Turkish Revenge Brigade
{{Short description|Turkish nationalist organization}}
{{Infobox war faction
| name = Turkish Revenge Brigade
| native_name = Türk İntikam Tugayı
| native_name_lang = TIT
| war = the Political violence in Turkey and the Kurdish–Turkish conflict
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| active = {{start date|1979}}–present
| ideology = Ultranationalism{{cite web | url=https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkish-ultranationalist-militant-organization-threatens-hdp-member-with-death-news-62948 | title=Turkish ultranationalist militant organization threatens HDP member with death | date=31 August 2023 }}
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| size = Unknown
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The Turkish Revenge Brigade ({{langx|tr|Türk İntikam Tugayı}}, TİT), also referred as the Turkish Vengeance Brigade,{{Cite web|url=http://dlib.eastview.com/browse/doc/11848726|title = Welcome to East View}} is a militant Turkish nationalist organisation that has used violence against those they perceive as insulting Turkey.Haberfeld, Maki R., Joseph F. King and Charles A. Lieberman, Terrorism in Comparative International Context, (Springer Science, 2009), 94.Nash, Jay Robert, Great pictorial history of world crime, Vol.2, (Scarecrow Press Inc., 2004), 1606. In the political violence of the 1970s, TİT gained notoriety during political clashes and is believed to be responsible for over 1,000 deaths during this period. After the military coup of 1980, most of its members were arrested. They were later released and utilised by the Turkish military intelligence in operations during the Kurdish-Turkish conflict.Metelits, Claire, Inside Insurgency: Violence, Civilians, and Revolutionary Group Behavior, (New York University Press, 2010), 154-155.
Activity
=1979=
In 1979, police arrested a man named Cengiz Ayhan in Mersin on charges of being the leader of the Turkish Revenge Brigade. Ayhan denied the charges and claimed he was falsely accused of involvement in the group due to his opposition to leftist groups in Turkey.{{cite web |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=198704 |title=Today's Zaman |access-date=2012-02-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118115354/http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=198704 |archive-date=2016-01-18 }}
=1993=
According to Human Rights Watch, the murders of parliamentary deputy Mehmet Sincar and the journalist Ferhat Tepe in 1993 were carried out in TİT's name.{{cite web|url=http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/04/20/turkey10516.htm |title=Turkey: Condemn Threats on Human Rights Defenders |publisher=Human Rights Watch|date=2005-04-20 |access-date=2008-10-29}} Later, it was found that Sincar was assassinated by Kurdish Hezbollah, who intended to assassinate Nizamettin Toğuç.{{cite news | title = Sincar cinayeti çözüldü | url = http://www.aksam.com.tr/arsiv/aksam/2001/12/05/yasam/yasam8.html | publisher = Akşam newspaper | language = tr | date = 2001-12-05 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930184957/http://www.aksam.com.tr/arsiv/aksam/2001/12/05/yasam/yasam8.html | archive-date = 2007-09-30 }}
=1996=
In 1996, it is reported that they were involved with the murder of Turkish Cypriot journalist Kutlu Adalı.Nancy J. Woodhull and Robert W. Snyder, Journalists in Peril, (Transaction Publishers, 1998), 3.[https://books.google.com/books?id=HBy9n7DncA8C&q=Kutlu]
=1998=
TİT claimed responsibility for an armed attack in 1998 on the then Turkish Human Rights Association president, Akın Birdal, in which he was critically wounded.Suicide Terrorism in Turkey:The Workers' Party of Kurdistan, Prof. Dogu Ergil, Countering Suicide Terrorism: An International Conference : February 20–23, (International Policy Institute, 2001), 126.{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur44/014/2005/en/ |title=Turkey: Death threats/Fear for safety |date=19 April 2005 |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=2008-10-29 }} The perpetrator was the TİT's leader, Mehmet Cemal Kulaksızoğlu received a diplomatic passport by rogue National Intelligence Organization officer, Yavuz Ataç. That time Mehmet Cemal Kulaksızoglu never serve with Ataç but they were close friends. The boss of Kulaksizoglu was Mehmet Eymür.{{cite news|title=Gözler, MİT'çi Ataç'ta|last=Arikanoglu|first=Soner|date=23 August 1998|work=Radikal|language=tr}}
=2005=
Human Rights Association President, Eren Keskin and two HRA board members received death threats while in Istanbul.Turkey, Human Rights Watch World Report 2006, (Seven Stories Press, 2006), 409.[https://books.google.com/books?id=CDuCHOTFHg8C&dq=%22Turkish+Revenge+Brigade%22++death+threats&pg=PA409]
=2008=
In 2008, a man named Vatan Bölükbaşı was arrested during the Ergenekon trials. Bölükbaşı later identified himself as a member of TİT and said that he is moving by orders of Veli Küçük.{{Cite web|title=Ergenekon'un hücresi TİT|url=https://www.birgun.net/haber/ergenekon-un-hucresi-tit-42091|access-date=2020-11-10|website=birgun.net|language=tr}}
References
{{Turkish nationalism}}
{{Kurdish–Turkish conflict}}
Category:Paramilitary organizations based in Turkey
Category:Far-right politics in Turkey
Category:Turkish nationalist organizations