Their most significant attack of this period was the Maraş massacre in December 1978 when over 100 Alevis were killed . They are also " alleged to have been behind " the Taksim Square massacre on May 1 , 1977 . The Grey Wolves became a " state-approved force " and used attacks on left-wing groups to " cause chaos and demoralization and inflame a climate in which a regime promising law and order would be welcomed by the masses . " During this violent period , Grey Wolves operated with the encouragement and the protection of the Turkish Army Special Warfare Department . The conflict between left-wing and right-wing groups eventually resulted in a military intervention in September 1980 when General Kenan Evren led a coup d'état . According to Daniele Ganser , at the time of the coup , there were some 1,700 Grey Wolves organizations , with about 200,000 registered members and a million sympathizers . Following the 1980 coup the Grey Wolves and MHP were banned . Their activism was diminished . The nationalist view was that they were " used and then discarded " by higher powers
Maraş massacre
Maraş massacre
Grey Wolves (organization)