Kurdish Hezbollah
Kurdish Hezbollah (Kurdish: حیزبوڵڵای کورد, romanized: Hizbullahî Kurdî, Turkish: Kürt Hizbullahı) or Hizbullah, is a Kurdish Sunni Islamist militant organization, active against Turkey, and the PKK (mainly in the period between 1992 and 1995). It is derogatorily known by its critics as Hizbulkontra (Party of Contra), Hizbulvahşet (Party of Barbarianism), and Hizbulşeytan (Party of the Devil). They are also derogatorily known as Sofîk, which is a diminutive of "Sofu", which means "devout" or "practicing".
| Kurdish Hezbollah | |
|---|---|
| Hizbullahî Kurdî (Kurdish) Kürt Hizbullahı (Turkish) | |
Various color flags commonly used by the Kurdish Hezbollah | |
| Leaders | Hüseyin Velioğlu † İsa Altsoy |
| Dates of operation | 1983 – present |
| Active regions | Turkey |
| Ideology | Kurdish nationalism Social conservatism National conservatism Islamism Anti-Zionism Anti-communism Sunni-Shia unity |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Allies | Free Cause Party Iran (alleged by Turkey) |
| Opponents | Turkey PKK |
| Battles and wars | Kurdish Hezbollah insurgency |
| Designated as a terrorist group by | Turkey |
The group, founded by Hüseyin Velioğlu, remains a primarily Kurdish group that has its roots in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of Turkey and among Kurds who migrated to the cities in Western Turkey. The Kurdish Hezbollah began shifting increasingly towards Kurdish nationalism during Velioğlu's final years, and after Velioğlu's death, under İsa Altsoy's leadership, they disarmed and began focusing on charity work for the Kurdish population under various organizations. The Hezbollah reestablished in 2003 in southeastern Turkey and "today its ideology might be more widespread then ever among Kurds there". Turkish Hezbollah's influence was not limited to Turkey and it has also "left an imprint on Turkish Kurds in Germany." The Kurdish Hezbollah is closely affiliated with the Free Cause Party (HÜDA PAR).
Despite similar names, Kurdish Hezbollah has no relationship whatsoever with Hezbollah of Lebanon, the Kurdish Revolutionary Hezbollah or the Kurdish Hezbollah of Iran.