The National Turkish Students Union (Milli Turk Tarikat Birligi, MTTB), one of three major national youth movement coordinating bodies formed after World War Two, was founded in 1948 (Youth Movements of the World 1990, 539). The other two bodies were the National Turkish Students Federation (TMTF, founded 1948), and the National Organization of Turkish Youth (TMT, founded 1953) (ibid., 539-40). All three bodies were supported by government funding, and as such were "legally obligated to remain politically neutral" (ibid., 540). Nevertheless, the TMTF sympathized with leftist political parties, while the MTTB and TMT generally adopted more pro-government positions (ibid.). In the 1970s the MTTB affiliated with the National Salvation Party (MSP), a religious party founded in October 1972 and led by Necmettin Erbakan (PolicyWatch 9 Feb. 2000; Mideast Mirror 25 Jan. 2000). All three organizations, as well as all youth movements affiliated to political parties, were abolished or dissolved by the courts following the 12 September 1980 military coup (Youth Movements of the World 1990, 539; Istanbul Hurriyet 22 Jan. 2000). Several of the more radical former MTTB members, including Huseyin Velioglu, Burhan Basci, Isa Altsoy, Edip Gumus, Mehmet Emin Tekin, Suleyman Urek and Abdulaziz Tunc, opened the Ilim bookshop in Diyarbakir (ibid.; Mideast Mirror 25 Jan. 2000; JIR 1 Aug. 1999). This group later closed the bookshop and went into hiding to establish the Turkish Hizbollah organization (Istanbul Hurriyet 22 Jan. 2000). According to a 25 January 2000 report in Mideast Mirror, Turkish Hizbollah was "accorded the dubious honor of being named 'Number One Enemy' of the Turkish state," a status formerly reserved for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). In January 2000 Turkish Hizbollah leader Huseyin Velioglu was slain in a police operation (ibid.; Istanbul Hurriyet 22 Jan. 2000; PolicyWatch 9 Feb. 2000). Following Velioglu's death leadership of the organization was assumed by Isa Altsoy (Istanbul Hurriyet 22 Jan. 2000).

No reports of 19 May 1999 or 20 June 1999 rallies in Golcuk could be found within the time constraints of this Response.

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.

Angel, William D. 1990. Youth Movements of the World. London: Longman Group UK.

Istanbul Hurriyet [Ankara, in Turkish]. 22 January 2000. Naci Sapan. "Altsoy Appointed New Hizbullah Leader." (FBIS-WEU-2000-0122 24 Jan. 2000/WNC)

Jane's Intelligence Review (JIR) [Surrey, UK]. 1 August 1999. Vol. 11, No. 8. "The Hizbullah Movement in Turkey." (NEXIS)

Mideast Mirror [London]. 25 January 2000. Mohammad Noureddin. "The Secrets Behind the Rise and Fall of Turkish Hizbollah" (NEXIS)

PolicyWatch [Washington, DC]. 9 February 2000. No. 439. Ersel Aydinli. "Implications of Turkey's Anti-Hizbullah Operation." http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/watch/Policywatch/policywatch2000/439.htm [Accessed 28 Aug. 2000]

IRB databases.

Islam and Islamic Groups. 1992

LEXIS-NEXIS.

Revolutionary and Dissident Movements of the World. 1991. 3rd ed.

Turkey: A Country Study. 1996.

World News Connection (WNC).

World of Learning 2000. 1999.

Internet sites including:

Derechos Human Rights.

Political Parties, Interest Groups and Other Social Movements.

Social Science Information Gateway (SOSIG).

Washington Institute for Near East Policy.