SHIVAN, DOCTOR

Doctor Shivan was the nom de guerre of Sait Kirmizitoprak, a leftist ethnic Kurd from Tunceli inTurkey. While in prison in the 1960s, he became friends with Serafettin Elci, a conservative nationalist who headed the smallKurdistan Democratic Party of Turkey(KDPT). After his release from prison in 1969, Dr. Shivan went to northernIraqand set up his own leftist base of the KDPT in the Zakho area. In 1971, he captured and executed Elci when he too crossed over into northern Iraq.Mulla Mustafa Barzanithen apparently apprehended Shivan and executed him. Shivan's group briefly reemerged as the small Kurdistan Progressive Workers Party (PPKK), orPesheng(Vanguard).