The Turkish Revolutionary Communist Union (TIKB) has been variously described as a "small Marxist guerrilla group" (The Evening Standard 5 May 2000) and a "militant Turkish Kurdish group" (Guardian Unlimited 22 July 2001). TIKB's symbol is an assault rifle superimposed on a hammer and sickle (The Evening Standard 5 May 2000). The oganization is illegal in Turkey (Anatolia 21 Jan. 2001; ibid 5 Feb. 2001) and has also been banned in Germany where its members occupied a radio station in 1996 (The Evening Standard 5 May 2000). It is reported as being particularly active in both Germany and in the United Kingdom (Guardian Unlimited 22 July 2001). An Amnesty International report includes TIKB on a list of "armed opposition groups responsible for human rights abuses" in Turkey (1997).

A 5 February 2001 article reported that 26 members of TIKB had been captured in Istanbul in connection with an armed attack in Bagcilar district that resulted in the death of a policeman and the injury or two others (Anatolia). Those detained were thought to have been involved in a number of armed attacks on security forces, including bomb and fire-bomb attacks, during the transition period into F-type prisons (ibid). F-type prisons have cells for inmates rather than dormitories (Anatolia 7 Feb. 2001). During the arrest, security forces reportedly confiscated three handguns as well as explosives and banned documents (ibid).

As well, 10 TIKB members, including participants in activities which had led to the death of two people and the injury of one policeman and who had undertaken an armed attack against some police vehicles, were reportedly detained in the Umraniye Mustafa Kemal District of Istanbul (Anatolia 21 Jan. 2001). Under interrogation, some of the detainees admitted to participating in an activity in Eyip Alibeykoy in 1995 that had ended in the deaths of Emrah Saritas and Engin Topal (ibid). They were also thought to have participated in party activities in Gaziosmanpasa, Alibeykoy, Kagithane, and Umraniye, including opening fire on police vehicles, laying bombs in public buildings, organizing public demonstrations, and hanging posters (ibid).

A 25 March 2000 article reported the arrest of eight members of TIKB who, according to the Anti-Terrorism Office, had shot at a policeman and hurled molotov cocktails on Nervuz day (New Year's) in the Bayramtepe region of Kucukcekmece (Anatolia). A 29 September 1999 article reported that three unidentified assailants, reportedly chanting pro-TIKB slogans, fire-bombed the offices of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) in Istanbul's Esenyurt district (Anatolia).

During a telephone interview, Suleyman Celik, a representative of the Turkish Kurdish United Revolutionary Forces Platform (BDGP) declared - "in full unity of action" with TIKB, the Turkish Communist Party Marxist-Leninist bureau, and the Turkish Communist Workers Party - the continuation of their "revolutionary challenge against the imperialist attack against PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] leader Ocalan until the victorious end" (Med TV 19 Feb. 1999). A 3 February 1997 article reported that TIKB had claimed responsibility for the killing of Nihat Uygun, a district chairman of the Nationalist Action Party whose followers have "filled the ranks of special forces fighting the guerrillas in southeastern Turkey" (AP). TIKB said that it had killed the district chairman in order to avenge the "slaughter" of the Kurdish people (ibid).

A 28 July 1999 article refers to a Turkish Revolutionary Communist Union/Bolshevik (TIKB/B), reportedly a breakaway faction of the TIKB, established in late 1998 or early 1999 after "levelling criticisms against the organizational structure" of the TIKB (Anatolia). The same article reports that four persons were detained in Izmir by the Counterterrorism Department on "grounds of carrying out activities on behalf of the TIKB/B" (ibid).

Included amongst those detained was Yuksel Yigitdogan, the individual reportedly responsible for TIKB/B's military wing and who left Istanbul in order to establish an "Organizational Committee" in Izmir which could arrange meetings and undertake propaganda activities for the group (ibid). A later article reported that Yigitdogan was carrying a forged identity card issued to a Nail Sevimsoy (ibid. 31 July 1999). The Istanbul security director reported that Yigitdogan had been involved in numerous "terrorist activities," including: the killing of Emrah Saritas and Engin Topal in Alibeykoy on 2 August 1995 for co-operating with the security forces; the armed robbery of a gas station in Kucukcekmece Sefakoy on 23 June 1998 in which one person was killed and another wounded; staging an unauthorized demonstration in Kucukcekmece on 1 May 1998; and throwing a molotov cocktail in front of the Social Security Institute Hospital in Okmeydani on 19 October 1998 (ibid).

No reference could be found to TIKB's student wing, the Democratic University Platform (DUP) among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Amnesty International (AI). 19997. "No Security Without Human Rights." http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/turkey/turk3.htm [Accessed 6 September 2001]

Anatolia News Agency [Ankara, in English]. 5 February 2001. "Turkey: Security Forces Capture 26 TIKB Members in Istanbul." (FBIS-WEU-2001-0205 5 Feb. 2001/WNC)

_____. 5 February 2001. "Security Forces Capture Illegal Communist Organization Suspects."(BBC Summary 7 Feb. 2001/NEXIS)

_____. 20 January 2001. "Turkey: Security Forces Arrest Ten Members of Banned Group in Istanbul." (BBC Summary 21 Jan. 2001/NEXIS)

_____. 25 March 2000. "Turkey: TIKB Members Caught for Firing on Police on Nevruz." (FBIS-WEU-2000-0325 25 Mar. 2000/WNC)

_____. 29 September 1999. "Firebombs Hurled at Water Tank, DSP Office in Istanbul." (FBIS-WEU-1999-0929 29 Sept. 1999/WNC)

_____. 31 July 1999. "Illegal Organization Members Captured." (FBIS-WEU-1999-0802 31 Jul. 1999/WNC)

_____. 28 July 1999. "Four Illegal TIKB/B Members Captured in Izmir." (FBIS-WEU-1999-0801 28 Jul. 1999/WNC)

Associated Press (AP). 3 February 1997. "Local Official of Turkish Nationalist Party Slain." (NEXIS)

The Evening Standard [London]. 5 May 2000. Nigel Rosser. "Red Turks Bring Violence to Our Streets; In a Worrying New Departure for Police Officers, Violence Marxist Leninist Groups, Banned in their Own Country, Brought Their Grievances to London During the Anarchy of May Day's Riot." (NEXIS)

Guardian Unlimited. 22 July 2001. "Who's Who: the Militants." http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,525641,00.html [Accessed 6 September 2001]

Med TV [London, in Turkish]. 16 February 1999. "Kurdish United Group Calls on Kurds to Uphold Revolutionary Struggle." (BBC Summary 19 Feb. 1999/NEXIS)

IRB databases

Resource Centre. Country File

Europa World Year Book 2000

Political Handbook of the World 1999

Revolutionary and Dissident Movements of the World

Oral source:

Unsuccessful attempt to contact the Turkish Revolutionary Communist Union

Internet sites including:

Alert.net

Amnesty International

BBC

CNN

Dawn

European Country of Origin Network

Human Rights Internet

Human Rights Watch

Immigration Index

International Relations and Security Network

Middle East Intelligence Bulletin

Middle East and Jewish Studies, "Political Parties and Revolutionary Groups in Turkey"

Radio Free Europe

"Terrorism in Turkey: An Analysis of the Principle Players"

UN News

World News Connection