Communist Party of Turkey
Encyclopedia
The Communist Party of Turkey was a political party in Turkey
. The party was founded by Mustafa Suphi
in 1920, and was soon to be banned. It worked as a clandestine opposition party throughout the Cold War
era, and was persecuted by the various military regimes. Many intellectuals, like Nazım Hikmet
, joined the party ranks. In 1988 the party merged into the United Communist Party of Turkey
, in an attempt to gain legal status.
on September 10, 1920, gathering together elements from three different left-wing tendencies influenced by the October Revolution
in Russia. These founding tendencies were the Istanbul
-based Workers and Peasants Socialist Party of Turkey , elements of the Green Army in Anatolia
(which represented the left-wing sectors of the national liberation movement) and a group of Turkish communists in Soviet Russia
(largely made up by Turkish prisoners of war, who had been recruited by the Bolsheviks). In total the congress was made up of 74 delegates. The congress elected Mustafa Suphi as the party chairman and Ethem Nejat
as the general secretary.
After its foundation, the party was recognized as section of the Communist International. The founding of TKP occurred in the midst of the Independence War
, following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire
in the First World War.
In order to counter the growing influence of Turkish communists, Mustafa Kemal
set-up a parallel puppet communist party . This provoked the founding of the People's Communist Party of Turkey . Although technically a separate party, the TKP cadres were also present in the leadership of the People's Communist Party.
The founders of TKP, Mustafa Suphi and his 14 other comrades, were killed. It is not known who was behind the assassination. Although many people claim that it was Mustafa Kemal or Bolshevik, according to the official version, Mustafa Suphi was killed by the order of Ottoman Emperor because of his support to liberation of Turkey.
, the party started to publish Orak-Çekiç, which in contrast to Aydınlık was directed towards the working class.
The sole delegate from the left of the party was Salih Hacıoğlu, who would later perish in the purges in Russia during the 1930s.
In March the same year, all opposition forces were banned by the government of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
. The TKP suffered three waves of crackdowns on its cadres, in 1925, 1927 and 1929. But in addition to the external pressure, the party also suffered from internal divisions. The role of the party towards the Comintern and the governing CHP
party were issues of disputes.
Albeit an illegal party, the TKP issued a series of publications like Kızıl Istanbul (1930–1935), Bolşevik (1927), Komünist (1929) and İnkilap Yolu (published in Berlin
1930–1932). The party organised a party conference in Vienna
in 1926.
(Türkiye İşçi Partisi) emerged as a strong force. The foundation of TİP occurred as there was a relatively more open political atmosphere at the time. TİP became a leading force within the trade union
movement, leading the Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions (DISK), which was founded in 1967. In addition to that, TİP became the first Turkish political party that put the Kurdish Question into its agenda.
However, as the political situation became yet more intense, and the more radical wings of the left movement opted for armed struggle, TİP was banned. The banning of TİP would strengthen the TKP, as many TİP cadres now joined the underground TKP instead. It led semi-legal mass organizations, and became the leading force within DİSK.
(TBKP) in 1988. Due to the ban on Communist political activities in Turkey, the TBKP initially had to be formed in a clandestine congress, but, from the outset, it stated its aim to operate legally. In 1990, its leaders officially established the TBKP as a formal political party, which would be banned the next year after a lengthy court case. Nevertheless, before it was banned, the TBKP had already held a legal congress in January 1991, and in this congress a resolution was overwhelmingly adopted calling on all its members to join a project to form a broader-based socialist party, the Socialist Unity Party, which would itself eventually evolve, after a series of subsequent mergers, into the Freedom and Solidarity Party
.
However, currently there are several factions in Turkey
that claim to represent the historical TKP:
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The party was founded by Mustafa Suphi
Mustafa Suphi
Mustafa Suphi was a Turkish communist leader .- Early Years :Suphi was educated in Jerusalem, Damascus and Erzurum before attending Galatasaray High School. He studied political science in Paris, where he was also a correspondent of the Turkish newspaper Tanin...
in 1920, and was soon to be banned. It worked as a clandestine opposition party throughout the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era, and was persecuted by the various military regimes. Many intellectuals, like Nazım Hikmet
Nazim Hikmet
Nâzım Hikmet Ran , commonly known as Nâzım Hikmet , was a Turkish poet, playwright, novelist and memoirist. He was acclaimed for the "lyrical flow of his statements"...
, joined the party ranks. In 1988 the party merged into the United Communist Party of Turkey
United Communist Party of Turkey
United Communist Party of Turkey was a political party in Turkey. The leadership of two banned parties Communist Party of Turkey and Workers Party of Turkey announced in 1987 that they had decided to merge and form TBKP...
, in an attempt to gain legal status.
Early history
The party was founded at a congress in BakuBaku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
on September 10, 1920, gathering together elements from three different left-wing tendencies influenced by the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
in Russia. These founding tendencies were the Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
-based Workers and Peasants Socialist Party of Turkey , elements of the Green Army in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
(which represented the left-wing sectors of the national liberation movement) and a group of Turkish communists in Soviet Russia
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(largely made up by Turkish prisoners of war, who had been recruited by the Bolsheviks). In total the congress was made up of 74 delegates. The congress elected Mustafa Suphi as the party chairman and Ethem Nejat
Ethem Nejat
Ethem Nejat was a Turkish revolutionary communist militant.Nejat worked on education during the Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire...
as the general secretary.
After its foundation, the party was recognized as section of the Communist International. The founding of TKP occurred in the midst of the Independence War
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
, following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the First World War.
In order to counter the growing influence of Turkish communists, Mustafa Kemal
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
set-up a parallel puppet communist party . This provoked the founding of the People's Communist Party of Turkey . Although technically a separate party, the TKP cadres were also present in the leadership of the People's Communist Party.
The founders of TKP, Mustafa Suphi and his 14 other comrades, were killed. It is not known who was behind the assassination. Although many people claim that it was Mustafa Kemal or Bolshevik, according to the official version, Mustafa Suphi was killed by the order of Ottoman Emperor because of his support to liberation of Turkey.
Second Congress
In December 1921 the People's Communist Party was legalized. This provided an opportunity for TKP to work in a more open manner. The People's Communist Party held its congress in August, which the TKP considered as its second congress. The congress elected Salih Hacioglu as the party general secretary. The People's Communist Party was banned the next month, and around 200 party cadres were arrested.Third Congress
The third party congress was held in Istanbul, in January 1925. The congress elected Şefik Hüsnü as the new general secretary. Hüsnü's group in Istanbul had conducted semi-legal activities and published Aydınlık. On instructions from the CominternComintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
, the party started to publish Orak-Çekiç, which in contrast to Aydınlık was directed towards the working class.
The sole delegate from the left of the party was Salih Hacıoğlu, who would later perish in the purges in Russia during the 1930s.
In March the same year, all opposition forces were banned by the government of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
. The TKP suffered three waves of crackdowns on its cadres, in 1925, 1927 and 1929. But in addition to the external pressure, the party also suffered from internal divisions. The role of the party towards the Comintern and the governing CHP
Republican People's Party (Turkey)
The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
party were issues of disputes.
Albeit an illegal party, the TKP issued a series of publications like Kızıl Istanbul (1930–1935), Bolşevik (1927), Komünist (1929) and İnkilap Yolu (published in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
1930–1932). The party organised a party conference in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1926.
Fourth Congress
The fourth TKP congress was held in 1932. Hüsnü was reelected as the party general secretary.Resurgence
In the 1960s the Workers Party of TurkeyWorkers Party of Turkey
Workers Party of Turkey was a Turkish political party, founded in 1961. It became the first socialist party in Turkey to win representation in the national parliament. It was banned twice and eventually merged with the Communist Party of Turkey in 1988.TİP was founded by a group of labor union...
(Türkiye İşçi Partisi) emerged as a strong force. The foundation of TİP occurred as there was a relatively more open political atmosphere at the time. TİP became a leading force within the trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
movement, leading the Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions (DISK), which was founded in 1967. In addition to that, TİP became the first Turkish political party that put the Kurdish Question into its agenda.
However, as the political situation became yet more intense, and the more radical wings of the left movement opted for armed struggle, TİP was banned. The banning of TİP would strengthen the TKP, as many TİP cadres now joined the underground TKP instead. It led semi-legal mass organizations, and became the leading force within DİSK.
Merger into TBKP
The TKP merged with the TİP and formed the United Communist Party of TurkeyUnited Communist Party of Turkey
United Communist Party of Turkey was a political party in Turkey. The leadership of two banned parties Communist Party of Turkey and Workers Party of Turkey announced in 1987 that they had decided to merge and form TBKP...
(TBKP) in 1988. Due to the ban on Communist political activities in Turkey, the TBKP initially had to be formed in a clandestine congress, but, from the outset, it stated its aim to operate legally. In 1990, its leaders officially established the TBKP as a formal political party, which would be banned the next year after a lengthy court case. Nevertheless, before it was banned, the TBKP had already held a legal congress in January 1991, and in this congress a resolution was overwhelmingly adopted calling on all its members to join a project to form a broader-based socialist party, the Socialist Unity Party, which would itself eventually evolve, after a series of subsequent mergers, into the Freedom and Solidarity Party
Freedom and Solidarity Party
Freedom and Solidarity Party is a left-wing party in Turkey. The party has had limited electoral success, although it controls a number of town halls and is influential in some unions of public employees...
.
However, currently there are several factions in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
that claim to represent the historical TKP:
- the TKPCommunist Party of Turkey (Workers Voice)Communist Party of Turkey is a clandestine political party in Turkey. The party, which split from the Communist Party of Turkey in 1978, is often known as Communist Party of Turkey ; because the main publication of the party is İşçinin Sesi...
that separated in 1979 from the main TKP and became known after the periodical İşçinin Sesi (Worker's Voice) which they issued; - the new TKP, which adopted the name in 2001, founded as the Party for Socialist Power (SİP) in 1993;
- a grouping of some dissident members of the TBKP who held a "rebirth meeting" in 1993 and who publish the periodical Ürün Sosyalist DergiÜrün- Ürün Socialist Magazine :The first issue of Ürün Socialist Magazine was published in July 1974. This magazine became the voice of the Atılım Period of the TKP Communist Party of Turkey in the political area. The founder owner of the magazine was Ural Ateşer, the editor of the magazine was Nuri...
(Harvest Socialist Magazine).
See also
- List of illegal political parties in Turkey
- Communist Party of TurkeyCommunist Party of TurkeyThe Communist Party of Turkey was a political party in Turkey. The party was founded by Mustafa Suphi in 1920, and was soon to be banned. It worked as a clandestine opposition party throughout the Cold War era, and was persecuted by the various military regimes. Many intellectuals, like Nazım...
for a list of communist parties in Turkey