Kurdistan Workers Party reorganization and activity in 1999-2009

Kurdistan Workers' Party is considered to be one of the mostnumerous political organizations of Kurdistan. It was established on the 27th of November 1978 by a group of students withA. Odzhalan as a leader who had been the head of this party for 20 years by the time he was arrested by the Turkish authorities inFebruary, 1999. While A. Odzhalan was prosecuted by the Turkish authorities, his allies prepared and called the 5th Kurdistan Workers'Party (KWP) assembly. Its activity was in February and March, 1999 with the participation of more than 300 delegates from all theareas of Kurdistan. The main aim of the assembly was not to let the party split. In order to reduce some party members' intentions tooccupy the leading position, the assembly decided to elect A. Odzhalan as the KWP Chairman. In the case of his absence the partyshould be ruled by the collective body consisting of ten most experienced and prominent party members. Thus, according to theassembly delegates' decision, the Council of KWP became the ruling party. In January 2000 the 7th Assembly of KWP with SpecialPowers was called and organized with the participation of more than 400 delegates. The assembly made a thorough analysis of themodern inner and outer state, changes and reforms taking place around the Kurdistan National Liberation Movement in the world and inthe Republic of Turkey. At that during the assembly activity it was decided to reorganize the Kurdistan People's Liberation Army in theform of the national self-defence powers of Kurdistan. During the period of 2002 - 2005 KWP had several reorganizations; it wasrenamed in the Kurdistan Liberation and Democracy Congress (April, 2002) and later in the Kurdistan People's Congress (November,2003) with the aim to transfer from the military form of fighting for the Kurds' rights in Turkey to the peaceful one. However, nothaving acquired the world recognition, the party authorities had to store the former name of the organization and renew the militaryactions in Kurd Vilayet of the country (May, 2004). In the beginning of April, 2005 the 9th restoring KWP Assembly was organized inthe mountains of Southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan. There were more than 300 delegates from different layers of Kurdistan population in thisassembly. According to the participants' opinion, the decision of the 8th KWP Assembly (2002) to stop the party activity was a mistake.The next in turn, 10th, KWP Assembly was organized in August 21-30, 2008 in the Condilian Mountains of Southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan.There were more than 300 delegates from different layers of Kurdistan population. The assembly estimated the military actions of theTurkey Army in Southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan and called for the world society not to be indifferent to the Kurd people, and also called forthe Kurd people to fight for Kurdistan liberation by peaceful democratic means. Summing up, it should be mentioned that political,national, military and law activities of KWP and its subdivisions (People's Democratic Kurdistan Union, National Self-Defence Powers,and others) are still taking place even without the participation of A. Odzhalan, and it is possible to judge about their future only by theirfurther political maturity and activity.

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