Armed Organization Offences in Turkish Criminal Law

As long as there has been law, there have been offences, and as long as there have been offences, there have been criminal enterprises. The state has always struggled with these organizations to protect its citizens. Accordingly, offences related to criminal enterprises are regulated under Article 220 of the Turkish Penal Code. However, some criminal enterprises differ in that they directly target the state’s existence and the organs that sustain it. In such cases, the state must first protect itself to protect its citizens. To do so, it must punish organizations that target the state's organs and existence, along with their activities. As an expression of this resolve, Article 314 of the Turkish Penal Code considers it a offence to establishing, managing, being a member of an armed organization; commiting an offence on behalf of armed organization without being a member; aiding and abeting an armed organization knowingly and willingly without being in structure of that; making propaganda for an armed organization. In this study, the aim is to introduce these offences, classified as armed organization offences in Turkish Criminal Law, to the doctrine.