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Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence
An in depth and scholarly report on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an essential actor on behalf of modern-day KurdsThe Kurds, who number some 28 million people in the Middle East, have no country they can call their own. Long ignored by the West, Kurds are now highly visible actors on the world's political stage. More than half live in Turkey, where the Kurdish struggle has gained new strength and attention since the U.S. overthrow of Saddam Hussein in neighboring Iraq.Essential to understanding modern-day Kurds—and their continuing demands for an independent state—is understanding the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. A guerilla force that was founded in 1978 by a small group of ex-Turkish university students, the PKK radicalized the Kurdish national movement in Turkey, becoming a tightly organized, well-armed fighting force of some 15,000, with a 50,000-member civilian militia in Turkey and tens of thousands of active backers in Europe. Under the leadership of Abdullah Ocalan, the war the PKK waged in Turkey through 1999 left nearly 40,000 people dead and drew in the neighboring states of Iran, Iraq, and Syria, all of whom sought to use the PKK for their own purposes. Since 2004, emboldened by the Iraqi Kurds, who now have established an autonomous Kurdish state in the northernmost reaches of Iraq, the PKK has again turned to violence to meet its objectives.Blood and Belief combines reportage and scholarship to give the first in-depth account of the PKK. Aliza Marcus, one of the first Western reporters to meet with PKK rebels, wrote about their war for many years for a variety of prominent publications before being put on trial in Turkey for her reporting. Based on her interviews with PKK rebels and their supporters and opponents throughout the world—including the Palestinians who trained them, the intelligence services that tracked them, and the dissidents who tried to break them up—Marcus provides an in-depth account of this influential radical group.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 18, 2017
There is a real dearth of good scholarship on Kurdish nationalism and the PKK in particular. This is particularly surprising given what an important subject it is and how much relative news coverage is taken up by the conflict between Kurdish nationalist groups and local governments in the Middle East. This book, as such is a real gem, offering a long-term historical view of the circumstances in Turkey that gave rise to the PKK, as well as other Kurdish nationalist groups in the region. Its even more important in my opinion given the recent ascendance of Syrian Kurdish nationalists following the collapse of that country's central government, and the consequences that has had for the PKK and other groups.
This is an account that is sympathetic to Kurdish suffering and aspirations but it also doesn't hedge about the authoritarian practices of Ocalan and the early (the narrative mainly takes place in the 80s and 90s) PKK. Ocalan comes across as a bit of a mini-Stalin: lots of purges, executions and paranoia. Life in the PKK doesn't exactly seem rosy. But the reason the group found a support base is that, whatever their flaws, they provided am assertive outlet for the real grievances that Kurds felt in Turkey over their oppression and humiliation by the central government. While other groups equivocated and debated, the PKK acted, again and again, often at great sacrifice. They proved themselves willing to fight and take losses and thus won the respect of the masses. They appealed mainly to the uneducated "lumpen" of Kurdish society but even other classes came to acknowledge them as beacons of Kurdish aspirations: in large part due to the failure of the central government to respect alternative Kurdish attempts to win their rights in the country. Ocalan was brutal and not exactly a nice guy; but he tapped into the pent-up desires of Kurds and was successful for that reason. Since Kurds either way had to risk jail or death to publish a newspaper article, joining the PKK became a rational way to continue their political activism.
Although this is a scholarly account, its based in large part on interviews with current and former PKK members, as well as though who otherwise interacted with the group during its ascent. Its thus full of personal stories, many of them quite moving, of life as a Kurdish guerrilla or political activist. Many of the stories naturally involve separation from home, loss, exile, killing and death, but they are also portraits of a very simple people who were forced to confront the violent impact of politics on their lives. You get a real sense of who these people are and what motivated them, which is invaluable to any account of such a subject in my opinion.
The book is refreshingly free of cliches. What comes across most strongly is the tragedy of Turks and Kurds relationship since the formation of the Turkish Republic. The failure, so far at least, to create a national identity that equally accommodates the peoples of the former empire, is what has bred a violent and futile conflict between people who, through a less ideological lens, have much in common.
This is an account that is sympathetic to Kurdish suffering and aspirations but it also doesn't hedge about the authoritarian practices of Ocalan and the early (the narrative mainly takes place in the 80s and 90s) PKK. Ocalan comes across as a bit of a mini-Stalin: lots of purges, executions and paranoia. Life in the PKK doesn't exactly seem rosy. But the reason the group found a support base is that, whatever their flaws, they provided am assertive outlet for the real grievances that Kurds felt in Turkey over their oppression and humiliation by the central government. While other groups equivocated and debated, the PKK acted, again and again, often at great sacrifice. They proved themselves willing to fight and take losses and thus won the respect of the masses. They appealed mainly to the uneducated "lumpen" of Kurdish society but even other classes came to acknowledge them as beacons of Kurdish aspirations: in large part due to the failure of the central government to respect alternative Kurdish attempts to win their rights in the country. Ocalan was brutal and not exactly a nice guy; but he tapped into the pent-up desires of Kurds and was successful for that reason. Since Kurds either way had to risk jail or death to publish a newspaper article, joining the PKK became a rational way to continue their political activism.
Although this is a scholarly account, its based in large part on interviews with current and former PKK members, as well as though who otherwise interacted with the group during its ascent. Its thus full of personal stories, many of them quite moving, of life as a Kurdish guerrilla or political activist. Many of the stories naturally involve separation from home, loss, exile, killing and death, but they are also portraits of a very simple people who were forced to confront the violent impact of politics on their lives. You get a real sense of who these people are and what motivated them, which is invaluable to any account of such a subject in my opinion.
The book is refreshingly free of cliches. What comes across most strongly is the tragedy of Turks and Kurds relationship since the formation of the Turkish Republic. The failure, so far at least, to create a national identity that equally accommodates the peoples of the former empire, is what has bred a violent and futile conflict between people who, through a less ideological lens, have much in common.
June 30, 2016
Oldukça üzerinde uğraşılmış, kapsamlı bir çalışma olmuş. PKK hakkında en çok tartışılan, merak edilen konuların üzerinde durulmaya çalışılmış, karşılaşılan zorluklar ve sıkıntılar önsözde anlatılmış zaten. Yazar elinden geldiğince de objektif olmaya çalışmış. Türkçe baskıya ilişkin söylenebilecek en önemli şeyler İngilizceden çevirirken cümlelerdeki vurguların yerine göre kaydırılması, Türkçe'de birden fazla karşılığı olan kelimelerde yazarın İngilizce orijinalinde verdiği olumlu çağrışımı kırmak için daha pejoratif yankıları olan kelimelerin tercihi gibi sorunlar. Çevirmenin veya yayınevinin "tercihi" olabilir tabi.
January 29, 2022
It was the first book I read about the Kurdish question only. But... 80℅ of the book is about a psychological judgment of Ocalan's behavior as an individual and the leader of the PKK, a bit like Tucker does with Stalin.
If you read the title you believe the scope of the book is the one that is written, but unfortunately, it's not.
It's an enjoyable read in many instances, it's a good way to get acknowledged with the contemporary struggle of the Kurdish people, especially the one linked to the left, but the main scope of the author is to show how much of an inglorious existence was the one of Ocalan. And to someone who believes Stalin and Mao are victims of heavy historical revisionism I kind of doubt how truthful the sources are.
If you read the title you believe the scope of the book is the one that is written, but unfortunately, it's not.
It's an enjoyable read in many instances, it's a good way to get acknowledged with the contemporary struggle of the Kurdish people, especially the one linked to the left, but the main scope of the author is to show how much of an inglorious existence was the one of Ocalan. And to someone who believes Stalin and Mao are victims of heavy historical revisionism I kind of doubt how truthful the sources are.
February 2, 2023
Really interesting introduction to the history of the PKK. You never hear much about this group and how it’s history has been written by the regional politics of the last several decades. This author simplifies-in what can be- a complicated, confusing account of the power players and alliances that formed and broke apart over the course of the group’s history.
January 4, 2020
Veldig lesbar og god gjennomgang av PKKs historie. Men verdt å merke at boka er fra 2007, og dermed ikke tar opp Öcalans ideologiske vandring i mer frihetlig retning, og naturligvis heller ikke utviklinga i Rojava.
December 31, 2024
What could have been an independent or autonomous region of Kurdish was squashed by a narcissist & dictatorial personality, who was called 'Apo' by his followers. An article titled, " If Turkey arms Pakistan, should India help the Kurds?" took me to this book.
In a series of interviews with former militant members, the author navigates the readers through the beginning, the war and the decline of the leader of the PKK. The complexity is referred through the several prominent Kurdish party clashes, clashes with radical leftist movements and the Intra-Kurdish fighting in Iraq & Iran.
All throughout the book, the author focuses on making sure the readers understand how a man with no military experience, hasn't even fired a gun before, tight his grasp on violent militant organisation by pure manipulation and subversion of senior militant members who were the soul of the organization & who might have changed the future of the movement if they were in the top.
This book reflect an anti-Apo view via pointing out the Kurdish problem in Turkish society. The only negative I found is that it could have incorporate a little into Kurdish rebellion history and the ending seems bit in haste. The change of mindset of Ocalan for this personal survival rather than the importance of survival of PKK came as a bombshell.
But it deserves a solid 4.5
In a series of interviews with former militant members, the author navigates the readers through the beginning, the war and the decline of the leader of the PKK. The complexity is referred through the several prominent Kurdish party clashes, clashes with radical leftist movements and the Intra-Kurdish fighting in Iraq & Iran.
All throughout the book, the author focuses on making sure the readers understand how a man with no military experience, hasn't even fired a gun before, tight his grasp on violent militant organisation by pure manipulation and subversion of senior militant members who were the soul of the organization & who might have changed the future of the movement if they were in the top.
This book reflect an anti-Apo view via pointing out the Kurdish problem in Turkish society. The only negative I found is that it could have incorporate a little into Kurdish rebellion history and the ending seems bit in haste. The change of mindset of Ocalan for this personal survival rather than the importance of survival of PKK came as a bombshell.
But it deserves a solid 4.5
August 14, 2025
I read this while in Turkey itself, which was an interesting experience. The methodology of this book is to take a personal approach to viewing the PKK. Much of it is based on interviews with former members, the opinions of journalists (both historical and contemporary) and memory politics surrounding the PKK. A lot of people seem to take issue with this, citing personal grudges, the radicalism of the PKK and (in my own view) their own personal politics as reasons to discount this approach. I think it serves perfectly well as an exploration of how the leadership functioned and why the PKK found success.
This book does criticise the leadership of the PKK a lot. It also criticises the Turkish state. Again, this seemed justified to me considering the source base and the historical events they discuss. In these criticisms you also see why people joined the PKK. Kurdish cultural norms, PKK policy, personal charisma, harsh Turkish reprisals, ideological inclinations are all at play and very well explained in this book.
If I was to ask for an update/more, it would be on the post Ocalan split of the PKK into other groups. Certain elements of the later ideological splits from the PKK are not as well explored as earlier splits in the Kurdish movement. But given the focus on Ocalan and the PKK itself I think what is there is perfectly fine.
8/10
This book does criticise the leadership of the PKK a lot. It also criticises the Turkish state. Again, this seemed justified to me considering the source base and the historical events they discuss. In these criticisms you also see why people joined the PKK. Kurdish cultural norms, PKK policy, personal charisma, harsh Turkish reprisals, ideological inclinations are all at play and very well explained in this book.
If I was to ask for an update/more, it would be on the post Ocalan split of the PKK into other groups. Certain elements of the later ideological splits from the PKK are not as well explored as earlier splits in the Kurdish movement. But given the focus on Ocalan and the PKK itself I think what is there is perfectly fine.
8/10
September 29, 2020
Aliza Marcus takes the reader through a turbulent period of time in Turkey's history. A period of time defined by social unrest, institutional prejudice, authoritarian leadership and political transformation that created the modern Turkish state.
Following the story of Abdullah Ocalan's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Aliza documents how a Kurdish civil rights organisation transformed into a militant group waging a decades long insurgency against a powerful state. Aliza provides the reader with an impartial history that documents the organisation's rise. It includes interviews with people from all sides of the decades long conflict, including military officials, former guerilla fighters, academics and plenty more. Giving readers a full picture of the organisation and wider conflict.
This book is a definitive history of the PKK that I definately recommend any researcher, scholar or interested history nerd to read.
Following the story of Abdullah Ocalan's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Aliza documents how a Kurdish civil rights organisation transformed into a militant group waging a decades long insurgency against a powerful state. Aliza provides the reader with an impartial history that documents the organisation's rise. It includes interviews with people from all sides of the decades long conflict, including military officials, former guerilla fighters, academics and plenty more. Giving readers a full picture of the organisation and wider conflict.
This book is a definitive history of the PKK that I definately recommend any researcher, scholar or interested history nerd to read.
September 16, 2023
Probably the best comprehensive history on the PKK, and simultaneously a very informative book on the Kurdish freedom struggle in the past century. Marcus manages to cover so much ground, combining personal stories and interviews of (exclusively former) guerrilla fighters, the domestic political situation in Turkey as well as the broader geopolitical picture into a comprehensive narrative. Without giving in to the framing of the PKK as a "terrorist organisation", she presents a critical history of the PKK starting with Abdullah Öcalan's initial political awakening up until the early days of restructuring in 2004. Sadly, the narrative ends there which, with 2023 hindsight, is clearly a great tragedy. Having checked the author's twitter, it's clear she's still very engaged with the topic, so here's hoping to a sequel!
You don't need to be particularly well-read on the topic beforehand (but it does help navigate the acronym soup a bit).
You don't need to be particularly well-read on the topic beforehand (but it does help navigate the acronym soup a bit).
September 27, 2020
http://www.altinicizdiklerim.com/ diye bir site buldum. Burada 200-300 sayfalık kitapların 30-40 sayfalık 'alıntı özetleri' var. Yani, okuyan kişinin uygun bulduğu alıntılardan oluşan metinler. Öznel yorumlar yer almıyor. Oturup da okumayacağımı bildiğim, ama ilgimi çeken kitapları buradan bulup okuyorum (uzun bir makale gibi esasen). Marcus'un kitabı da onlardan biri. Düşündüğümden daha nesnel anlatmış PKK'yı, özellikle Öcalan'ı. Nedense basında okuduğum yorumlardan aklımda biraz pro-PKK kalmış bu kitap; ama öyle değil.
August 11, 2021
Dated but comprehensive history
October 3, 2025
A very comprehensive analysis of the Pkk thoughout history.
It could be argued it is slightly one-sided, as most of the sources are people who left the Pkk, albeit for widely explained reasons.
It could be argued it is slightly one-sided, as most of the sources are people who left the Pkk, albeit for widely explained reasons.
October 11, 2012
A warts and all account of the birth and growth of the PKK to the major political player it is today on the in the Kurdish liberation struggle. Some would no doubt argue that Marcus is over critical in her account and there is certainly a lot of unsavoury and controversial sentiment expressed. However, the PKK is today a grown up organisation that is embraced widely by Kurds, especially within Turkey, as theirs and the leader in the fight for self determination. Others would no doubt argue that Marcus gives succour to a so called "Terrorist" organisation. One thing worth bearing in mind when reading the book is the cultural background of the key actors. Those of a liberal disposition may struggle with much of the PKK philosophy and management style. However, as Marcus shows while perhaps brutal at times the PKK succeeded in creating an effective and popular fighting force that managed to unite Kurds and actually did whct it said it would - fight for Kurdish rights and against Turkish state opression and cultural genocide. The logice of fighting first and doing the political work second made sense in the political and cultural circumstances of the fighting arena. The Leninist expressed need to crack eggs to make an omlette which drove the organisation in its formative years and during times of doubt while perhaps crude prevented factionalism that would have probably brought the struggle to a standstill again. The most depressing part of the book is probably that which deals with internal dissent and policing although again this seems to be something common to all extra-political organisations the successful ones being those which don't completely autocanabalise themselves. The PKK has its share of dedicated former members who were or feel betrayed by their movement, sometimes though there is mutual reconciliation, then again as Marcus shows for some there is the wilderness and unhappiness. The interesting thing about the PKK, and which is touched on in the book, is the way a pretty conventional Leninist national liberation organisation went to the people and began to organise them but which the people finally embraced fully entering the organisation and making it their own. The emergence of an active Kurdish civil society in Turkey, again touched on in this book but too vast and complex a subject [and outside the scope of this book], can be traced back to the PKK and it's role in creating civil structures. These to have taken on a life of their own and represent a major victory for Kurds as peaceful organisations working in local politics, womens and youth rights, environment etc spring up quite often with women in leading roles. The role of women in what is/was a very traditional patriarchal societ has also been a major success of the PKK struggle which has allowed women to live free lives outside the opressive strictures of traditional society. This alone has transformed life for thousands of women in a struggle still not over and which is well illustrated in this book along with the delicate tightrope the PKK walked on this issue.
As Aliza Marcus states in conclusion "The PKK survives because it is popular among Kurdsin Turkey. It is popular because if fought for so long [and stll does-MY] and the PKK's fight tied people to the party and gained it Kurdish respect [...] Ocalan has turned into a symbol of Kurdish desires. What he says or what he does is not that important, because he is a symbol. So is the PKK".
As Aliza Marcus states in conclusion "The PKK survives because it is popular among Kurdsin Turkey. It is popular because if fought for so long [and stll does-MY] and the PKK's fight tied people to the party and gained it Kurdish respect [...] Ocalan has turned into a symbol of Kurdish desires. What he says or what he does is not that important, because he is a symbol. So is the PKK".
December 3, 2013
2007’de ABD’de yayımlandığında büyük ilgi gören ve PKK konusunda "bugüne dek yazılmış en nesnel ve kapsamlı çalışma" olarak değerlendirilen Kan ve İnanç, bir dönem Türkiye'de de görev yapmış, ancak deyim yerindeyse yaptığı haberler yüzünden istenmeyen adam ilan edilmiş olan gazeteci Aliza Marcus’un yıllara dayanan emeğinin ürünü.
PKK ile ilgili bilgilerin tamamına yakınının örgütten ayrılmış militanlarla görüşerek elde eden Marcus, 1989’dan beri Güneydoğu’daki gelişmeler, Kürt sorunu ve PKK hareketi hakkında haberler yapmış, makaleler yazmış ve hatta bunlardan biri dolayısıyla yargılanmış...
Marcus, eski PKK militanları dışında, bölge halkı ve süreci yakından takip eden politikacılar ve hukukçularla yaptığı röportajlar, dönemin komutanlarının yazdıkları metinlerden, köşe yazılarından ve gazete haberlerinden yararlanarak ortaya çıkarmış Kan ve İnanç kitabını.
Şahsi kanaatim, kitabın Türkçe çevirisi bazı sorunlar taşıyor olduğu yönünde. Ama bu sıkıntılar dahi Türkiye'nin son 30 yılına damga vurmuş bir örgütü, onun liderini, eylemlerini ve etkilerini başarılı bir şekilde ele alan ciddi bir gazetecilik kitabı olduğu gerçeğini değiştirmiyor.
Marcus'un kitabı -ne yazık ki- Türkçe'de eşine az rastlanılan bir çalışma. Tabi bu Marcus için değil bizler için kötü.
Türkiye'nin 30 yılına damgasını vuran Kürt siyasi hareketinin sadece silahlı kanadı PKK'yı değil, silahsız/sivil siyasetten yana olan boyutlarını, onların PKK ile ilişkilerini, PKK'nın iç çekişmelerini, bölünmelerini ve "Önderlik" denilen yapının kendisini nasıl adım adım vaz geçilmez ve değişmez ilan ettiğini de anlatıyor kitap.
Belki tek ama en önemli problemi ise son dönemde başlayan ve adına "çözüm süreci" denilen dönemin öncesini ele alıyor olması.
Bu da kitabı şu an okuyanların gündeme dair bir analiz yapmasını engelliyor olması.
PKK ile ilgili bilgilerin tamamına yakınının örgütten ayrılmış militanlarla görüşerek elde eden Marcus, 1989’dan beri Güneydoğu’daki gelişmeler, Kürt sorunu ve PKK hareketi hakkında haberler yapmış, makaleler yazmış ve hatta bunlardan biri dolayısıyla yargılanmış...
Marcus, eski PKK militanları dışında, bölge halkı ve süreci yakından takip eden politikacılar ve hukukçularla yaptığı röportajlar, dönemin komutanlarının yazdıkları metinlerden, köşe yazılarından ve gazete haberlerinden yararlanarak ortaya çıkarmış Kan ve İnanç kitabını.
Şahsi kanaatim, kitabın Türkçe çevirisi bazı sorunlar taşıyor olduğu yönünde. Ama bu sıkıntılar dahi Türkiye'nin son 30 yılına damga vurmuş bir örgütü, onun liderini, eylemlerini ve etkilerini başarılı bir şekilde ele alan ciddi bir gazetecilik kitabı olduğu gerçeğini değiştirmiyor.
Marcus'un kitabı -ne yazık ki- Türkçe'de eşine az rastlanılan bir çalışma. Tabi bu Marcus için değil bizler için kötü.
Türkiye'nin 30 yılına damgasını vuran Kürt siyasi hareketinin sadece silahlı kanadı PKK'yı değil, silahsız/sivil siyasetten yana olan boyutlarını, onların PKK ile ilişkilerini, PKK'nın iç çekişmelerini, bölünmelerini ve "Önderlik" denilen yapının kendisini nasıl adım adım vaz geçilmez ve değişmez ilan ettiğini de anlatıyor kitap.
Belki tek ama en önemli problemi ise son dönemde başlayan ve adına "çözüm süreci" denilen dönemin öncesini ele alıyor olması.
Bu da kitabı şu an okuyanların gündeme dair bir analiz yapmasını engelliyor olması.
November 13, 2014
Really interesting, well-researched history of the PKK. Abdullah Ocalan emerges as a strange, authoritarian figure who doesn't tolerate dissent and relies on cult of personality. Aliza Marcus provides good insight into the successes and failures of the PKK.
Analysis of the political situation in Turkey is not the greatest, but that can be gotten elsewhere.
Recommend reading this along with Nicole Watts "Activists in Office."
Analysis of the political situation in Turkey is not the greatest, but that can be gotten elsewhere.
Recommend reading this along with Nicole Watts "Activists in Office."
January 30, 2016
A thorough and compelling history of the PKK, based largely on interviews conducted with government, military and PKK members/cadres themselves. If anything, its almost too thorough, bouncing back and forth between the inner PKK, Kurdish politics, Turkish politics in general, and both the regional and international contexts.
December 1, 2007
An amazing history of the PPK's fight for an independent and autonomous Kurdish state. Doubles as an engaging biography of the PKK's leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
March 19, 2012
Interesting but a bit too long.
August 13, 2012
I Love PKK I am Kurdish I am Proud <3 Kurdistan <3
January 13, 2018
quite objective however a from a western point of view, fails to recognize specific history and culture of the region.
July 5, 2024
outdated but ok
September 28, 2015
Absolutely fantastic read.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews