Öcalan (Abdullah Öcalan)

Abdullah Öcalan is a Kurdish political leader and founding member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group that has sought greater Kurdish rights and autonomy in Turkey since the 1980s. His activism aims to promote Kurdish identity, culture, and self-determination, often through armed struggle, leading to decades of conflict with the Turkish government. Öcalan was captured in 1999 and has been imprisoned on İmralı Island since, yet he remains a symbolic figure for many Kurds advocating for their rights and autonomy. His role significantly influences Kurdish-Turkish relations and regional politics.