![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml1.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml2.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml3.gif)
Last modified: 2017-07-30 by ivan sache
Keywords: communist party of turkey/marxist-leninist | türkiye komünist partisi/marksist-leninist |
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The TKP/ML is a Maoist party founded in 1972 by İbrahim Kaypakkaya and
others. Kaypakkaya started an insurgence and was captured by government
forces in 1973, tortured and shot to death. He is very much revered as a
martyr of revolution by the followers of the TKP/ML.
The TKP/ML underwent a number of splits, the main faction (since 1994)
is known as TKP/ML (Partizan). The military wing is known as TİKKO.
The TKP/ML is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey; it is, however, not outlawed in European countries and shows some activities, e.g. in Germany. Several supposed leading members of the TKP/ML are accused of foreign terrorism in a controversial trial at Munich Oberlandesgericht (higher regional court).
M. Schmöger, 3 May 2017
Symbols of the party are the Communist hammer and sickle emblem and the
image of its founder, İbrahim Kaypakkaya.
The party uses a variety of flags, many of them with the image of Kaypakkaya. As other parties and groups in the tradition
of the TKP/ML (in particular the MKP) use similar flags, it is not
always easy to decide which organization a particular flag symbolizes.
Flags of TKP/ML - Images by M. Schmöger, 3 May 2017
The flag most frequently seen (own observations and photos during demonstration against Munich Security Conference, 18 February 2017; photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo) is red with the image of Kaypakkaya (in
black and dark red) over the yellow inscription "PARTİZAN". The details
seem to differ somewhat, as the flags are obviously not mass-produced.
Another flag (photo,
photo) shows a smaller image of Kaypakkaya on a Soviet-style hammer and sickle flag.
A rare version (photo) shows a black-and-white image of Kaypakkaya over the
yellow inscription "TKP/ML", all on a Soviet-style hammer and sickle flag.
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml4.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml5.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml6.gif)
Flags of TKP/ML - Images by M. Schmöger, 3 May 2017
Another rare version (photo) shows only the yellow inscription "TKP/ML" on a
Soviet-style hammer and sickle flag.
An obviously homemade flag (photo no longer available) shows the inscription "TKP/ML" in black on a
red field.
One, also rare version (photo), shows a large hammer and sickle emblem over the
black inscription "TKP/ML" and the full name in yellow, all on a red
cloth.
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml7.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml8.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml9.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tkpml10.gif)
Flags of TKP/ML - Images by M. Schmöger, 3 May 2017
The TKP/ML also uses a couple of vertical flag variants.
The main one (photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo) shows the image of Kaypakkaya (in black and white) over the
inscription "PARTİZAN" in yellow, all on a red field; the "i" dot is
represented by a yellow five-pointed star.
A version of this flag (photo no longer available) is slightly shorter and shows the image of Kaypakkaya
in black and dark red.
A beach flag version (photo,
photo) of the first flag adds a diagonal black line between the
image of Kaypakkaya and the inscription.
Finally, there is a beach flag version (photo) of the second flag, where the letters of
"PARTİZAN" are one above the other.
M. Schmöger, 3 May 2017
TİKKO (Türkiye İşci ve Köylü Kurtuluş Ordusu / Liberation Army of the
Workers and Peasants of Turkey) is the armed wing of TKP/ML. It is active, among others, in the Kurdish parts of Syria in support of the Kurdish forces there, for instance during the battle of Kobane.
The symbol is a yellow star on red surmounted by two grey Kalashnikov
rifles (of the folding-stock version AKMS), surrounded by half a
cogwheel and half a wreath.
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tikko1.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tikko2.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tikko3.gif)
Flags of TİKKO - Images by M. Schmöger, 5 May 2017
The flag most frequently used (photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo) shows the symbol on a red field.
Another version (photo,
photo) adds the organization's abbreviation in white beneath.
There are several homemade versions of TİKKO flags, which show some
variance in the symbol. One of them (photo) adds the organization's abbreviation
in rather crude yellow letters.
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tikko4.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}tikko5.gif)
Flags of TİKKO - Images by M. Schmöger, 5 May 2017
Two flags that also are homemade, appeared during the battle of Kobane;
these flags combine the abbreviations TKP/ML and TİKKO.
The first (photo,
photo,
photo) shows the abbreviations in yellow letters, combined with
yellow hammer and sickle, all on a red field.
The second (photo,
photo,
photo) shows the letters in black on red (the "i" dot is shown as a
five-pointed star); beneath the abbreviations there is some handwritten
text that I could not figure out.
M. Schmöger, 5 May 2017
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}atik.gif)
Flags of ATİK - Image by M. Schmöger, 2 May 2017
ATİK (Avrupa Türkiyeli İşçiler Konfederasyonu / Confederation of Workers
from Turkey in Europe) is a leftist organization of Turkish workers in several
European countries, among them Germany. It is considered close to the
TKP/ML; several leading members of the ATİK are accused of being
supporters of TKP/ML terrorism in a controversial trial at Munich
Oberlandesgericht (higher regional court).
The symbol of ATİK combines a black cog-wheel, red abbreviation "ATİK"
with two angry-looking and shouting blue-collar workers (one male, one
female).
The flag (own observations and photos during demonstration against Munich Security Conference, 18 February 2017; photo, photo, photo, photo) is yellow with the symbol and the full English name of the organization (in red). There is also a simpler version of the flag (photo), showing the symbol in black only and without the full name of the organization.
M. Schmöger, 2 May 2017
YDG
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}ydg1.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}ydg2.gif)
Flag of YDG, two versions - Images by M. Schmöger, 2 May 2017
YDG (New Democratic Youth / Neue Demokratische Jugend) is the youth wing of ATİK.
The symbol of YDG shows a young woman with a torch in her raised hands
and a young man with a red flag (with large circle in the center and a
red star as finial).
The flag is yellow with the symbol, the names in Turkish and German (both in black) and the Turkish abbreviation "YDG" in red (photo); the more frequently used version (own observations and photos during demonstration against Munich Security Conference, 18 February 2017; photo, photo, photo, photo, photo) uses shadows around all text elements.
M. Schmöger, 2 May 2017YK
![[Flag]](../images/t/tr}yk.gif)
Flag of YK - Image by M. Schmöger, 2 May 2017
YK (New Woman) is the women's wing of ATİK.
The symbol of YK consists of the organization's name in black, the "i"
in "Yeni" formed by a red five-pointed star pointing downwards with a red
circle above (inside the red star another, smaller, white star, pointing
upwards).
The flag (photo, photo, photo, photo, photo) is violet with the symbol, the white inscription "New Woman" beneath and the white inscription "Özgür bir dünya yaratma mücadelesinde" (In the struggle to create a free world) above.
M. Schmöger, 2 May 2017
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