The Freedom Fighter: A Terrorist''s Own Story

Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Haner, Murat
Language:	English
Published:	University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK 2016
Subjects:	Criminology Terrorism Radicalization Kurdistan Workers Party Life-History Method
Online Access:	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1479818030113573

id	ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-ucin1479818030113573
record_format	oai_dc
spelling	ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-ucin14798180301135732021-08-03T06:39:09Z The Freedom Fighter: A Terrorist''s Own Story Haner, Murat Criminology Terrorism Radicalization Kurdistan Workers Party Life-History Method The ability of terrorist groups to incur widespread death and destruction has markedly increased with technological advances in the areas of communication, transportation, and weapon capability. Using these new tools and networks, terrorists now seek to inflict mass casualties worldwide by bringing down airplanes and bombing critical infrastructures in urban centers. Given these realities, it is essential to research the factors that underlie a terrorist group’s origins, grievances, and demands. Such insights might help to respond more effectively to insurgencies, especially when military campaigns to capture or kill every terrorist have proven unsuccessful. Within this context, this dissertation contributes to the radicalization literature by exploring why so many Kurdish males and females—especially young adults—join the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and conduct terrorist acts. Employing the approach taken by Clifford R. Shaw (1930) in his classic The Jack-Roller: A Delinquent Boy’s Own Story, this issue was explored through the life-history method: having a PKK terrorist—or “freedom fighter”—tell his own story. Over five months in Turkey, I interviewed an imprisoned terrorist, Deniz. He proved an insightful subject because of his diverse experiences during his nearly two decades in the PKK. The final product, a detailed life-history of Deniz told in his own words, is presented in this dissertation. This account provides extensive information on the PKK, including the group’s recruitment, training, military tactics, organizational procedures, and goals for peace. In turn, using a life-course perspective, the dissertation concludes by examining the factors that led to Deniz’s onset into, persistence of, and desistance from his life as a terrorist. The analysis suggests that four factors encouraged Deniz’s radicalization and entry into the PKK: (1) a sense of injustice, (2) personality traits, (3) opportunity structures, and (4) a sense of duty and honor. The life-history account also reveals that Deniz remained in the PKK for a lengthy period because of: (1) a strong sense of purpose, (2) a belief that death was inevitable, (3) personal traits, (4) support from his comrades, (5) experiencing military success, and (6) his advancement in the PKK organization. Finally, Deniz identified four factors that lead PKK insurgents to desist from terrorism: (1) being a casualty of war, (2) the inability to cope with the physical strains and challenges of life as a terrorist, (3) fear of being held accountable and punished by the PKK for misconduct or military failure, and (4) experiencing retaliation for unjust treatment. Importantly, to achieve peace, Deniz indicated that the Kurds desired two concessions from the Turkish community. First, this community should understand that the Kurdish problem did not begin with the founding of the PKK. Historically, the Turkish state has rejected true diversity in favor of cultural cleansing and the annihilation of any Kurdish resistance. The PKK emerged only after years of enduring these repressive measures. Second, the Turkish citizenry should know that the Kurds do not hate them. They simply want to live together as two mutually respectful people connected politically but diverse culturally. 2016 English text University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1479818030113573 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1479818030113573 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection	NDLTD
language	English
sources	NDLTD
topic	Criminology Terrorism Radicalization Kurdistan Workers Party Life-History Method
spellingShingle	Criminology Terrorism Radicalization Kurdistan Workers Party Life-History Method Haner, Murat The Freedom Fighter: A Terrorist''s Own Story
author	Haner, Murat
author_facet	Haner, Murat
author_sort	Haner, Murat
title	The Freedom Fighter: A Terrorist''s Own Story
title_short	The Freedom Fighter: A Terrorist''s Own Story
title_full	The Freedom Fighter: A Terrorist''s Own Story
title_fullStr	The Freedom Fighter: A Terrorist''s Own Story
title_full_unstemmed	The Freedom Fighter: A Terrorist''s Own Story
title_sort	freedom fighter: a terrorist''s own story
publisher	University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK
publishDate	2016
url	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1479818030113573
work_keys_str_mv	AT hanermurat thefreedomfighteraterroristsownstory AT hanermurat freedomfighteraterroristsownstory
_version_	1719441165267238912

The Freedom Fighter: A Terrorist''s Own Story

Similar Items