Abdullah Öcalan was born in Ömerli, a village in Halfeti, Şanlıurfa Province, in the southeast of Turkey. He studied Political Sciences at the University of Ankara.[citation needed] By 1973, he had organized APOCU's, a Maoist group that sought a socialist revolution in Turkey. In 1978, during the right-wing and left-wing armed conflicts which culminated in the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, Abdullah Öcalan founded PKK, and launched a war against Turkey in order to set up an independent Kurdish state. In 1984 the PKK initiated a campaign of armed conflict comprising attacks against government forcesin Turkey in order to create an independent Kurdish state. PKK also used force against competing Kurdish groups.
Until 1998 Öcalan was based in Syria. As the situation deteriorated in Turkey, the Turkish government openly threatened Syria over its support for the PKK. As a result of this, the Syrian government forced Öcalan to leave the country, but did not turn him over to the Turkish authorities.
Öcalan went to Russia first and from there moved to various countries, including Italy and Greece. In 1998 the Turkish government requested the extradition of Öcalan from Italy. He was at that time defended by the high-profile German attorney, Britta Böhler who argued that he fought a legitimate struggle against the oppression of his people. He was captured in Kenya on February 15, 1999, while being transferred from the Greek embassy to Nairobi international airport, in an operation by the CIA
Ever since kept in prison
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The former executive of the Greek National Intelligence service speaks for Otsalan, the arrest of Kurdish leader and missing persons in Cyprus. SAVAS KALENTERIDIS (  http://infognomonpolitics.blogspot.com/2008/10/image-makers.html) - Otsalan Case «A fighting movement has not been able to use the so-called image makers, to create the image of Otsalan»
Abdoullach Otsalan: «Life is a daily torture, because the nights come in my sleep all witnesses of our cause. The death would be redemption for me ». KATERINA ILIADI «It was 16 February 1999 and the world public opinion agitates from the images transmitted by Turkish television showing the leader of the Kurdish National Liberation Movement peripatetic Abdoullach Otsalan in handcuffs, eyes closed with tape, background with the Turkish flag and the ... ' 'Passionate''Turkish nationalism. The Abdoullach Otsalan was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, where hiding for two weeks in the Greek embassy there ... ». Extract from the introduction of his book Kalenteridi Sava, «Tradition Abdoullach Otsalan - The moment of truth». Mr Kalenteridis, serving-then-National Intelligence Agency (EEA), lived close by the Kurdish leader, having been with him until the moment of conception. -You have lived with Abdoullach Otsalan in the last 16 - 17 days before his arrest. How was it? Savas Kalenteridis: The Kurdish National Liberation Movement is a fighting movement. Turkey is a country with great potential, its land is of great strategic value and tries to exchange the value of this land, geopolitical position, with some compromises on issues that affect them. So, managed to squeeze political movement the National Liberation of Kurds at the international level and create an image for Abdullah Otsalan, who is odds with reality. And on the other hand, a fighting movement has not been able to use the so-called image makers, to create the image of Otsalan, which is why we have a very bad public image of a man who, if a deduction approaching the issue, we see that something is. It is not possible for a person who is unworthy, as some want to show interest to all the major countries of the world either arrest him or put him in prison. It is an important political personality. We listened-to televisions us a begging leader ... S. K.: It is true that this happened immediately after his arrest. We encountered a man who was afraid and, in some way-begging Turkey with condescension to see the Kurdish issue and not the actual case. If, however, translate everything said in deposits and then everything said by lawyers in all these years, we see that in fact what the sought-Otsalan with the condescending attitude and the apology requested by the victims, relatives of the victims of the struggle-was to make himself understood Turkish state and through this process to gain some political benefits for the struggle. If you see, totally cool, what did Otsalan from the moment they entered the prison and then, I realize that management has a policy of having intended to promote the positions of the movement. We will see that in recent years, and when he realized that this process is deadlocked, with the way he knows, through their lawyers, led the movement and again in the armed struggle. -In any respect, damaged the image. From such leaders expect suicide rather humiliated saving themselves. S. K.: Sure. You'll see in the book and that the issue of suicide and discussed below in Nairobi. He said: «Remember this. I do not want to spare my life. Perhaps because the death was redemption for me ». He mentioned in particular that «for me, at this moment, life is a daily torture because the nights come in my sleep all witnesses of our cause. The play started, too. And death would be redemption for me. But we must stay alive to continue the way we started and not our fight left in the middle ». Are important personalities and leaders in the National movements and national races. In that sense, let me say-not-defend that right even chose to lose face staying alive, because everything in politics and judged by their effects. From the moment succeeded, even imprisoned, have been alive and thriving of the Kurdish National Liberation Movement, shows that ultimately made the maneuvers, so far, were the result. -Why decide you an undercover agent of the National Intelligence Service to show on ? S. K.: I did not decided to uncover. From the moment to send it to a case that was doomed, in fact had sacrificed my professional status and career. It was not possible to remain secret, to remain in the dark the protagonists in this case. An international case that touches on the fate of a people, but also the public image of Greece. It was not possible to remain in the background. Anyway will emerge of my name. And then there in Nairobi I have taken the decision that ended my relationship with the State Department and had to be made public my presence there, perhaps, to escape my life. And from there onwards, spoke only to judges and parliament, and when it's time I wrote the book, not the logic of a police or spy disclosure. It was a political act of accountability to the interests mainly of Hellenism, Greece and Cyprus. …