How and Why Did Senior Cadres Radicalize and Join the PKK Between 1960 and 1980?
How and Why Did Senior Cadres Radicalize and Join the PKK Between 1960 and 1980?
Nihat Ali Özcan Erol Başaran Bural Bahar Genç a Political Science and International Relations, TOBB University of Economics & Technology, Ankara, Türkiyeb Department of Defense Against Terrorism, Research Center for Defense Against Terrorism and Radicalization – TERAM, Ankara, Türkiyec Department of International Protection, Presidency of Migration Management, Ankara, TürkiyeNihat Ali Özcan, PhD, is Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at TOBB University of Economics & Technology, Ankara, Türkiye.Nihat Ali Özcan completed his undergraduate education at the Military Academy and Istanbul University Faculty of Law. He received his master’s and doctorate degrees from 9 Eylül University. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the PKK. Özcan voluntarily retired from the Turkish Armed Forces with the rank of major. Özcan, who worked as a freelance lawyer for a short time, worked on “Terrorism” and “The Middle East” in various research centers. He gave lectures at 9 Eylül University Faculty of Law, Hacettepe University, Military Academy Defense Sciences Institute, National Security Academy, War Academies and TOBB University of Economics and Technology. He served as a Strategy Development Consultant in various institutions. His areas of interest are asymmetric warfare, insurgency, terrorism, the Middle East and civil-military relations.Erol Başaran Bural, M.Sc., is a retired army colonel and currently the director of Research Centre for Defence against Terrorism and Radicalization—TERAM, Ankara, Türkiye.Erol Başaran Bural graduated from Military Academy in 1992. He served for the Turkish Army for 24 years. He received his master’s degrees from Gazi University Graduate School of Natural and Applied Science, Environmental and Technical Research of Accidents in 2001 and Security Sciences Faculty, International Security and Terrorism in 2021. Bural’s primary research interests focus on terrorism, counter-terrorism, intelligence and psychological operations. In addition to his academic work, he is currently directing a think tank named, Research Center for Defense Against Terrorism and Radicalization Association—TERAM. Mr. Bural has published one book, numerous book chapters, academic articles, columns, analyses, opinion pieces and reports, mainly on the terrorism, counter-terrorism, intelligence and psychological operations.Bahar Genç is a clinical psychologist who has been working as a case specialist in international protection at the Presidency of Migration Management. Her primary areas of interest include radicalization, the psychology of terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters.