Turkey's political history is not only about elections, coups, governments or power struggles. The history of this country is also the history of young people who paid a great price, of people who put their lives on the line for what they believed in. Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan are undoubtedly the most prominent of those names.
On the morning of May 6, 1972...
Three young people in the prime of their lives were executed in Ankara Ulucanlar Prison. Exactly 54 years have passed. Turkey has changed, governments have changed, generations have changed, but the name of the Denizens has not been erased. Because some people are engraved not only in the period in which they lived, but in the collective memory of a people.
The reason why millions of people still talk about Deniz Gezmiş today is not only because of the tragic story of his execution. The real issue is that the ideas they represented still resonate in this land. Independence, equality, freedom, brotherhood of peoples and anti-imperialism... Denizler became the symbol of these very concepts.
Much has been said about Deniz Gezmiş and his friends over the years. Some saw them as heroes, others heavily criticized them. But beyond all the debates, there is one unchanging fact: They did not back down from the ideas they believed in. They continued to defend their ideas even in the face of death.
When trying to understand this today, it is not possible to make a sound assessment without looking at the Turkey of that period.
Generation 1968: Youth Who Wanted to Change the World
The 1960s were years of rising youth movements in many parts of the world. Students were setting up barricades in the streets of Paris, the Vietnam War was being protested in the US, revolutionary movements were growing in Latin America, and youth all over the world were objecting to the existing order.
Turkey was not independent from this wave.
There was a great political mobilization in universities. Young people were not only pursuing diplomas; they were discussing the future of the country, independence and democracy. It was in such an environment that Deniz Gezmiş became politicized at Istanbul University Faculty of Law.
What initially looked like a student movement evolved into a more organized structure over time. University boycotts, occupations, protests and especially anti-American demonstrations were at the center of the youth movement. The youth of that period believed that Turkey had become economically and politically dependent on foreign countries and argued that this should be fought against.
It was during these student movements that Deniz Gezmiş's name was first heard by the wider public.
He was no longer just a university student. He was a political figure who defended the idea of an independent Turkey in every environment he entered, spoke in the squares and became one of the leading figures of the youth movement.
Anti-Imperialism and the Idea of Independent Turkey
When we look at Deniz Gezmiş's entire political life, we see that the strongest emphasis was on “fully independent Turkey”.
For him, the issue was not only a matter of government. He thought that Turkey was under the influence of foreign powers economically, politically and militarily and he opposed this.
He made this clear in his defense in court:
“We fought for Turkey's full independence.”
Today, this sentence can be read as an ordinary political discourse. However, in the conditions of that period, these words carried a much harsher meaning. Because Turkey was going through one of the most tense periods of the Cold War. Right-left conflicts were deepening, the state's security policies were hardening, and youth movements were becoming increasingly radicalized.
It was in this atmosphere that Deniz Gezmiş and his friends began to see themselves not only as part of a student movement but also as part of a larger struggle for independence.
THKO Process and Discussions on Armed Struggle
As time progressed, methods of struggle began to change. The People's Liberation Army of Turkey (THKO), founded by Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan, became one of the most controversial organizations of the period.
This was one of the important breaks in the leftist movement in Turkey. Because a section of the youth movement thought that parliamentary means would no longer yield results and saw armed struggle as an option.
The establishment of THKO was precisely the product of this idea.
Plans to move into the countryside, preparations for guerrilla warfare and direct confrontation with the state were the most important topics of this period.
Of course, looking back today, these methods are still intensely debated. But for the Denizens, the issue was not a personal adventure, but an ideological choice. They defined themselves as revolutionaries fighting against imperialism and the existing order.
The following words from Yusuf Aslan's defense make this very clear:
“If we are guilty of anything, it is fighting for our people.”
This sentence is not just a defense; it summarizes the state of mind of an entire generation.
March 12 Memorandum and Atmosphere of Repression
The year 1971 was a sharp turning point for Turkey. With the March 12 Memorandum, the climate of repression in the country became even more severe. Leftist movements faced major operations.
Searches, detentions, torture and martial law courts became the daily reality of the period.
For Deniz Gezmiş and his friends, the process of escape had begun.
They became one of the most wanted figures in the state. Operations expanded. There were clashes in many places. Finally, Deniz Gezmiş and Yusuf Aslan were captured in Gemerek. Hüseyin İnan was captured later.
The judicial process that began after their arrest became one of the most talked about cases in Turkish political history.
Three Young People Unbowed in Courtrooms
For the Denizler, the court was not only a legal process. They also saw the courtrooms as a political podium.
In their defense, they constantly emphasized independence, people's struggle and anti-imperialism.
Hüseyin İnan's words are still one of the sentences that have gone down in history:
“It is an idea that is on trial, not us.”
Indeed, in those courts, not only three young people were on trial, but the ideas of an era.
Because of their stance in the courts, Deniz Gezmiş and his friends became a bigger symbol, especially among the youth. Because they did not back down, showed no remorse, and continued to defend their ideas.
Even today, when one reads their defense, one is struck by the psychological resilience shown by three young people facing the death penalty.
The Death Sentence and One of Turkey's Wounds of Conscience
After votes in Parliament, political debates and intense public pressure, the death sentences were finalized.
A significant part of Turkey opposed these executions. Intellectuals, artists, students and many political figures demanded a halt.
The action carried out by Mahir Çayan and his friends in Kızıldere was precisely aimed at preventing these executions. The aim was to put pressure on the state through the kidnapped foreign technicians and to stop the executions.
But the process ended tragically. Mahir Çayan and his friends were killed in Kızıldere. Shortly afterwards, Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan were executed.
Turkey was burying its young people.
On the morning of May 6, 1972, three young men marched to the gallows and did not back down even in their last moments.
Deniz Gezmiş's letter to his family is one of the texts that still knots one's throat today:
“I fought only for the independence and happiness of the Turkish people, without any personal interest.”
These words are not just a farewell. They are also a summary of a life.
Why were the Denizens not forgotten?
Many political figures in Turkey have been forgotten over time. But Deniz Gezmiş and his friends were not forgotten. Because they became a symbol not only of a political movement but also of a conscience.
Today, if young people still carry their posters and keep their names alive in slogans, it is not because of romantic nostalgia.
The Denizens represent the objection against injustice, the desire for independence and the will not to submit.
Especially for the younger generations, the story of Deniz Gezmiş is the story of “a young man who paid the price for the values he believed in”.
That is why Deniz Gezmiş is no longer just a name in history books. He has become one of the symbols of opposition culture, youth movements and the idea of independence in Turkey.
Legacy for Today
At a time when Turkey is still debating democracy, law, freedom and justice, it would be a great shortcoming to see the Denizens only as a part of the past.
Their story reminds us of one thing very clearly:
The future of a country is shaped not only by those in power, but also by young people who object.
Deniz Gezmiş and his friends may have lost their lives at a very young age, but they left behind a great political and social memory.
That is why 54 years later they are still talked about.
Because some people don't die.
Some people become the memory of a people.
Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan continue to live on as one of the most powerful symbols of that memory.
I once again respectfully commemorate Mahir Çayan, İbrahim Kaypakkaya and all the revolutionary youth of the 68 generation, especially Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan.