April 4: birth of the leader; path to socialism

Leader Abdullah Ocalan was born on April 4, 1949, in the village of Amara (Ömerli), in the Halefti district of Urfa. In his volume "Defending the People (Pleadings before the European Court of Human Rights)," he divides his personal and organizational life into three phases. This volume examines these phases as they appear in his pleadings and books.

April 4th is celebrated every year not just as a birthday, but as the birth of a nation and a philosophy.

The First Stage of a Leader's Life

Leader Abdullah Ocalan, speaking of the first stage of his life in the volume "Defending a People," says: "It begins with my going to primary school, after I first developed reactions to my family and village. Beginning primary education is the first important step in the emergence of interest in internationalization. The personality takes its transitional step from communal society to state society, proceeding in tandem with urbanization. The stages of middle school, high school, university, and employment are preliminary preparations for the formation of the statesman. The city and state personality dominates rigidly in everyone's personality during this period of life. Being a representative of a backward and crushed nation turns into reactions to the state...."

In his Manifesto of Democratic Civilization (The Kurdish Question and the Solution of the Democratic Nation), Leader Abdullah Ocalan explains in detail what he experienced during this period, saying, “I was a hunter of friends from my earliest childhood. My main concern was to form small units of children. I devoted everything to this. I even took the initiative to form my own group, which I led while going to elementary school. Scenes of snake killings, bird-hunting trips, and saffron-collecting expeditions were always present. I always devised excuses to rush after my friends and cling to them. Families were very vigilant in this regard, and resorted to ways to protect their children from me... Once, the old village elder said to me in a somewhat warning tone: ‘You never calm down, as if you were mercury!’ And indeed, I was heading in this direction. The terms ‘standing still, calm, and stillness’ were not created for me...”

Leader Abdullah Ocalan continues his discussion in other parts of the volume "The Kurdish Question and the Democratic Nation Solution." In fact, I had also succeeded in the more classical field of religious awareness, by memorizing the Quranic verses by heart. I had memorized thirty-three short verses. I achieved ascent by advancing to the foot of the pulpit to lead the prayer near the village imam. The imam's response was: "Abdullah, you will soar if you maintain this speed!" My immersion was another way to secure my ability and competence and open myself up to the world. In this way, I had also acquired a favored position among the ranks of traditional society. I was content with these two methods, as other topics did not interest me...

In 1969, I dared to turn toward socialism, then toward Kurdishism in 1970. Essentially, I would pursue both simultaneously. However, my approach to these two realities, fraught with intractable issues, could not initially go beyond the scope of being characterized by ideological and dogmatic characteristics. This was a period known as the slogan revolution. I was striving to pave my way based on a few initial slogans. I was always attentive, of course, to skilled teachers. Among the main slogans I sanctified were: "The Kurd exists," "The Kurdish issue exists," "Nations have the right to self-determination and to establish a state," "The most correct way to resolve the national issue passes through socialism," "It may be necessary to take the national liberation war into account," and "The establishment of a national party is possible if the establishment of a joint party is impossible."

I was full of contradictions when I addressed Kurdish national and social affairs in the early 1970s... At that very time, I began searching for a solution within the conflicting right-wing and left-wing entities, to escape that spiritual state. I remember that I first felt the pulse within the ranks of the right, as someone who was attentive to its prayers and piety. The days I led prayers at the Maltepe Mosque in Ankara continued until 1969. The days I guided others were not insignificant. I even had the opportunity to personally listen to Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, whom he always remembers as "the great teacher," when I sneaked in to the conference he held at the Turkish Club. I was overcome with enthusiasm at the time. I also barely remember the Grand Orient magazine... I had also met Süleyman Demirel and Refik Korkut at the Anti-Communist Association building, and then I don't know how I found the book "The Alphabet of Socialism" under my pillow. So I started reading it automatically....

I had finished my studies in 1970 and was appointed a state employee in Diyarbakır. There, I learned about monthly salaries and bribes. My interest in Kurdishness gradually grew, as the city's atmosphere encouraged and drew me toward it. This is the story of my first step on the path of Kurdishness. It was an event that simultaneously reflected the essence of my personality.

I enrolled in the Faculty of Law at Istanbul University in 1970. My introduction to Istanbul and my work as an employee in an upscale neighborhood like Bakırköy would prove to be influential. Those days saw significant activity in both the DDKO and Dev-Genç. I leaned toward both sides and even became an official member of the DDKO.

My last memory of Istanbul is of a meeting held in the hall of Istanbul Technical University in the Maşka neighborhood. It was one of the most important and pivotal meetings in the history of Dev-Genç. Suddenly, Mahir Çayan and Yusuf Kübli entered the hall...

Mahir and his friends' initiative played a significant role in my enrollment in the Faculty of Political Science in Ankara, based on a scholarship and a grade point average that placed me among the top twenty students... I then became a supporter of the THKP-C in 1972...

Tomorrow: The First Shot at Blind Fate

T/S

ANHA