Thread by @halksavasi73

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo First of all there is no existing United Front in Turkey. Secondly, you can take those informations from İK's works (like General Critic), but for the answer: TKP (M-L) (this was it first name) split from TİİKP, i.e. Shafak revisionists in April 24, 1972.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo There was Martial Law since April 1971 in Turkey, so it start illegally, but before that there was some connections made in 1970's at village activities (especially in Kürecik and later Dersim), some of them followed TKP (M-L) after split.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Dersim cadres are mostly (except 2 or 3 people) are local Dersimian people. Cadres was mostly students but like I said there was connections with peasants too (otherwise it would impossible to survive).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo First armed action of TİKKO (in the first it's name was "Workers' and Peasants' Liberation Fedayeen of Turkey", TİKKF, later renamed as army) was bombings in protest the execution of Hüseyin İnan-Deniz Gezmiş-Yusuf Aslan. There was also some warning bombings too against army.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo First serious action was execution of a collabrator at Kürecik, who worked for Turkish state as a informant on killing of 3 THKO guerrillas at Nurhak mountain (Sinan Cemgil [was one of the leaders of THKO], Kadir Manga and Alpaslan Özdoğan). This execution personally made by İK.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Also there was some attempts made to raid police posts to seize weapons (in İstanbul and in Dersim), but they all failed. In one of them at İstanbul, Mehmet Zeki Şerit (later massacred by fascist dictatorship under torture) shot an "guard" (was a semi-police in Turkey).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo In November 1972 first arrests started and later some head and high cadres arrested one by one. First serious damage was Vartinik siege, in that conflict Ali Haydar Yıldız martyred (January 24, 1973), he was first martyr of TKP (M-L).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo İK was managed to escape from Vartinik at that day (he was wounded btw) but after 5 days İK too arrested. Another head cadre, Muzaffer Oruçoğlu too escape from Vartinik and went to İstanbul (for reorganize in summer).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo In April 30, 1973, Muzaffer Oruçoğlu too with some other cadres arrested, this was last and final damage to TKP (M-L) in it's 1972-3 era.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo It can't be said PW started in 1972 because there wasn't organized guerrilla units, only cores of it was founded (in the early years TİKKO never thought as an army but core for an PA in future).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo After 1974 general amnesty some high cadres released from prison (even though main leaders [Muzaffer Oruçoğlu and Arslan Kılıç] kept in prison), they found 2nd Co-ordination Committee (1st one was founded personally by İK in 1972 with 3 people) in 1974.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Co-ordination Committee (it's name taken from CPI (M-L)'s Coordination Committee but their duties was different [CPI (M-L) CC's duty was found a party, TKP (M-L) CC's duty was prepare party to congress]), however, did not prepared for PW, in reality they step by step made+

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo +preparations to liquidate party. They did many mistakes and in the end they blamed TKP (M-L)'s general line for their mistakes. In April 1976 CC members meet for a meeting and take some decisions.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo According to them:

- TKP (M-L) wasn't a party, not even M-L, but a political movement which marchs onward to being an M-L.
- In 5 Main Document İK did many mistakes, so general line isn't correct too.
- İK too, wasn't a M-L.
And several other things.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo When they impose new line to BABK (Western Anatolia Regional Committee) BABK want a written document from them and they wrote a 3 paged document (summary of the decisions of meeting).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo With that İstanbul based BABK firstly opened rebellion flage against revisionists. Comrades in prison, Abroad [abroad committee split from TİİKP in 1974 and joined to TKP (M-L)], half of the Ankara, half of the İzmir, half of the Dersim, Kars-Ardahan etc. take side with Party.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Other halfs mentioned in above, almost mostly Antep, a.m. Maraş, a.m. Urfa take side with KK.

That's how regional era started. In the ends of 1977, Intercommittees Central Leadership founded and in February 1978 1st Conference held.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Actually it was planned as an Congress but due to recent splits ("Kurtuluş Yolu", "Kurtuluş Bayrağı" etc.) they decided to held and conference. Anyways, Cenference held in Ankara and declared it's a stage for preparations for PW. But also they said "peacefull struggle is main".

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Due to inter party issues (Enver Hoxha issue, Mao's work issue [is he a classic problem], 1st CC's different few views from İK) 1st CC can't fulfill it's leadership duty for preparations. Only in 1980 they found first guerrilla train camp in Dersim (which it took so short).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Because of this issues (also an left opportunist trend split from TKP (M-L) in March 1980 and they blamed CC for being rightist, but despite their leftist shouts their practice was [as expected] highly rightist) TKP (M-L) also can't made enough preparations for a fascist coup.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo So when the time September 12 fascist coup happened TKP (M-L) wasn't prepared for it enough. It also made tactic errors too, did not realized that revolution trend is retreating and said there is still revolutionary situation in Turkey.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Same mistake was made by İK too in 1972. Anyways, it tooks it's 2nd Conference in 1981, defeated semi-Trotkiyst trend within TKP (M-L) (the ones now calling themselves as "Bolşevik Partizan").

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo 2nd Conference took the decision to place CC in rurals (Dersim), but GS (Süleyman Cihan) stayed in İstanbul (this was an error). In effort to repair İstanbul committee (as İK's planned model) he let himself in a trap and arrested (he was trying to learn about an arrested cadre).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo It was an error, because it was so obvious that this meeting with wife of that cadre was a trap.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo When TKP (M-L) learned that Süleyman arrested, it was obvious that they gonna kill him. When when they captured him police officers at political branch yelled with a joy "We arrested him", other revolutionaries from different organizations are witness of it.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo So to prevent his death they tried to start a campaing on Süleyman (they did not mention about his leadership of TKP (M-L) but they called him as a "revolutionary").

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo But junta with filthy tricks informed people wrong and killed him. They spread gossips like "he is alive, I saw him" etc. even though he is dead. When the time his death confirmed campaing ended with an title: "Süleyman Cihan ermordet."

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Junta even tried to lost in custody, they buried him in a "cemetery for people who have no relative" as "unidentified" (but in his arrest minutes his name was known!).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo His family (at their last chance) looked at to catalogue of unidentified men and recognized him from this image:

https://twitter.com/halksavasi73/status/1039927174697033728

This image, which taken from catalogue, also published in Revolution of RCP, USA; Amnesty International 1985 report etc.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Anyways, remain cadres started armed struggle in Dersim on 1980, but after some time there was only TKP (M-L) in Kurdistan. In 1981, Turkish army declared: "There is an war in Dersim and we're going to war." They sieged Dersim with all their power.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Even though they couldn't surpress TKP (M-L), they mostly crushed it. In 1983 Arslan Kılıç released from prison. He was a defender of Three Worlds Theory, in a CC meeting he elected to secretary generalship of TKP (M-L). He affected TKP (M-L) and deviated it to a right line.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo And after few days, an operation happened, some CC members arrested and he left Party with a inter party crisis. He surrendered to state, with a short trial (and in his born province!) released. After him, Kazım Çelik elected to general secretership.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Crushing of party's forces generally, inter-party problems and others errors I mentioned above end with a second defeat of Party (this era ends in 1984-5, later reorganize began).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo So your answer to "how TKP (M-L) started to people's war" is that: History forced him, even though (due to subjective reasons) it wasn't enough prepared for it.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo That's why in the ends of '80's (mostly headed by members of 2nd CC) there is a trend existed named "Devrimci Partizan". They declared that armed struggle wasn't affective, we must restart everything because we wasn't prepared enough for it. In other words: Liquidationism.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo I hope you would get an answer, for more info about TKP (M-L)'s strategy of PW you can read 5 Main Documents from İK (published in English, can be found in bannedthought).

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Sorry for may bad England btw

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Uh and one more thing, İK did some mistakes too, his understanding of "PUF can only emerge after the emerge of one or more RPP's" was wrong too. Actually an general critic of errors of the TKP (M-L) can be found in self-critic of TKP (M-L) in it's 1st Conference.

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo Also, I know it's annoying but I also want to say that, once I wrote an article/letter (I dunno which one is a better name for it) kind thing for an ICOR guy who was misinformed by ESP members on TKP (M-L) history. It contains the eras of founding and first split.+

@GonzaloUpholder @VerdeEsRojo +If anyone interested, I can publish it in a blog.