The Progressive Youth Organization ( tr, İlerici Gençler Derneği - İGD) was the youth organization of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP). It was founded on 5 January 1976.

History

The İGD developed close relations with trade unions and other progressive organizations, took part in

May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...

celebrations, protests against DGMs (State Security Courts) and campaigns against the far-right

Nationalist Movement Party The Nationalist Movement Party (alternatively translated as Nationalist Action Party; tr, Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP) is a Turkish far-right and ultranationalist political party. The group is often described as neo-fascist, and has bee ...

and its youth organization. The İGD organized international solidarity activities for

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, Palestine and others, and campaigned on issues including safety of life and freedom of education, and democratization of textbooks. It worked in cooperation with the Progressive High School Students Organization (İLD) and Apprentices Organization (Çırak–Der). The İGD also worked for unity of the broader progressive youth movement, especially developing cooperation with other youth organizations such as Genç Öncü ("Young Vanguard"), the Socialist Youth League, and the Kurdish Revolutionary Democratic Culture Organization (DDKD). The organization was banned on 6 November 1979 by the martial law authorities, but continued its activities until the 12 September 1980 military coup d'etat. The İGD underwent a number of organizational changes during the military regime as the youth wing of the TKP, which was dissolved in a series of mergers after forming the

United Communist Party of Turkey United Communist Party of Turkey ( Turkish: ''Türkiye Birleşik Komünist Partisi'') was a political party in Turkey. The leadership of two banned parties Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and Workers Party of Turkey (TİP) announced in 1987 that ...

(TBKP) together with the

Workers' Party of Turkey Workers' Party of Turkey (''Türkiye İşçi Partisi'') was a Turkish political party, founded the 13 February 1961. It became the first socialist party in Turkey to win representation in the national parliament. It was banned twice (after the mi ...

(TİP), joining a new legal Socialist Unity Party in the early 1990s.

References

{{Authority control Youth wings of political parties in Turkey Youth wings of communist parties Youth organizations established in 1976

History

See also

References