Mustafa Karasu
{{Short description|Senior commander of the Kurdistan Workers' Party}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Mustafa Karasu
| caption =
| birth_place = Karapınar, Gürün District, Sivas Province
| death_place =
| nickname = Huseyin Ali{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/studies1.htm|title=MFA - I. Historical Background and Development|access-date=23 January 2015}}
| allegiance = Kurdistan Workers' Party
| rank = Deputy Chairman of PKK
Leader of ERNK
Politibureau member
KCK executive council member
| unit = ERNK (previously)
| battles = Kurdish–Turkish conflict
}}
Mustafa Karasu also known as Huseyin Ali is a deputy chairman{{cite web|url=http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=39235&cHash=3ccc90aba609f654ddd5102286620319|title=How Kurdish PKK Militants Are Exploiting the Crisis in Syria to Achieve Regional Autonomy|work=The Jamestown Foundation|access-date=23 January 2015}} Turkish founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK),{{cite web|url=http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2003/me_turkey_09_03.html|title=World Tribune.com: PKK ends ceasefire with Turkey, attacks reported near border|access-date=23 January 2015}} a Kurdish rebel group fighting an armed insurgency against the government of Turkey for an independent Kurdistan. The group is recognised as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and EU.US State Department [https://2001-2009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rpt/fto/2801.htm Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations], 8 October 1999
Biography
Karasu was born in Karapınar, Gürün.{{cite web |title=Hazine ve Maliye Bakanlığından: Malvarlığının Dondurulması Kararı |url=https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2021/04/20210407-28.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406223631/https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2021/04/20210407-28.pdf |archive-date=6 April 2021 |access-date=7 April 2021 |page=10}} Along with Cemil Bayık and Duran Kalkan he is viewed as one of the hardliners among the PKK's leadership and is alleged to have links to Iran.{{cite web|url=http://sundayszaman.com/sunday/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=250730&columnistId=108|title=Today's Zaman|access-date=23 January 2015}} He is the leader of the Alevi groups within the PKK.{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&newsId=253863&link=253863|title=Terror expert says Iran wants to use PKK as leverage|work=TodaysZaman|access-date=23 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816020300/http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&newsId=253863&link=253863|archive-date=16 August 2011|url-status=dead}} His name was on the list of 248 PKK members of which Turkey wished extradication from Iraq on July 10, 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-239773-for-first-time-no-pkk-extradition-list-given-to-iraq.html|title=For first time, no PKK extradition list given to Iraq|work=TodaysZaman|access-date=23 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123193756/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-239773-for-first-time-no-pkk-extradition-list-given-to-iraq.html|archive-date=23 January 2015|url-status=dead}}
He was imprisoned for several years after the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, after his release he became a member of the PKK's politburo (leadership council) and led the group's popular front: the ERNK.Historical dictionary of the Kurds: [https://books.google.com/books?id=zDRGO6EgapMC&pg=PA153] (page 158) After working in the PKK's political wing for 3 years, in Europe he was called back to South-Eastern Turkey by Abdullah Ocalan to gain more battle experience.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dWmd8IS06FgC&pg=PA34 |title=The Kurds and the Future of Turkey|isbn=9780312172657 |access-date=23 January 2015|last1=Gunter |first1=Michael M. |date=15 May 1997 }} He is currently the member of the Executive Council (de facto government) of the Koma Civakên Kurdistan (KCK), which is the PKK's umbrella organisation.{{cite web|url=http://www.diclehaber.com/2/22/1/viewNews/264054|title=DİHA - Ajansa Nûçeyan a Dîcleyê|access-date=23 January 2015|archive-date=23 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123195455/http://www.diclehaber.com/2/22/1/viewNews/264054|url-status=dead}} He has repeatedly spoken out on the side of the Palestinians when talking about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.{{cite web|url=https://www.peaceinkurdistancampaign.com/video-palestinian-freedom-struggle-and-kurdistan-an-interview-with-mustafa-karasu/|title=Palestinian Freedom Struggle and Kurdistan – An Interview with Mustafa Karasu|access-date=3 October 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://internationalistcommune.com/jerusalem-the-capital-of-humanity/|title=Jerusalem, the capital of humanity|access-date=3 October 2021}}
References
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Category:Members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party