Turkish Resistance Organization
Encyclopedia
The Turkish Resistance Organisation ( – TMT) was a Turkish Cypriot
pro-taksim
paramilitary organisation formed by Rauf Denktaş
and Turkish military
officer Rıza Vuruşkan in 1958 as a defence organisation to counter the Greek Cypriot
Fighter's Organisation EOKA
.
, Ankara
and its members called mujahid. Communication with its members in Cyprus
was by radio and the honorary leader of the TMT was Fatin Rüştü Zorlu
.
General Daniş Karabelen, in charge of unconventional warfare
office of Turkey, was leading the irregular Turkish Cypriot
attacks
on Greek Cypriot properties. The Turkish state in 1950s had sent to Cyprus
Turkish officers
and special forces veterans
who arrived secretly and presented themselves as bankers, [teachers and business men and trained Turkish Cypriots in tactics of unconventional warfare.
(union of Cyprus
with Greece
), a number of Turkish Cypriots became convinced that the formation of an ethnic-Turkish resistance movement was the only way to protect the interests and identity of the Turkish Cypriot population against a militant Greek Cypriot threat. TMT used the symbol of the Gray Wolf
, an important archetype from Turkish mythology and symbol of Turkish Nationalism
in mainland Turkey. The organisation announced itself to the world on 29 November 1957, when leaflets in its name were distributed around Cyprus's main towns.
) of Cyprus. It has been accused by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus
of numerous acts of terrorism
against Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike. TMT claims that their efforts were simply in response to a real threat against their community by EOKA, after 1963, by the Cypriot Government (which by then was almost exclusively Greek Cypriot in makeup) and later by EOKA B. Members of TMT were responsible for the killings of left-wing Turkish-Cypriots such as AKEL member Dervis Ali Kavazoglu and of Greek-Cypriots e.g. Misiaoulis as part of a campaign of intimidation favoring partition.
TMT activity during 1963-64 is referred to as Tourkantarsia ( Turkish mutiny ) by greek cypriot nationalists.
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
pro-taksim
Taksim
Taksim was the objective of Turkish Cypriots who supported a partition of the island of Cyprus into Turkish and Greek portions, a concept declared as early as 1957 by Dr. Fazil Küçük...
paramilitary organisation formed by Rauf Denktaş
Rauf Denktas
Rauf Raif Denktaş is the founder and the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , a de facto state which is only recognized by Turkey...
and Turkish military
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. They consist of the Army, the Navy , and the Air Force...
officer Rıza Vuruşkan in 1958 as a defence organisation to counter the Greek Cypriot
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
Fighter's Organisation EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
.
Structure
TMT's organisation structure and base had been formed as early as 1950 with its centre in YenişehirYenişehir
Yenişehir or Yeni Şehir can refer to:* Yenişehir, Mersin, a district of Mersin Province, Turkey* Yenişehir, Bursa, a district of Bursa Province, Turkey* Yenişehir, Diyarbakır, a district of Diyarbakır Province, Turkey...
, Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and its members called mujahid. Communication with its members in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
was by radio and the honorary leader of the TMT was Fatin Rüştü Zorlu
Fatin Rüstü Zorlu
Fatin Rüştü Zorlu was a Turkish diplomat and politician. He was executed by hanging after the coup d'état in 1960 along with two other politicians.-Biography:...
.
General Daniş Karabelen, in charge of unconventional warfare
Unconventional warfare
Unconventional warfare is the opposite of conventional warfare. Where conventional warfare is used to reduce an opponent's military capability, unconventional warfare is an attempt to achieve military victory through acquiescence, capitulation, or clandestine support for one side of an existing...
office of Turkey, was leading the irregular Turkish Cypriot
Irregular military
Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. Being defined by exclusion, there is significant variance in what comes under the term. It can refer to the type of military organization, or to the type of tactics used....
attacks
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
on Greek Cypriot properties. The Turkish state in 1950s had sent to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
Turkish officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and special forces veterans
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
who arrived secretly and presented themselves as bankers, [teachers and business men and trained Turkish Cypriots in tactics of unconventional warfare.
Against Enosis
In response to the growing demand for EnosisEnosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
(union of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
with Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
), a number of Turkish Cypriots became convinced that the formation of an ethnic-Turkish resistance movement was the only way to protect the interests and identity of the Turkish Cypriot population against a militant Greek Cypriot threat. TMT used the symbol of the Gray Wolf
Asena
Asena is the name of one of the ten sons, whom mythical female wolf gave birth to, in old Turkic mythology. It is associated with a Göktürk ethnogenic myth "full of shamanic symbolism"...
, an important archetype from Turkish mythology and symbol of Turkish Nationalism
Turkish nationalism
Turkish nationalism is a political ideology that promotes and glorifies the Turkish people, as either a national, ethnic or linguistic group and puts the interests of the state over other influences, including religious ones.-Pan-Turkism:...
in mainland Turkey. The organisation announced itself to the world on 29 November 1957, when leaflets in its name were distributed around Cyprus's main towns.
Favoring Partition
TMT was active mainly between 1958 and 1974, promoting partition (in Turkish: TaksimTaksim
Taksim was the objective of Turkish Cypriots who supported a partition of the island of Cyprus into Turkish and Greek portions, a concept declared as early as 1957 by Dr. Fazil Küçük...
) of Cyprus. It has been accused by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
of numerous acts of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
against Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike. TMT claims that their efforts were simply in response to a real threat against their community by EOKA, after 1963, by the Cypriot Government (which by then was almost exclusively Greek Cypriot in makeup) and later by EOKA B. Members of TMT were responsible for the killings of left-wing Turkish-Cypriots such as AKEL member Dervis Ali Kavazoglu and of Greek-Cypriots e.g. Misiaoulis as part of a campaign of intimidation favoring partition.
TMT activity during 1963-64 is referred to as Tourkantarsia ( Turkish mutiny ) by greek cypriot nationalists.