Kâzım Öztürk

 (born June 13th, 1959) is the current President of the Democratic Republic of Kurdistan, as well as being General Secretary of the Kurdistan Workers Party. She has previously held the position of the Chairperson of the State Security Committee for over twenty four years.

Uzun was born in Diyarbakır in Turkey, and was involved in radical Kurdish left wing activities during the 1970's. Uzun joined the Kurdistan Workers Party in 1975, receiving KGB training prior to the PKK coup of the Turkish government and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Kurdistan, swiftly taking a position in the People's Defence Force. During the Kurdish-Turkish war Uzun was appointed Chairwomen of the State Security Committee, the domestic intelligence agency of Kurdistan.

As head of the SSC Uzun was able to cultivate a dominant position in the Kurdish government. In 1991 she led a bloodless coup against the General Secretary Şahin Özlem due to the latters mismanagement of the economy, with the Central Committee placing her into the position instead. In 2008 the Central Committee voted for her to be president in place of Şahin Özlem.

As General Secretary Uzuns two decade term has been controversial. Many have derided her for giving greater power to the head of state and the SSC. Critics have derided her for taking a more Stalinist stance in her policies in contrast to the Marxist-Lenin ideology her predecessors possessed. Internationally her autocratic regime and human rights records has been widely criticised, as well as her increased military action into Iraq. Uzun has also been called out for weakening diplomatic relations between neighbouring states.

Early life
According to her official government profile Şahnaz Uzun was born in the city of Diyarbakır in a middle class family, with her father being a history teacher. Her parents both defined themselves as ethnically Kurdish, Uzun was educated at the Dicle University, but was expelled shortly afterwards after engaging in violent protest. Uzun reportedly read the Communist Manifesto at 15, stating that "Communism is the only way forward for Turkey". Uzun became a devout Marxist as well as possessing some sympathy towards the Kurdish Nationalism movement. Uzun joined the Kurdistan Workers Party in 1979 through a mutual friend of both Uzun's and party founder Abdullah Öcalan.

During the 1980 coup Uzun was contacted by the KGB to keep control over the government, and subsequently was able to secure the position of Chairwomen of the State Security Committee of Kurdistan.