Abdullah Öcalan founded the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in 1978 with young Kurdish activists from northern Kurdistan (under Turkish rule), emerging as its leader and chief theoretician. For two decades, Öcalan operated from Syria until his expulsion in 1998 under Turkish military pressure and subsequent capture in 1999 with assistance from the USA and Israel. In prison, Öcalan introduced “democratic confederalism” in 2005, shifting focus to grassroots democracy, equality, and ecology. However, as this study demonstrates, his alignment with Turkey’s unitary structure and endorsement of the colonial Misak-ı Milli undermines Kurdish self-determination and language rights. Drawing on Öcalan’s original writings, this study critiques these contradictions and challenges the largely uncritical reception of his ideas by examining their implications for Kurdish identity and autonomy.