Just Finished Reading: The PKK – Coming Down from the Mountains by Paul White (FP: 2015)

I only really became aware of the PKK – The Kurdistan Workers Party - and its affiliates recently during Gulf War 2 (or technically 3 if you could the Iran-Iraq War too). They were the plucky Kurdish forces holding off Saddam and being protected under the Allies no-fly zone. After the fall of Saddam they prospered and stabilised the northern part of Iraq when everything else was falling apart. More recently they were at the front of the fight against ISIS attracting fighters from all over the world to their cause. Most oddly amongst Middle Eastern groups (with the notable exception of Israel) they allowed – indeed welcomed – women into their front rank fighting units.

In this often dry and academic book the author describes the origins of the group and their fight, both military and political, for recognition and a homeland in an independent Kurdistan separate from the artificial borders drawn up to create Turkey, Iraq (which only came into existence in its present form in 1932), Iran and Syria. Spiritual leader Abdullah Ocalan, still in prison after decades in captivity, is the guiding force behind the PKK and its military wing. Long an advocate for a peaceful solution to his peoples struggle Ocalan has been instrumental in moving the peace process with Turkey forward despite violent acts and provocations on both sides. Backed by and used by all sides in the on-going meat grinder of Middle-East politics the PKK is seen as one of the most important non-state players in the region and this is in no small part to the evolving way they have engaged with the regional powers and how they themselves have evolved from their early Marxist-Leninist roots to their unique take on Democratic Confederalism.

Despite being an interesting contemporary story I thought this book was let down by its style. I was expecting a more general reader friendly approach rather than a PhD thesis feel to things which was a real shame. There’s lots of good stuff here – of that I’m sure – but it’s somewhat buried under references to almost every quote and observation almost as if the author didn’t trust himself to come across as knowledgeable on the subject so need to reassure the readership that his work was worthy. A less rigid and more urbane approach would have made this book both more readable, more approachable and, probably, more widely read. It certainly hasn’t put me off reading more books in this series and I certainly learnt a great deal about the region, its politics and the Kurds themselves. I will, however, be looking for more fluid prose in my next book on the Kurds.