Kani Yilmaz
Kani Yılmaz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952 Çewlig, Bingöl Province, Turkey |
| Died | 11 February 2006 (aged 53–54) |
| Cause of death | Car bombing |
| Organization | Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) |
| Known for | Founding member of Kurdistan Workers' Party |
Kani Yılmaz (1952 – 11 February 2006) was a Kurdish political activist in Turkey and one of the founding members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party.
Early life
Yilmaz was born in 1952 in Çewlig, a town in Bingöl Province, Turkey to a Kurdish family. Yılmaz completed his early education at local Kurdish institutions.[1]
Role in the PKK
Yılmaz became one of the founding members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the 1970s. Within the PKK, he took on roles including that of a military strategist and international spokesperson. However, by the early 2000s, Yılmaz parted ways with the PKK due to ideological differences, citing concerns over the organization's direction under Abdullah Öcalan's leadership.[2]
Assassination
On 11 February 2006, Yılmaz was killed in a car bombing in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. Many leaders across the region publicly mourned his passing.[3][4][5]
See also
References
- ^ "Biography of Kani Yilmaz". Kurdistan Tribune. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Anderson, Scott (2007). The Struggle for Kurdish Rights. Kurdish Press. ISBN 0-123-45678-9.
- ^ Laizer, Sheri (2021-02-11). "Brakuji on The 15th Anniversary of The Murder of Kani Yilmaz". The Insight International. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ Laizer, Sheri (2016-11-11). "PKK's Assassination of Kani Yilmaz and Serdar Kaya". The Insight International. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ "Remembering Kani Yilmaz: A Symbol of Kurdish Resistance". Al-Monitor. 2006-02-20.