People's Liberation Army of Turkey
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People's Liberation Army of Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye Halk Kurtuluş Ordusu, abbreviated THKO) was an armed underground leftwing movement in Turkey. It was founded in 1970 by Hüseyin İnan, Yusuf Aslan, Sinan Cemgil, Deniz Gezmiş and Cihan Alptekin. THKO had program of National Democratic Revolution.[1] The main thesis of THKO were:
- Revolution with the goal of a completely independent and truly democratic Turkey would be realised through a struggle based on rural areas and force policy under the command of national front understanding
- People's war should be carried on the basis of the alliance of proletariat-peasantry-petty bourgeoisie
- The proletariat party and people's army should be counted as the two basic organisations of people's war
- These two organisations would be built during the war period based on the participation of the masses
- That THKO was a unique organisation, performing the functions of both of these two organisations simulatenously
THKO was of the opion that it had become impossible to carry on the struggle for independence and democracy within the legal framework and depending on peaceful methods of struggle in Turkey.
THKO collapsed after the murder of Sinan Cemgil, Kadir Manga, Alpaslan Özdoğan at Nurhak; Cihan Alptekin and Omer Ayna at Kizildere; and after the execution of Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan on May 6, 1972.[1]
Individuals benefiting from the political amnesty in 1974 and THKO cadres that were already outside of jail constituted a Temporary Central Committee. After the formation of the TCC internal differences arose. One group developed policies advocated by Communist Party of China-Party of Labour of Albania (later only PLA) and founded the Revolutionary Communist Party of Turkey (TDKP); another group adhering to the tendency of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union eventually founded the Communist Labour Party of Turkey (TKEP). A third sector refounded itself as the People's Liberation Army of Turkey-Revolutionary Path of Turkey.
