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| People's Defence Forces Hêzên Parastina Gel (HPG) | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the HPG | |
| Leader | |
| Foundation | January 2000 |
| Dates of operation | 2000–2025 |
| Allegiance |  Kurdistan Workers' Party |
| Motives | Cultural and political rights for theKurdish population in Turkey.[5] |
| Active regions | Turkey Iraq Syria |
| Ideology | Democratic confederalism Communalism |
| Notable attacks | 2011 Hakkâri attack |
| Status | Rojava–Islamist conflict[6][7] Kurdistan Region–PKK conflict Ongoing war with Turkey, after ceasefire ended |
| Size | Over 40,000 active fighters (2015 Turkish claim)[8] |
| Opponents | State opponents TurkeyNon-State opponents  Islamic State |
| Designated as a terrorist group by |  Australia[9] United Kingdom[10] |
Preceded by Peoples Liberation Army of Kurdistan | |
ThePeople's Defence Forces (Kurdish:Hêzên Parastina Gel,HPG) was the military wing of the groupKurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). During the 7th Congress of the PKK in January 2000, the HPG replaced the former military wing of the PKK, the People's Liberation Army of Kurdistan (Artêşa Rizgariya Gelê Kurdistan, ARGK). The replacement was intended to demonstrate the search for a peaceful solution of theKurdish-Turkish conflict, after the capture ofAbdullah Öcalan in 1999.[11] The HPG played an active role in thepeace negotiations between the Turkish Government and the PKK in 2013, as it hosted a delegation consisting of several politicians from thePeace and Democracy Party (BDP) and members of theTurkish Human Rights Association (IHD) and agreed to release soldiers of the Turkish army as well as a Turkish politician, who they held captive.[12] In 2014, the HPG was involved in the fight against theIslamic State (ISIS) inSinjar.[13]
As far as can be judged from the publications, one of the basic HPG factions is called "Karela Forces" or "Al-Karila Forces" (Arabic:قوات الكاريلا,romanized: Quwwat al-Karila) meaning "guerrilla" and this name is mainly mentioned in Arabic texts regarding HPG actions. In Arabic texts, and later among its members and supporters, Karila or Gerîla has become an alternative name for People's Defence Forces in general.[14]
On 12 May 2025, the Kurdistan Workers' Party announced it would disband as part of a peace initiative with Turkey.[15]
In 1984, the PKK declared they chose themethod of "people's revolution" developed byMao Zedong, and then started to apply guerrilla warfare methods inKurdistan.
During this period, the organization declareda "long-term people's war" and established an organization called theKurdistan Liberation Forces (Kurdish:Hêzên Rizgarîya Kurdistanê, HRK), describing as"Armed Propaganda". On August 15, 1984, the"July 14 Armed Propaganda Unit" under the command ofMahsum Korkmaz carried out the first armed attacks of the organization inEruh andŞemdinli.[16]
At the 3rd congress of the PKK held inLebanon on October 25, 1986, the HRK, which was based on propaganda, was abolished and a new militia called the "Kurdistan People's Liberation Army" was established, which was based on powerful armed attacks. This structure carried out attacks between 1991 and 1993.[17][18]
Şimdi İmralı'dan PKK'yı yönetiyor. Cezaevinden avukatları kanalıyla.
