Solidarity beyond Borders - The Relationship Transformation Process between the Kurdish Movement and the Radical Left in Germany

During the 2014 Siege of Kobanê, an unprecedented global solidarity movement with the Kurdish struggle emerged, primarily composed of (radical) left groups. This critical juncture in the fight against the ‘Islamic State’ (IS) significantly influenced the Kurdish movement and was, in part, a product of these solidarity mobilizations. This thesis investigates the genesis, history, and dynamics of this transnational solidarity movement. Focusing on the German case, it examines the process of relationship transformation between the PKK-led Kurdish movement and the radical left within a relational framework. It employs a mechanism-based research strategy to identify mechanisms and their constituent sub-mechanisms in different arenas of interaction, and to compare the evolving dynamics of relationship transformation across different temporal phases, spanning from the early 1980s to the beginning of 2020. This thesis addresses two key research gaps: theoretically, it contributes to the underdeveloped conceptualization of relationship transformation across borders and among movements, synthesising insights from contentious politics, transnationalism, diaspora politics and coalition building literature. Empirically, it investigates an entirely unexplored social movement with a 40-year history. Employing a mixed-method, diachronic-comparative approach, data collection and analysis draw upon multiple methods, including 40 semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and participatory observation. Ultimately, the thesis proposes three pathways of relationship transformation: the attribution of similarity, the attribution of threat and the formation of a transnational space. In sum it traces the solidarity movements with Kurdistan as a process of relationship transformation between a diaspora movement and the alliance system, elucidating their mutual relational dynamics.