Grey Wolves training camps

{{Short description|Training camps used by Turkish nationalist Grey Wolves}}

Grey Wolves training camps were camps for ideological and paramilitary training that were established by Alparslan Türkeş. The camps specialised in providing urban warfare training to members of the Grey Wolves. The camps were founded in 1968 and fully dissolved by 1978.{{Cite web |last=AYDIN |first=Gülden |date=2010-05-02 |title=Dev-Solcularla komşu kamplarımız vardı |url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kelebek/dev-solcularla-komsu-kamplarimiz-vardi-14584563 |archive-url= |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=www.hurriyet.com.tr |language=tr}} As part of Operation Gladio, the United States funded and sent weapons to the camps, and the trainers at the camps were TSK veterans who had also received training from the United States beforehand.{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Martin A. |date=1998-04-12 |title=Turkish Dirty War Revealed, but Papal Shooting Still Obscured |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-apr-12-op-38664-story.html |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} The first session started on July 14, 1968, in the cities of İzmir, and Gümüldere. By 1969, over 100,000 people were trained at the camps.{{Cite web |last=Ersozoglu |first=Eren |date=2021-04-15 |title=Grey Wolves: Turkey’s Shadow Network Facing Backlash in Europe |url=https://greydynamics.com/grey-wolves-turkeys-shadow-network-facing-backlash-in-europe/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Grey Dynamics |language=en-GB}} The camps grew to 35 by the end of 1970.{{Cite book |last=Bozkurt |first=Celil |title=1968 OLAYLARI'NIN TÜRK SİYASETİNE ETKİSİ: MİLLİYETÇİ HAREKETİN "KOMANDO" KAMPLARI |pages=64–84}} There were a total of over 100 camps across Turkey, in cities such as İzmir, Yozgat, Çankırı, Kayseri, Trabzon, Antalya, Ankara, and Istanbul. The soldiers were described as being "well-disciplined",{{cite book |last=Uslu |first=Nasuh |title=The Turkish-American Relationship Between 1947 and 2003: The History of a Distinctive Alliance |date=2003 |publisher=Nova Science |isbn=978-1-59033-832-2 |location=New York |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6sgzChQ-0FMC&dq=wolves+(in+turkish+bozkurtlar)&pg=PA49 49]}} and after graduating from the camps, they had fought in the Turkish political conflict and were involved in shootouts, assassinations, and other attacks against leftists, Alevis, Kurds, and Islamists.{{Cite book |last=Combs; Slann |first=Cindy C.; Martin |title="Grey Wolves". Encyclopedia of terrorism. New York: Facts On File. |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-4381-1019-6 |pages=110 |quote=The Grey Wolves, the unofficial militant arm of the MHP, has been involved in street killings and gunbattles.}}{{cite book |last1=Martin |first1=Augustus |title=Terrorism: An International Perspective |last2=Prager |first2=Fynnwin |publisher=SAGE Publications |year=2019 |isbn=9781526459954 |location=Thousand Oaks, California |page=302 |chapter=Part II: The Terrorists – Violent Ideologies: Terrorism From the Left and Right |lccn=2018948259 |quote=The Grey Wolves – The most prominent organization of the violent right wing in Turkey is the Grey Wolves. The Grey Wolves are named for a mythical she-wolf who led ancient Turks to freedom. Its wolf's-head symbol is displayed by MHP members and other nationalists. The Grey Wolves have been implicated in many attacks against leftists, Kurds, Muslim activists, and student organizations. They have also been implicated in attacks supporting the Turkish occupation of Cyprus. Mehmet Ali Ağca, who was convicted of shooting Pope John Paul II, was a former Grey Wolf. |access-date=17 November 2021 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f8p-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA302 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113184247/https://books.google.com/books?id=f8p-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA302 |archive-date=13 January 2023 |url-status=live}}