The New Kurdish Movement in Turkey and Beyond (2000–2018)

Abstract

This chapter discusses the transformation of Turkey’s Kurdish movement following the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in 1999, including its ideological shift, the enlargement of its social basis, and the expansion of its geographical reach. With its transition from Leninism and nationalism to radical democracy, the focus of Kurdish politics has shifted towards issues of democratic representation, minority rights, and women’s liberation while the political-economic context, as well as the conflictual class dynamics existing within the region and the movement itself, are most often not part of the discussion. After discussing the new ideological paradigm, this chapter explores the most significant aspects of the new movement in Turkey since the 2000s: the Kurdish women’s movement and the growth of legal pro-Kurdish parties in Turkey.