Anti-Imperialism in Action: Turkish Leftist Movements and Their Engagement with the Palestinian Struggle (1960s–1970s)

This article explores the formative role of transnational solidarities in shaping the ideological and strategic orientations of Turkish leftist movements during the late 1960s and 1970s, with particular analysis on their engagement with the Palestinian cause. While Turkey was not a former colony, its political and social transformations placed it within the orbit of Third World struggles. Within this framework, Turkish militants identified the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as both a symbol and a site of resistance, where internationalist ideals were tested and guerrilla warfare practices were acquired. The study draws upon the memoirs of militants who either trained in Palestinian camps or supported the resistance in different forms. By analyzing inductively recurring themes such as anti-imperialist stance, nationalism and internationalism, pragmatic orientation of the militants, and their positions vis-a-vis Islam, the article traces how broader structural pressures of imperialism intersected with lived experiences to produce distinctive political subjectivities. In recalling this critical historical period, the article contributes to broader debates on the historical and theoretical intersections of anti-imperialism, Third-Worldism, and leftist politics in Turkey, while also reflecting on the enduring relevance of solidarity as both a political language and a practice of resistance.