Page 234 - America's Failure to Perceive the PKK

The KCK came into being by descending on urban areas under a
legal guise in order to make the presence of the PKK felt there in a
particularly powerful manner. Through this organization, the PKK
seeks to establish control over political figures, municipalities and
mayors in the region and is known to be powerful enough
to do so and capable of determining members of Parlia-
ment and mayors.

The Strategic Thought Institute offers the fol-

lowing analysis:

The KCK is charged with maintaining control in
the city and keeping legal politics in line with
that of the PKK ... So much so that when a
mayor goes somewhere he will inevitably be

accompanied by a member of the KCK. These are
popularly known as "commissars." It is
impossible for mayors to oppose their views. 81

This organization is in fact an entity that is

commonly seen in Stalinist systems. Stalin
directly established various bodies, such as
unions and the army and appointed figures
known as "commissars" to these. These commis-
sars were essentially all communist militants. Their
job was to ensure that these organizations remained
under control, to achieve hegemony over the cities,
to identify any opposition and to arrange the system
as they saw fit. The PKK is now regarded as having estab-

lished political influence over the HDP by using this tactic.
Indeed, the term "commissar" is described in Stalinist sources
as the protecting the strong and imperishable domestic loy-
alty to Stalin by those structures that are wished to be kept
under control. 82

232 America's Failure to Perceive the PKK