The PKK Can Decide Without Öcalan—And It Has Before

The PKK Can Decide Without Öcalan—And It Has Before

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has long been intertwined with the legacy of its founder and ideological leader, Abdullah Öcalan. Even after more than two decades in prison, Öcalan’s symbolic authority within the movement remains profound to some extent. But the idea that no major decisions—especially about disarmament or organizational direction—can be made without his physical or online participation doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. That view, …