1998, the Washington Agreement was signed between Jalal Talabani and Masoud Barzani, under the sponsorship of Madeleine Albright (US Secretary of State), which included the expulsion of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party from southern Kurdistan.

* On September 25, 1997, the Turkish State-Kurdistan Democratic Party alliance launched a massive attack under the name “Operation Dawn” on the border region of southern Kurdistan.

* On the night of November 26-27, Zeynep (Gorbeyli Ersuz) and her group were martyred, and on the evening of October 8, between Zap and Ghar, Maryam Çolak and her group were martyred, while member of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, Harun (Sürayya Ozti), was martyred on the night of October 26-27. the first.

* Based on the agreement between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Turkish army launched an attack on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in Southern Kurdistan in May 1998 under the name “Operation Murad.”

* On June 17, Sarhaldan (Sama Yogi), who was in prison, said, “There is no room in the sky for two suns,” and she took a stance against the liquidation, setting her body on fire and subsequently being martyred.

* On October 9, 1998, Leader Abdullah Ocalan left Syria, and the phase of the international conspiracy against him began.

* On October 9, 1998, Muhammad Khaled Oral set himself on fire in Al-Bustan prison against the international conspiracy under the slogan “You will not be able to block our sun.” Then dozens of patriots and cadres of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party set themselves on fire.

* On February 15, 1999, Leader Abdullah Ocalan was arrested in Kenya and handed over to the Turkish state, and the Kurdish and Kurdish people rose up in all parts of the world and in Kurdistan.

* In May 1999, the Turkish army, in cooperation with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, carried out an operation called “Operation Sandwich” in Southern Kurdistan.

* On August 2, 1999, leader Abdullah Ocalan called for an indefinite ceasefire, starting from September 1, 1999, and called for the withdrawal of the Guerrilla to Southern Kurdistan.

* On January 2, 2000, the PKK changed the name of ARGK to HPG (People's Defense Forces) at the 7th Congress.

* From July 29 to August 21, 2000, the name of the PJKK was changed to the Women’s Party (PJA) during the Third Free Women’s Congress.

* On June 7, 2002, leader Gulan (Feliz Yerlikaya) was martyred as a result of a conspiracy.

* From April 4 to 10, 2002, during the Eighth Congress, the name of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party was changed to KADEK (Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Conference).

* The KADEK Council met on September 1, 2002 in the Khalnera region, and decided to declare “legitimate defense areas” at the request of leader Abdullah Ocalan.

* In 2003, during the August 15 celebrations, Erdal (Ankin Sinker), a member of the Central Headquarters Command of the People’s Defense Forces, was martyred.

* In October 2003, the People’s Congress was announced at the founding conference.

* Five years after the cessation of operations that began in 1999, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party decided to continue its political-military struggle, on June 1, 2004. This stage was called the second leap of August 15.

* On November 29, 2004, as a result of a conspiracy in Mosul, Shilan Baqi, Fuad, Javan Kobani, Zakaria and Jamil, who were members of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, were martyred.

* On March 21, 2005, Leader Abdullah Ocalan issued a statement in which he announced the Democratic Confederation System (KCK).

* From April 7 to 18, 2005, the first women’s conference was held and the KJB (Supreme Women’s System) was announced. Based on the suggestion of leader Abdullah Ocalan, the name of the KJB was later changed to the KJK.

* On February 1, 2006, Vian Suran (Laila Wali Hussein) set her body on fire in Heftanin to denounce the conspiracy against the leader Abdullah Ocalan and was martyred as a result.

* On March 25, 2006, 14 People’s Defense Forces fighters, who resisted attacks by the Turkish state for two days in the Shin Yaila area in the city of Muş in Northern Kurdistan, were martyred as a result of the use of chemical weapons.

* On February 21, 2008, the Turkish army launched an attack called “Operation Sun” in the Zap region. The People’s Defense Forces intended the attack and dealt a devastating blow to the Turkish state, which entered the pages of history as the Zap Epic.

* On May 9, 2009, the Iranian government executed Alamholi, Farzad Kammanger, and three other prisoners on charges of membership in the Kurdistan Free Life Party.

*After meetings with the Turkish state delegation that went to Imrali, Leader Abdullah Ocalan confirmed that there is a serious obstacle in democratic politics and asked peace groups to come to Turkey and pave the way for the process. The Peace and Democratic Solution Group, consisting of 34 people from Qandil and Makhmur, went to Turkey on October 19, 2009.

* On July 19, 2012, the first spark of the Rojava Revolution was ignited, in which thousands of Guerrilla fighters fought PKK fighters in Rojava in order to liberate the region following the attacks of ISIS mercenaries on Kobani on September 15, 2014.

* On August 3, during the ISIS mercenaries’ attacks on Şengal, the People’s Defense Forces intervened and saved the Yazidi community from extinction and true extermination.

* The leading fighter in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, Sakina Cansiz, was assassinated on January 9, 2013 in Paris, along with Fidan Dogan and Leyla Şilmaz.

* On October 30, 2014, the Turkish National Security Council (MGK) held one of the longest meetings in its history (10 hours) and decided to implement the “extermination plan” against the Kurds and the freedom movement.

* On January 23, 2015, the delegation of the Peoples’ Democratic Party met with the leader of the Kurdistan Communities Union KCK.

* On July 24, 2015, according to the meeting of the Turkish National Security Council (MGK) and the decisions taken by the Justice and Development Party government, a comprehensive attack on the medial defense areas began, and thus the peace process that began in 2013 officially ended after this attack.

* On August 2, 2015, the first curfew was announced in Sur, Nusaybin, Jazra, Sirnak, and Kafr, and it continued for several months. During this process, hundreds of people were martyred as a result of the Turkish occupation state’s bombing of civilian areas.

* The Turkish occupation state launched an attack under the name “Operation Claw” on May 28, 2019 in the Khakurk area in the Meiday defense areas.

* On June 15, 2020, the Turkish occupation army simultaneously bombed Şengal, Makhmur, Zap, Haftanin, Avaşin, and Qandil, under the name “Operation Eagle Claw.” Despite advanced weapons technology, the Turkish army was defeated, and the brilliant victory of the Guerrilla was known in the history of the Kurdish people's resistance as the "Battle of Heftanin."

*On the morning of February 10, 2021, the Turkish state launched an occupation attack called “Eagle’s Claw 2” in the Gari region in the Mediya Defense Zones, in which it used more than 40 aircraft, dozens of helicopters and armed drones, and many soldiers and special forces, and the occupying Turkish army did not advance. Despite his attacks, he was forced to flee on the night of February 13.

* On April 24, 2021, the Turkish occupation army attacked the defense areas, under the names “The Thunderbolt Claw” and “The Thunder Claw.”

* On April 17, 2022, a new Turkish occupation attack began on the defensive areas of the city, under the name “The Claw - The Key”; The goal was to occupy the Zap area in the defense areas.

* On the night of September 26, 2022, Guerrilla fighters Sara Tolhildan Koyi (Dilara Orber) and Rukn Zulal (Farz Muhsin) carried out a commando operation against the Turkish police headquarters in the city of Mersin.

* On October 18, 2022, the People’s Defense Forces published video footage of two Guerrilla fighters being subjected to a chemical attack by the Turkish occupation state in the Warkhli resistance area in Avaşin.

* On October 1, 2023, at 09.30, Rojhat Zilan (Ozkan Sahin) and Erdal Sahin (Hassan Oguz), members of the al-Khalidian Brigade, carried out a commando operation against the Turkish Ministry of the Interior in Ankara.

* During the 45-year history of the struggle, the PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire 8 times (1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013) within the framework of a proposal presented by leader Abdullah Ocalan.

T/ Satt.

ANHA