[[Chris Hedges]] The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is a Kurdish militant organisation founded in 1978 in Turkey, initially with the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish state. Over time, its ideology has evolved, and it now advocates for democratic confederalism, a political system based on grassroots democracy, gender equality, and environmental sustainability. The PKK was heavily influenced by Marxist-Leninist principles in its early years, promoting revolutionary socialism and Kurdish nationalism. Since the early 2000s, under the leadership of Abdullah Öcalan, the PKK has shifted away from seeking an independent state and now promotes autonomy and self-governance for Kurds within existing state borders, particularly Turkey. The group has been designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, due to its use of violence and armed conflict in pursuit of its goals. However, its ideological shift toward democratic confederalism has influenced broader movements advocating for decentralisation, gender equality, and cooperative governance. `Concepts:` [[Politics]] `Knowledge Base:` [[Digital index]]