Streets, Ballots, and Bullets: Kurdish Engagement and Activism

This article analyzes profiles, trajectories, motivations, and subjectivity of individuals opting to join pro-Kurdish organizations, associations, or political parties in Turkey. Departing from organizational-centric models, it applies an analytical approach rooted in social movement theories, emphasizing agency-centered perspectives to analyze pro-Kurdish activism. The research encompasses seventeen organizations, spanning locations in Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan, and France, drawing on 77 semi-structured interviews, including 11 with former militants and guerrillas. The article examines the demographic characteristics of Kurdish activists and identifies three groups: associative, office, and professional activists. Through a comparison of dimensions such as degree of investment, ideological commitment, autonomy of action, and objectives, the study aims to provide nuanced understanding of these activism forms. Furthermore, the research delves into the biographical narratives of Kurdish activists, tracing motivations guiding their alignment with associations, political parties, or armed groups. Finally, the actor-event dialectic is employed to elucidate the rhythm of engagement, analyzing events at different life stages as accelerators, conjunctions, or sequences influencing participation. The actor-centric perspective enhances understanding of motivations and dynamics influencing engagement in pro-Kurdish activism in Turkey, and sheds light on an emerging trend within the Kurdish movement, positioning itself as the confluence of various social, cultural, and political conflicts.

本文针对土耳其境内加入库尔德人支持派组织、协会或政党的个体，对其个人画像、人生轨迹、行动动机与主观意识展开分析。本研究摒弃以组织为中心的分析范式，采用植根于社会运动理论的研究路径，强调以行动者为中心的视角来解析库尔德人支持派行动主义。本研究涵盖土耳其、伊拉克库尔德斯坦及法国境内的17个相关组织，共开展77场半结构化访谈，其中包括11位前武装人员与游击队员的访谈内容。本文对库尔德行动主义者的人口统计学特征展开分析，并将其划分为三类：协会型行动者、公职型行动者与专业型行动者。通过对投入程度、意识形态认同、行动自主性与行动目标等维度的比较分析，本研究旨在深入阐释不同类型行动主义的具体形态。此外，本研究深入剖析库尔德行动主义者的生平叙事，追溯推动其投身协会、政党或武装团体的行动动机。最后，本研究运用行动者-事件辩证关系框架阐释行动参与的节奏，将人生不同阶段遭遇的事件视为影响参与行为的催化剂、联结节点或递进序列展开分析。这种以行动者为中心的研究视角，有助于深化对土耳其境内库尔德人支持派行动主义参与动机与运行逻辑的理解，同时也为库尔德运动内部的新兴趋势提供阐释——该趋势将自身定位为各类社会、文化与政治冲突的交汇点。