Maoist insurgency in Turkey

Maoist insurgency in Turkey
Date	24 April 1972 – present; (53 years, 10 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Location	Turkey, mainly in Tunceli Province
Status	Ongoing
Belligerents
Government of Turkey	TKP/ML TİKKO; ; MKP; Maoist Party Centre; HBDH
Commanders and leaders
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ; (2014–present) ; Yaşar Güler ; (2023–present) ; Metin Gürak ; (2023–present) ; Ali Yerlikaya ; (2023–present) Former: Abdullah Gül (2007–14) ; Ahmet Necdet Sezer (2000–07) ; Süleyman Demirel (1993–2000) ; Turgut Özal (1989–93) ; Kenan Evren (1980–89) ; Fahri Korutürk (1973–80) ; Cevdet Sunay (1972–73) ; Hulusi Akar (2018-23) ; Nurettin Canikli (2017-18) ; Fikri Işık (2016-17) ; İsmet Yılmaz (2011-15, 2015-16) ; Vecdi Gönül (2002-11, 2015) ; Sabahattin Çakmakoğlu (1999-2002) ; Hikmet Sami Türk (1999) ; İsmet Sezgin (1997-99) ; Turhan Kaya (1996-97) ; Mahmut Oltan Sungurlu (1996) ; Vefa Tanır (1995-96) ; Mehmet Gölhan (1993-95) ; Nevzat Ayaz (1991-93) ; Barlas Doğu (1991) ; Mehmet Yazar (1991) ; Hüsnü Doğan (1990-91) ; Safa Giray (1989-90) ; Ercan Vuralhan (1987-89) ; Zeki Yavuztürk (1983-87) ; Ümit Haluk Bayülken (1980-83) ; Ahmet İhsan Birincioğlu (1979-80) ; Neşet Akmandor (1979) ; Hasan Esat Işık (1974, 1977, 1978-79) ; Turhan Kapanlı (1977-78) ; Sadettin Bilgiç (1977) ; Ferit Melen (1975-77) ; İlhami Sancar (1973-74, 1974-75) ; Mehmet İzmen (1972-73) ; Yaşar Güler (2018-23) ; Hulusi Akar (2015-18) ; Necdet Özel (2011-15) ; Işık Koşaner (2010-11) ; İlker Başbuğ (2008-10) ; Yaşar Büyükanıt (2006-08) ; Hilmi Özkök (2002-06) ; Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu (1998-2002) ; İsmail Hakkı Karadayı (1994-98) ; Doğan Güreş (1990-94) ; Necip Torumtay (1987-90) ; Necdet Üruğ (1983-87) ; Nurettin Ersin (1983) ; Kenan Evren (1978-83) ; Semih Sancar (1973-78) ; Faruk Gürler (1972-73) ; Süleyman Soylu (2016-23) ; Efkan Ala (2013-15, 2015-16) ; Selami Altınok (2015) ; Sebahattin Öztürk (2015) ; Muammer Güler (2013) ; İdris Naim Şahin (2011-13) ; Osman Güneş (2007, 2011) ; Beşir Atalay (2007-11) ; Abdülkadir Aksu (1989-91, 2002-07) ; Muzaffer Ecemiş (2002) ; Rüştü Kazım Yücelen (2001-02) ; Sadettin Tantan (1999-2001) ; Cahit Bayar (1999) ; Kutlu Aktaş (1998-99) ; Murat Başesgioğlu (1997-98) ; Meral Akşener (1996-97) ; Mehmet Ağar (1996) ; Ülkü Güney (1996) ; Teoman Ünüsan (1995-96) ; Nahit Menteşe (1993-95) ; Beytullah Mehmet Gazioğlu (1993) ; İsmet Sezgin (1991-93) ; Sabahattin Çakmakoğlu (1991) ; Mustafa Kalemli (1987-89, 1991) ; Ahmet Selçuk (1987) ; Yıldırım Akbulut (1984-87) ; Ali Tanrıyar (1983-84) ; Selahattin Çetiner (1980-83) ; Orhan Eren (1980) ; Mehmet Gölcügil (1979-80) ; Vecdi İlhan (1979) ; Hasan Fehmi Güneş (1979) ; İrfan Özaydınlı (1978-79) ; Korkut Özal (1977-78) ; Necdet Uğur (1977) ; Sabahattin Özbek (1977) ; Oğuzhan Asiltürk (1974, 1975-77) ; Mukadder Öztekin (1973-74, 1974-75) ; Ferit Kubat (1972-73) ;	İbrahim Kaypakkaya ; Süleyman Cihan †; Kazım Çelik †; Mehmet Demirdağ † Cüneyt Kahraman †; Cafer Cangöz †; Nubar Ozanyan †
Units involved
Ministry Of National Defense Turkish Armed Forces Turkish Land Forces; Turkish Air Force; Turkish Naval Forces; ; Special Forces Command ; ; ; Ministry of the Interior General Directorate of Security Riot Police; Police Special Operation Department; ; Gendarmerie General Command Gendarmerie Intelligence Organization; ; ; Ministry of Foreign Affairs;	Martyr Nubar Ozanyan Brigade People's Partisan Forces Dersim Regional Committee
Strength
23,500 (2008)	Unknown
Casualties and losses
	More than 700 dead in total; >100,000 displaced.

The Maoist insurgency in Turkey, referred by the Maoists as the People's War (Turkish: Halk savaşı), is an ongoing low-level insurgency in eastern Turkey between the Turkish government and Maoist rebels that began in the early 1970s. The insurgency declined in the late 1980s and 1990s and has been sidelined by the larger Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–2025). Low-level armed attacks continue to be carried out by Maoist insurgent groups, the most significant of which are the Liberation Army of the Workers and Peasants of Turkey (TİKKO) (the armed wing of the Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist–Leninist) and the People's Liberation Army (HKO) and People's Partisan Forces (PHG), both armed wings of the Maoist Communist Party.