Mahsum Korkmaz (1956-28 March 1986) was a commander of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), serving as its first military leader during the Turkish-Kurdish conflict of 1984-present.
Biography[]
Mahsum Korkmaz was born in 1956 in Farqin (Silvan, Diyarbakir Province) in Turkey to a Kurdish family. Korkmaz became a commander of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish communist independence organization that fought against Turkey, in 1980, its first military leader. On 15 August 1984 he led attacks that killed three Turkish troops and policemen, starting the conflict. Korkmaz established a PKK base in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon that became known as the "Mahsum Korkmaz Academy" later on.
Korkmaz was killed on 28 March 1986 at Mount Gabar by Turkish forces, and he was succeeded by Cemil Bayik as the military commander of the PKK.