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Deniz GezmisLawyer, participant in the Turkish movement of 1968
Date of Birth: 27.02.1947
Country:  Turkey |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Political Activism and the 1968 Movement
- Arrest and Escape
- Foundation of the Turkish People's Liberation Army
- Capture and Execution
- Attempts to Prevent Execution and Final Words
Early Life and Education
Deniz Gezmiş, born in 1947, spent his childhood in various parts of Turkey due to his father's occupation as a teacher. He completed his secondary education in Istanbul, where he developed an interest in politics and joined the leftist movement.
Political Activism and the 1968 Movement
In 1965, Gezmiş became a member of the Workers' Party of Turkey. During his legal studies at Istanbul University in 1968, he co-founded the Revolutionary Lawyers' Organization. He became a prominent figure in the 1968 Istanbul protests, leading the student occupation of the university and participating in demonstrations against the US ambassador and the US 6th Fleet visit.
Arrest and Escape
Gezmiş was arrested multiple times for his activism. In 1969, he was injured and arrested in a student protest. While under police surveillance, he escaped from the hospital and fled to Jordan, connecting with the PLO.
Foundation of the Turkish People's Liberation Army
After receiving guerrilla training, Gezmiş returned to Turkey and established the Turkish People's Liberation Army (THKO). In 1971, THKO robbed a bank in Ankara and kidnapped four US soldiers.
Capture and Execution
On March 4, 1971, Gezmiş and his comrades were apprehended after a shootout with Turkish soldiers. On October 9, he was sentenced to death for attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. He famously declared in court that the struggle against American imperialism was not a crime.
Attempts to Prevent Execution and Final Words
On March 26, 1972, Mahmut Chayan and his followers attempted to free Gezmiş and his comrades, but they were killed in a clash with the Turkish army. Gezmiş was executed by hanging in the Ankara Mamak Prison on May 6, 1972. His final words were a call for Turkish independence, Marxism-Leninism, and unity between the Turkish and Kurdish peoples.
