KOMA CIVAKEN KURDISTAN

(KCK)

The KCK, Kurdistan Democratic Confederation, or Kurdistan Communities Union, has been described as the umbrella organization bringing together theKurdistan Workers Party(PKK) andKurdistan Free Life Party(PJAK) ofIranas well as the much smaller PKK allies Democratic Union Party (PYD) led by Fuat Omer inSyriaandKurdistan Democratic Solution Party(PCDK) led by Faiq Gulpi inIraq.As such, the KCK is one of the many, almost bewildering, PKK-related organizations currently operating. (The KCK in the past has also used the nameKoma Komalen Kurdistan, which has the unfortunate acronym of KKK in English.) As of 2010,Murat Karayilan, a longtime PKK leader, serves as the chairman of the 12-person Executive Council of the KCK. Karayilan also most prominently has become the main PKK military leader in the remoteKandil Mountainsof northern Iraq.

Turkeyclaims that the KCK is trying to give the impression that it is a civilian group preparing the basis for afederalTurkish state as outlined in an eight-point declaration of theDemokratik Toplum Partisi(DTP). In reality, argues Turkey, the KCK is merely a PKK arm inciting violence against the Turkish state and helping to coordinate PKK activities. The KCK has often been described as the urban arm of the PKK. However,Abdullah(Apo)Ocalanhimself has characterized it as an armed, illegal organization that has organized itself in the rural and urban areas in Turkey and also in Europe. As such, the KCK would appear to be simply another name for the PKK.