Grey Wolves

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**Grey Wolves** (Bozkurtlar) also known as **Idealist Hearths** (Ülkü Ocakları)are Turkish far-right ultranationalist paramilitary organization who has connections with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Grey Wolves are in the list of terrorist organizations in Kazakhstan, France and Azerbaijani (only in 1995). Doing wolf salute is banned in Austria. It was also recommended to be recognized as a terrorist organization by the European Union, but the Turkish state (AKP) harshly reacted to that. The organization has involved in human and arms trafficking. And involved in illegal drug trade many times. The organization has long been a suspect in investigations into the Turkish "deep state" and mafia. The organization was described as the paramilitary or militant wing of the MHP.

## Origins

Established by Colonel Alparslan Türkeş in the late 1960s, it rose to prominence during the late 1970s political violence in Turkey when its members engaged in urban guerrilla warfare with left-wing activists and militants especially with now dissolved far-left Revolutionary Youth Federation of Turkey terrorist organization.

## Relationships

### Allies:

* Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
* Justice and Development Party (currently)
* Alperen Hearths

#### Enemies:

* Kurdistan Workers' Party
* Revolutionary Youth Federation of Turkey
* ISIS
* Hezbollah
* Justice and Development Party (formerly)
* Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)
* Yeni Akit (formerly)
* People with left-wing political views

## Members

### Leadership:

* Alparslan Türkeş (founder and first leader of MHP and Grey Wolves)
* Devlet Bahçeli (second and current leader of MHP)
* İrfan Özcan (1990-1991)
* Servet Avcı (1990-1991)
* Suat Başaran (1991-1992)
* Ulvi Batu (1992-1993)
* Alaattin Aldemir (1993-1996)
* Azmi Karamahmutoğlu (1996-1997)
* Mustafa Hakan Ünser (1997)
* Atila Kaya (1997-2003)
* Alişan Satılmış (2003-2005)
* Harun Öztürk (2005-2012)
* Olcay Kılavuz (2012-2018)
* Sinan Ateş (2019-2020)
* Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım (2020-currently)

#### Notable Members

* Mehmet Ali Ağca (assassin)
* Oral Çelik (asssassin)
* Kartal Demirağ (assassin)
* İsmet Şahin (killed two person and a soldier and executed on 4 June, 1981)
* Ali Bülent Orkan (one of the perpetrators of the Piyangotepe Massacr. Executed on 13 August, 1982)
* Ünal Osmanağaoğlu (one of the perpetrators of the Bahçelievler Massacre and Kemal Türkler assassination)
* Onur Gencer (responsible for shooting of HDP's office in İzmir)
* Adem Karadağ (responsible for 2015 Bangkok bombing)

## Massacres and attacks

In the years when there were right-wing and left-wing conflicts in Turkey, Grey Wolves were involved in some attacks. Their attacks were against leftists, leftist students and generally Alevis. The reason they are against Alevis is that they don't think Alevis are real Muslims. Even today, some Grey Wolves members vandalize the houses where Alevis live and draw "X" on the doors of their houses with spray paint.

### 1 May Massacre

1 May Massacre (also known as Bloody 1 May) was armed attack made by Grey Wolves against a group of left-wing activist on Beyoğlu,İstanbul. 34 died and 136 wounded.

### 16 March Massacre

16 March Massacre (also known as Beyazıt Massacre) was a bomb attack on İstanbul Universty against a left-wing students that killed 7 student and wounded 41 student.

### Malatya Massacre

The Malatya Massacre was an anti-Alevi activity that took place on April 17, 1978 in Malatya, Turkey. 8 people (3 of them were child) died, 20 people wounded and 1000 workplace got damaged.

### Balgat Massacre

On August 10, 1978 a group of Grey Wolves attacked to 4 coffehouses that generally visited by leftist people that caused death of 5 people and got 10 people wounded. One of the shooters, Mustafa Pehlivanoğlu executed on 7 October 1980.

### Bahçelievler Massacre

A group of Grey Wolves killed 7 member of Workers' Party of Turkey.

### Maraş Massacre

Maraş Massacre was a massacre against Kurds,Alevis and leftists between 19 and 26 December. 111 people were killed (inclouding kids). 559 houses belonging to Alevis were arsoned, nearly 290 workplaces were damaged. As a result of the trials that lasted for 23 years, 22 people were sentenced to death, 7 to life imprisonment, and 321 to 1-24 years. 68 people who played an important role in the massacre could not be reached. It is accepted as one of the events that caused the September 12 Coup.

### Piyangotepe Massacre

On May 16, 1979 a group of right-wing millitant shooted at a coffehouse generally visited by leftist people. 7 died and 2 wounded. One of the shooters Ali Bülent Orkan executed after 12 September coup. Another shooter Erol Türkmen committed suicide while he was getting arrested.

### Çorum Massacre

In 1980 between the May and June a group of Grey Wolves attacked to a neighbourhood where mostly Alevis live. In the events 57 people died most of them were Alevi.

### Sivas Massacre/Madımak Massacre

On July 2,1993 a group of radical Islamists arsoned Hotel Madımak where 33 Alevi stayed. It caused death of 33 Alevi artists,2 hotel employee and 2 of the arsonists. Before the massacre they stoned the hotel and burned cars in front of the hotel.

## 1995 Azerbaijani coup attempt

Between 12 and 17 March 1995 a coup attempt by Azerbaijani soldiers by a group of the army under the command of Special Purpose Police Unit Commander Colonel Rovshan Javadov. The aim is to take the dominance of the country from President Heydar Aliyev and to bring the previous President Ebulfez Elçibey to power. However, before the coup attempt, Turkish President Süleyman Demirel informed Aliyev about the events supporting the coup attempt by phone. On March 17, 1995, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces surrounded the military camp of the junta, and Javadov was captured dead in the ensuing conflict. The coup was supported by Nationalist Movement Party and Grey Wolves. Grey Wolves were included in the list of terrorist organizations in Azerbaijan for a year in 1995.

## Assassinations

* **Abdi İpekçi assassination:** Abdi İpekçi was a Turkish journalist. On 1 February 1979 he got murdered while he was riding his car by Oral Çelik and Mehmet Ali Ağca.
* **Kemal Türkler assassination:** Kemal Türkler was a Turkish politician and one of the founding members of Workers' Party of Turkey. He got murdered in a shooting in front of his house.
* **Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II:** On 13 May 1981 Mehmet Ali Ağca tried to murder Pope John Paul II. Ağca was later pardoned by the pope.
* **Attempted assassination of Turgut Özal:** On 18 June 1988 Kartal Demirağ attempted a assassination to prime minister (later president) Turgut Özal. One bullet wounded his finger while another bullet missed his head. The assassin, Kartal Demirağ, was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment but pardoned by Özal in 1992.
* **Sinan Ateş assassination:** Sinan Ateş was the general president of the Grey Wolves between 2019 and 2020. He got assassinated in Ankara on 30 December 2022. His death was closely associated with the Nationalist Movement Party and the Grey Wolves. A provincial director from Nationalist Movement Party, a former Grey Wolves manager and two police officers were arrested or detained.