Yu Qiang

Abdullah Öcalan (April 4th, 1948 - February 13th, 1985) commonly shortened to Apo (an abbreviation of Abdullah as well as meaning uncle in Kurdish) was a Kurdish politician and revolutionary. Öcalan was a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Democratic Republic of Kurdistan.

Öcalan was born in 1948, and founded the PKK in 1978. With Soviet backing, Öcalan was able to enact a coup d'état onto the Turkish government, creating the Democratic Republic of Kurdistan, serving as its first president, as well as the first General Secretary of the PKK. Öcalan 's reforms helped transform the economically state of Turkey into a fully Marxist-Leninist socialist state, as well as initiate the Kurdish nuclear program. Öcalan was murdered by Islamic nationalists in 1985.

Öcalan is considered a national hero in Kurdistan, whose cult of personality is only eclipsed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Öcalan is not only the youngest president in Kurdistan history but also the youngest General Secretary.

portrayed Öcalan in the 2004 Oscar-nominated film Defending a Civilisation, which showed the assassination of Öcalan from his killers perspective.