Haki Karer

Haki Karer
Born1950 (1950)
Ulubey, Turkey
Died18 May 1977(1977-05-18) (aged 26–27)
Gaziantep
CitizenshipTurkish
EducationAnkara University, Faculty of Physics
Occupation(s)Founder of the PKK, Revolutionary
Organization PKK

Haki Karer (1950, Ulubey – 1977, Gaziantep) was a Turkish[1] leftist activist and is a central figure in the memory of the PKK.

Education

After finishing high school he went to Ankara to study physics at the University of Ankara[2] but left the university before he received a bachelor's degree.[3]

Political activism

In 1972 while living with Kemal Pir they invited Abdullah Öcalan to live with them after he was released from prison in Mamak. Following influential political talks between them and other leftists they decided to form a political movement. In 1973 a small group of people around Abdullah Öcalan and Haki Karer was formed named the Kurdistan Revolutionaries.[2] In November 1973 the Ankara Democratic Association of Higher Education ( Ankara Demokratik Yüksek Öğrenim Demeği [tr], ADYÖD) was founded and soon after, Haki Karer was elected to join its board. ADYÖD was short-lived but was intensely active until its closure in December 1974.[2] The revolutionary movement carried on its struggle and in 1976 it was decided that Öcalan would become the chairman of the movement and Karer his associate.[2] Following this he moved to Gaziantep where he continued his political work.[2]

Death and aftermath

Karer was killed in a coffeehouse in Gaziantep on 18 May 1977.[2] His body was taken to his hometown Ulubey, where he was buried.[4] The associates of Karer accused Alaattin Kaplan, a member of the Kurdish movement Sterka Sor of murdering of Karer. Kaplan was later killed in Iskenderun.[5]

Legacy

In interviews Öcalan later stated, that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was founded as an oath to Haki Karer. After the death of Karer the movement decided to act more professionally and become a party.[2]

References

  1. ^ "'Haki Karer bize Kürt olduğumuzu söylüyordu'".
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Jongerden, Joost; Akkaya, Ahmet Hamdi (2012-06-01). "The Kurdistan Workers Party and a New Left in Turkey: Analysis of the revolutionary movement in Turkey through the PKK's memorial text on Haki Karer". European Journal of Turkish Studies. Social Sciences on Contemporary Turkey (14). doi:10.4000/ejts.4613. hdl:1854/LU-3101207. ISSN 1773-0546.
  3. ^ Orhan, Mehmet (2015-10-16). Political Violence and Kurds in Turkey: Fragmentations, Mobilizations, Participations & Repertoires. Routledge. pp. 110–111. ISBN 9781317420446.
  4. ^ "Kurdistan Report - Der erste Militante, der erste Genosse, der erste Märtyrer". www.kurdistan-report.de. Retrieved 2019-05-19.
  5. ^ Orhan, Mehmet (2015-10-16), p.58