MİT’s pro-junta members founded PKK, says former captain

Indicating that recent debates over the founding of the PKK were unnecessary, former gendermerie Capt. Özcan Tozlu said: “At a time when MİT undersecretaries were controlled by members of the military, the PKK was established by the pro-junta military officers in the organization who were loyal to the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK]. Today’s members of Ergenekon were then called pro-NATO and they were behind the pro-junta MİT members. Their goal was to secure funding from the government for the TSK, giving the PKK’s existence as an excuse, and provide the TSK with modern technology. Their actual target was to eliminate Turkish Islam from the lands of Anatolia by using the PKK,” explained Tozlu.

Tozlu was expelled from the TSK at a Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) meeting held in 2001 for disciplinary offenses. He claimed that the top state brass including the MİT and the General Staff are well aware of the founders of the PKK.

Providing staff and intelligence to JİTEM, a clandestine gendarmerie unit, for years, Tozlu talked about the process leading up to Abdullah Öcalan becoming the PKK leader.

“He was taken from Urfa in 1971 and brought to İstanbul. After receiving a two-year education in law here, he was sent to Ankara and received another two-year education in political science there. He was given eight months counter-guerilla training in Isparta, after which he went to Diyarbakır and established the PKK. He provided psychological support, militants, logistical support and land for the organization,” Tozlu said.