The Political Thought of Abdullah Öcalan

Abdullah Öcalan led the struggle for Kurdish liberation for more than twenty years until his capture in 1999. Now, writing from prison in Turkey, he has inspired a new political movement. Called Democratic Confederalism, this revolutionary model is developing on the ground in parts of Syria and Turkey; it represents an alternative to religious sectarianism, patriarchy, capitalism and chauvinistic nationalism, providing the blueprint for a burgeoning radical democratic society.

These writings form an indispensable introduction to Öcalan’s political thought – and to the ideas that have inspired a new, egalitarian socialist system in the Middle East which is fighting for survival against religious extremism and state violence.

Abdullah Öcalan led the Kurdish liberation struggle as the head of the pkk from its foundation in 1978 until his abduction in 1999. He is still regarded as a leading strategist and the most important political representative of the Kurdish people. under isolation conditions at Imrali island prison, Öcalan authored more than 10 books.