The United Freedom Forces ( tr, Birleşik Özgürlük Güçleri, or BÖG) is a joint expatriate militia of several revolutionary socialist organizations from

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

, most notably the Revolutionary Communard Party (DKP), active in the Rojava conflict of the Syrian Civil War. Inspired by the

International Brigades The International Brigades ( es, Brigadas Internacionales) were military units set up by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The organization existed ...

of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

, the militia was founded in December 2014 in Kobanê within the ''de facto'' autonomous region of

Rojava The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as Rojava, is a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria. It consists of self-governing sub-regions in the areas of Afrin, Jazira, Euphrates, Raqqa, Tabqa, ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

. The predominant

Hoxhaist Hoxhaism () is a variant of anti-revisionist Marxism–Leninism that developed in the late 1970s due to a split in the anti-revisionist movement, appearing after the ideological dispute between the Chinese Communist Party and the Party of Labo ...

Marxist–Leninist Communist Party and the

Maoist Maoism, officially called Mao Zedong Thought by the Chinese Communist Party, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed to realise a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of Ch ...

TİKKO did not join the United Freedom Forces, but together with other communist groups from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

, in June 2015, they altogether formed the

International Freedom Battalion The International Freedom Battalion ( tr, Enternasyonalist Özgürlük Taburu; ku, Tabûra Azadî ya Înternasyonal; ar, تابور الحرية العالمي), commonly abbreviated as IFB or EÖT, is a revolutionary socialist armed group co ...

Member groups

Revolutionary Communard Party

The Revolutionary Communard Party ( tr, Devrimci Komünarlar Partisi, abbreviated as DKP) is a revolutionary socialist group from Turkey. It was founded in February 2016 as a merger of the Proletarian Revolutionary Liberation Organisation ( tr, Proleter Devrimci Kurtuluş Örgütü, abbreviated as PDKÖ) and the Revolution Party of Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Devrim Partisi, abbreviated as TDP). Devrimci Karargâh joined in 2017. The party is the most notable group behind BÖG and also part of the Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement alliance in Turkey with the PKK and nine other groups.

MLSPB-DC

The Marxist–Leninist Armed Propaganda Corps-Revolutionary Front ( tr, Marksist Leninist Silahlı Propaganda Birliği-Devrim Cephesi, abbreviated as MLSPB-DC) is a communist armed group from Turkey. A battalion was created by Devrimci Karargâh and MLSPB-DC named after Alper Çakas, an MLSPB-DC fighter killed while fighting in Rojava. It is also part of the Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement. Sosyal Isyan banner1

Sosyal İsyan

Social Insurrection ( tr, Sosyal İsyan, abbreviated as Sİ) is a green anarchist and platformist group from Turkey. Sİ was founded in 2013, in the Tuzluçayır district of

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

. Members of the group cite the influence of Alfredo M. Bonanno,

Nestor Makhno Nestor Ivanovych Makhno, The surname "Makhno" ( uk, Махно́) was itself a corruption of Nestor's father's surname "Mikhnenko" ( uk, Міхненко). ( 1888 – 25 July 1934), also known as Bat'ko Makhno ("Father Makhno"),; According to ...

, and

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (, , ; 15 January 1809, Besançon – 19 January 1865, Paris) was a French socialist,Landauer, Carl; Landauer, Hilde Stein; Valkenier, Elizabeth Kridl (1979) 959 "The Three Anticapitalistic Movements". ''European Socia ...

Units

*Women's Freedom Forces (Kadın Özgürlük Gücü) *Devrimci Cephe ** Devrimci Karargâh *Aziz Güler Özgürlük Gücü Milis Örgütü *Kader Ortakaya Timi *Kızılbaş Timi *Mahir Arpaçay Devrimci Savaş Okulu *Necdet Adalı Müfrezesi *Spartaküs Timi *Şehit Bedreddin Taburu *Kader Ortakaya Timi *Emek ve Özgürlük Cephesi

Controversy with Turkey

On 21 September 2015, BÖG commander Aziz Güler (

nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

: Rasih Kurtuluş) was killed by a landmine explosion whilst fighting against

ISIL An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...

. His body was taken to a hospital in Serê Kaniyê (Ras al-Ayn) to be brought back to

. Turkish authorities refused to allow his body into the country, sparking controversy. His family had appealed to the

Suruç Suruç (, ku, Pirsûs, script=Latn, ''Sruḡ'') is a rural district and city of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, on a plain near the Syrian border southwest of the city of Urfa. History In antiquity the Sumerians built a settlement in the area. ...

district governorate, which rejected their application due to an invisible order by the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or ...

, and the

Constitutional Court of Turkey The Constitutional Court of Turkey ( tr, , sometimes abbreviated as ''AYM'') is the highest legal body for constitutional review in Turkey. It "examines the constitutionality, in respect of both form and substance, of laws, decrees having the for ...

, which also rejected their requests, before turning to the

European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that ...

. After 59 days, Güler's body was able to enter Turkey and was buried in

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

on 22 November 2015.

External links

References

Bibliography

* {{cite magazine , author = The Carter Center , date = 27 February 2017 , title = Foreign Volunteers for the Syrian Kurdish Forces , url = https://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/peace/conflict_resolution/syria-conflict/foreign-volunteers-for-syrian-kurdish-forces-2017.02.23.pdf , location =

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, publisher =

Carter Center The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He and his wife Rosalynn Carter partnered with Emory University just after his defeat in the 1980 United States presid ...

2014 establishments in Syria Anarchist militant groups Anarchist organizations in Turkey Anti-ISIL factions in Syria Communist militant groups Communist organizations in Turkey Expatriate units and formations in the Syrian civil war Far-left politics in Turkey Guerrilla organizations International Freedom Battalion Kurdish organisations Left-wing militant groups in Turkey Military units and formations established in 2014 Political party alliances in Turkey