The Kurdish National Movement in Turkey ─ From Protest to Resistance

Drawing on primary source material, especially the literature of Kurdish protest and militant organizations, Gunes (political science, U. of Essex, UK), examines the history of the resistance movement and tracks the evolution of Kurdish political identity through the study of political positions and tactics over nearly fifty years of struggle. Topics discussed include Kurdish identity against Turkish nationalism, intellectuals and the reemergence of activism in the 1960s, Kurdish socialism, the PPK as a democratic force, and democracy, pluralism, and Kurdish subjectivity in a post-national Turkey. The volume will appeal to students of Middle Eastern politics as well as general readers with an interest in the development of political identity and minority ethnic resistance movements. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Cengiz Gunes holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Essex. His thesis examines the Kurdish national movement and the articulation of Kurdish identity in Turkey since the 1960s. His main research interests are in Identity and Nationalism, Democratic Theory and Contemporary Political Theory.