Read more
This book critically examines Abdullah Öcalan's proposal of "democratic confederalism," introduced in 2005, and its theoretical and practical implications. Despite its claims to transcend the nation-state model, Öcalan's project leaves the colonial structures of the Turkish, Persian, and Arab states unchallenged, legitimizing their assimilatory and genocidal tendencies. It fails to secure Kurdish self-determination or protect linguistic and cultural rights, including mother-tongue education. The study interrogates these contradictions, offering a comprehensive critique of Öcalan's ideology and its limited impact on governance, Kurdish identity, and aspirations for autonomy.
Drawing on Öcalan's original Turkish writings, the book challenges prevailing scholarship that often relies on selective translations and sympathetic interpretations. It reveals the foundational limitations of Öcalan's approach, exposing the structural barriers it sustains and its complicity in perpetuating Turkification tendencies under the guise of Kurdish politics.
List of contents
Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: PKK, Kurds, and Kurdish State.- Chapter 3: Öcalan's Democratic Confederalism.- Chapter 4: Öcalan and Misak-i Milli.- Chapter 5: Öcalan, Language, Race and Assimilation.- Chapter 6: Politics of Language or Language of Politics.- Chapter 7: "Local/Mother Tongue".
About the author
Kamal Soleimani, a scholar of Islamic and Middle Eastern history and politics, earned his PhD from Columbia University. Currently a professor-researcher at El Colegio de México, he has authored several books and nearly two dozen scholarly articles. His research examines minoritization, sovereignty, colonialism, and Islam's role in nationalism across the Middle East. His work has been published in leading academic journals, including Security Dialogue, Current Anthropology, British Journal of Sociology, and Nations and Nationalism.
Behrooz Shojai is a scholar of Middle Eastern and Kurdish Studies, specializing in linguistics, sociolinguistics, and language policy in the region. At Uppsala University, Sweden, his dissertation explored the intersection of sovereignty, language rights, and the coloniality of knowledge within the Kurdish context. A seasoned educator, he has taught at institutions across the Middle East and Europe. Shojai’s publications delve into Kurdish nation-building, language preservation, and sociolinguistic challenges in politically complex regions.
Summary
This book critically examines Abdullah Öcalan’s proposal of "democratic confederalism," introduced in 2005, and its theoretical and practical implications. Despite its claims to transcend the nation-state model, Öcalan’s project leaves the colonial structures of the Turkish, Persian, and Arab states unchallenged, legitimizing their assimilatory and genocidal tendencies. It fails to secure Kurdish self-determination or protect linguistic and cultural rights, including mother-tongue education. The study interrogates these contradictions, offering a comprehensive critique of Öcalan’s ideology and its limited impact on governance, Kurdish identity, and aspirations for autonomy.
Drawing on Öcalan’s original Turkish writings, the book challenges prevailing scholarship that often relies on selective translations and sympathetic interpretations. It reveals the foundational limitations of Öcalan’s approach, exposing the structural barriers it sustains and its complicity in perpetuating Turkification tendencies under the guise of Kurdish politics.
