amckaazli t1_j2drpmn wrote on December 31, 2022 at 2:41 PM

Reply to comment by NeurodiverseTurtle in Former leader of Grey Wolves fatally shot in Ankara - Turkish Minute by LouisBalfour82

Spot on.

Gladio organizations such as Grey Wolves popped in virtually all NATO countries under threat of Soviet influence during the Cold War, not just Turkey.

However it was Turkey's decision not to disband them once the Cold War ended and use them against the Kurdish insurgency. Grey Wolves haven't been under NATO/CIA influence for more than 30 years now. It has become its own thing and rebranded itself as the youth wing of MHP (ultranationalists) to legitimize its existence. Claiming NATO has anything to do with Grey Wolves as it exists today is completely baseless (and I really don't see the point in pushing such an agenda?).

ZrvaDetector t1_j2e2k6a wrote on December 31, 2022 at 4:03 PM

They stopped being a militant group after the Cold War. If Kurdish parties like HDP which blatantly support PKK are accepted into the parliment, why wouldn't the nationalists be accepted?

amckaazli t1_j2ec4w2 wrote on December 31, 2022 at 5:08 PM

They haven't stopped being a militant group- after the 80s they started receiving direct state support and the state started filling up Turkish military ranks with Grey Wolves affiliates. Groups such as JITEM and others were directly associated with Grey Wolves and were heavily utilized against Kurdish insurgents and leftists alike, basically working as state assassins under protection of the military.

ZrvaDetector t1_j2ednxc wrote on December 31, 2022 at 5:19 PM

Existance of JITEM ended a few years after the Cold War. This stuff happened in the 90's.

amckaazli t1_j2emctj wrote on December 31, 2022 at 6:16 PM

JITEM was said to be active as late as late 90s. Grey Wolves affiliated organizations are still active as of today within police and military ranks (JOH and POH).