Mahsum Korkmaz

{{Short description|PKK military commander (1956–1986)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

{{Infobox military person

| name = Mahsum Korkmaz

| image = Mahsum-Korkmaz-Agit.jpg

| caption =

| birth_date = 1956

| death_date = {{death date and age|1986|3|28|1956|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Silvan, Diyarbakir, Turkey

| death_place = Mount Gabar, Şırnak, Turkey

| religion =

| nickname = Agit

| allegiance = Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

| serviceyears = 1978 – 28 March 1986

| rank = Military Commander

| unit =

| commands =

| battles = 1982 Lebanon War
Kurdish–Turkish conflict

| awards =

| laterwork =

}}

Mahsum Korkmaz, also known as Agit (Kurmanji: Egîd; Sorani: عەگید) (1956 – 28 March 1986), was the first commander of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)'s military forces.{{cite book|title=The Kurds and the Future of Turkey|author=Gunter, M.M.|date=1997|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=9780312172657|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dWmd8IS06FgC|page=35|access-date=2015-02-09}} Korkmaz moved to Lebanon in 1979 and alongside Kemal Pir was responsible for the recruitment across Turkey. He is known to have led the 15 August 1984 PKK attacks which was the start of the PKK's armed rebellion for Kurdish independence.{{cite book|title=Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts Since World War II|author1=DeRouen, K.R.|author2=Heo, U.|date=2007|volume=1|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781851099191|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nrN077AEgzMC|page=780|access-date=2015-02-09}} He was killed by Turkish forces on 28 March 1986.{{Cite book|last=Gunes|first=Cengiz|title=The Kurdish National Movement in Turkey: From Protest to Resistance|date=2013-01-11|publisher=Routledge|year=2013|isbn=978-1-136-58798-6|pages=111,118|language=en}}

The PKK's main training facility during the 1980s and early 1990s, the Mahsum Korkmaz Academy, which was located in Beqaa Valley in Lebanon was named after him.{{Cite web|url=https://m.bianet.org/english/minorities/157927-statue-of-pkk-founder-people-attacked-in-lice|title=Statue of PKK Founder, People Attacked in Lice|date=19 August 2014|website=Bianet}} Today, Mahsum Korkmaz is honored in the form of many commemoration days by the Kurdish Movement. In Lice a statue of Korkmaz was erected in a cemetery on 15 August 2014, the 30th anniversary of the 15 August 1984 attack. The statue was subsequently demolished by Turkish authorities.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-kurds-idUSKBN0GJ0U520140819|title=Kurd shot dead in clash over statue with Turkish forces|date=2014-08-19|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-02-09|language=en}} The PKK denied it had ordered to erect the statue in Lice.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/2014/08/22/pkk-denies-it-erected-the-controversial-statue-in-diyarbakir|title=PKK denies it erected the controversial statue in Diyarbakır|website=DailySabah|date=22 August 2014 |access-date=2019-02-09}} On 28 March 2017 a statue of Korkmaz was erected in Kobanî.{{Cite web|url=https://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/legendary-commander-egid-s-statue-erected-in-kobane-19216|title=Legendary Commander Egîd's statue erected in Kobanê|website=ANF News|language=en|access-date=2019-02-09}}