MLCP is the vanguard detachment and general staff of the proletariat of Turkish and Kurdish nations and of Laz, Abkhazian, Georgian, Circassian, Gypsy, Arabic, Armenian and Greek national communities. MLCP marches under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism and on the road of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin.

MLCP, who upholds the principle of proletarian internationalism and is the branch of world communist movement in our land, bases itself on dialectical and historical materialism.

1- All who are over 18 years old, who accept the programme and the constitution of MLCP, who actively work in one of the organizations of MLCP and who pay their membership dues regularly may be members of MLCP.

The lowest body authorized to admit to membership is the Provincial Committee. Upon the acceptance of application for membership, begins a period of candidate membership. The period of candidate membership lasts from six months to one year. Abroad, the period of candidacy lasts from one year to two years. Application for membership requires the motion of two members, acceptance of the Provincial Committee and approval of the CC.

2- Duties of members

a) To comply with the decisions and the discipline of MLCP, to mobilize all his/her capacity and energy for the realization of the policies of MLCP, to defend the line of MLCP and strive for its development, to participate actively organizational life and to be an uncompromising and militant fighter against bourgeoisie and all forms of reaction in line with the aims of MLCP.

b) To study classical works of Marxism-Leninism and to develop his/her knowledge of them. To study and learn the experiences and lessons of the communist and revolutionary struggles both on the national and international scale. To watch out for the unity of theory and practice.

c) To be loyal to Marxism-Leninism and to defend it against all shades of anti-Marxist currents.

d) To wage a struggle against the influence of bourgeois-feudal ideas and feelings in his/her private life and in organizational life. To shape his/her private life in a communist way and to be a shining example in political activities through his/her behaviour and morality. To break off all his/her overt or covert ties with the existing order, to renew himself/herself continuously and to wage a struggle in order to arrange all facets of his/her life in a communist way. To frank and honest towards the organization, to his/her comrades and to people. To be honest, sincere and determined in criticism and self-criticism. Not to conceal anything from the organization.

e) To be vigilant against the political police. To defend the organization from the attacks of the enemy. To behave like a communist during police interrogation, at the court and in prison. To defend the interest of revolution and that of the organization like the apple of one's eye. Never to disclose any secrets concerning organizational activities.

f) To have a communist vigilance and awareness to be able to repulse all sorts of fractional activity and influence. To protect meticulously the unity of the organization.

3- Rights of members

a) The right to criticize programmatic, strategic and tactical views of the organization, the right to criticize organizations and the leading members of MLCP at every level.

b) The right to put forward opinions, criticism and proposals at organizational meetings, at general members' meetings and on similar platforms and in the internal press of the organization, the right to propose a large scale discussion.

c) The right to elect and be elected.

d) The right to participate directly in discussions in the authorized body concerns him/her, the right to put forward his/her defense to the authorized body before being penalized.

e) The right to appeal at the CC or the Congress level against decisions concerning themselves in accordance with organizational procedure.

f) The right to resign from the organisation.

4- Rights and duties of candidate members

a) There is no distinction between members and candidate members in terms of duties.

b) Candidate members do not have the right to elect or to be elected and the right to be commissioned in committees or in similar bodies. Apart from these restrictions, they are entitled to all rights of members. Candidate members are represented at the Congress.

5- The basic organization principle of MLCP is democratic centralism. The road shown principle of MLCP's administration is collectivism.

a) MLCP is organized on the basis of production units and territorial divisions.

b) MLCP is in favor of the election system for the designation of all of its organs. But under conditions of strict illegality required by the existence of fascism, the election system is valid only for the holding of the Congress and the formation of the CC. Other organizations are appointed by the decision of their higher bodies.

c) In all cases where elective principle is applied, methods of individual candidacy and secret ballot are observed.

d)The secretaries and vice-secretaries of each body are designated by appointment backed by the method of democratic consultation.

e) In accordance with the principle of democratic centralism, individual is subordinated to the organization, lower bodies are subordinated to higher bodies, minority is subordinated to majority, whole organization is subordinated to the CC and the CC is subordinated to the Congress.

f) Every lower body submits regular activity reports to its higher body. The frequency of these reports are determined by the CC. The CC is responsible for their evaluation and for the transmission of the conclusions to relevant organizations.

g) All MLCP organizations have autonomy of action within the framework MLCP's line and decisions.

h) Freedom of opinion and the unity of will are ensured by democratic centralism. Every member has the right to put forward his/her opinions and proposals, to discuss and to vote.

i) The organizational functioning principle of MLCP is collectivism. MLCP gives precedence to collective reason and collective will in its functioning considers criticism and self-criticism as one of its lifebloods. MLCP considers its errors within the framework of its responsibility towards the class.

6- Cell:

a) Cell is the primary organization of MLCP. It consists at least of, three members and candidate members.

b) Cells represent MLCP and carry out the tasks that are assigned to them by the organization.

7- Local Organizations

a) Local organizations put into practice the line of MLCP and decisions of the higher bodies in their own fields and direct all organizational activity.These organizations attend to all the problems in their spheres of work and have the right to take all the necessary decisions. In case of need, they can form various bodies such as committees, commissions etc.

b) Local committees have the right to publish newspapers, bulletins etc. on their behalf in accordance with the line of MLCP.

c) Provincial Committees are local leading centres.

d) MLCP takes into account Kurdish national reality in its organizational line and organizes a Kurdistan Section.

8- The organization abroad: MLCP's organization abroad is formed by the CC.

9- As the communist mass youth organization of MLCP among masses of youth, Komsomol works on the basis of the principle of ideological-political attachment and organizational independence.

10- All bodies of MLCP, including the CC, form women's commissions for their activities concerning women

11- Congress, extraordinary congress

The highest body of MLCP is the congress. It is held once in every three years.

a) The agenda of the congress is announced at least three months before its opening.

b) Representation ratio for congress is decided by the CC.

Delegates are designated through elections. The elections are held on the basis of organization and membership.

c) Attendance of the absolute majority of the delegates is imperative for the congress to be opened and for its resolutions to be officially binding.

d) The CC has the authority to advance or postpone the ordinary congress. Duration of postponement can not exceed six months.

e) The extraordinary congress is called upon the demand of absolute majority of present members or of two-thirds of Provincial Committees or by the initiative of the CC. Mode of formation of the extraordinary congress is the same as that of that of the ordinary congress.

f) The CC should inform the organization of the demand of the members for the convening the extraordinary congress within one month after having received it.

g) If the CC does not convene the congress within six months, Provincial Committees have the right to form a congress preparatory committee, with the authority of the CC and hold the congress within six months.

h) Under circumstances in which the CC has been dealt heavy blows as a result of enemy attacks, all provincial committees convene a meeting and designate a congress preparatory committee to organize an extraordinary congress.

i) The congress hears the CC's report. It elects a new CC (its members and alternate members). It adopts resolutions concerning theoretical, political and organizational questions. The congress is the authoritative body for the solution of questions relating to programme and constitution.

12- Conference

a) In case of need conference are held between two congresses. The mode of representation and the agenda of the conference are decided by the CC.

b) For the conference decisions to be put into practice, they should have the approval of the CC.

13- The Central Committee

The CC is the highest body of MLCP between two congresses.

During this period, the CC directs MLCP, represents it in all spheres and puts the resolutions of the congress into practice. The CC leads al activities, decides upon tactics of MLCP and directs its finances.

a) The CC effects in its ranks an internal organization in accordance with the needs of specialization. It prepares an internal constitution to regulate its functioning.

b) In case of a contraction of its membership, the CC admits new members from among its alternate members (according to seniority). The CC members captured by the enemy retain their status, unless there is a particular reason to the contrary. Upon their release, alternate members admitted in the meanwhile retain their CC membership.

c) The CC may coopt new members into itself, the aggregate of which can not exceed one-third of the total of the CC elected at the congress. Approval of two-thirds majority of the CC is required for the admittance of new members.

d) The removal of the members and the alternate members from the CC requires a decision of two-thirds majority of the CC members adopted at an enlarged plenary session. The expulsion of CC members from the ranks of MLCP requires the unanimous decision of the rest of the CC.

e) CC members are natural delegates to the congress with voting rights. Alternate members, may be elected as delegates to the congress by their own committees.

14- To comply with the strictest organizational discipline, is the highest duty of all members and organizations. Decisions of the Congress, of the CC and of all leading bodies are carried out in a definitive and complete manner. Questions over which differences occur are discussed freely in the ranks of the organization until a decision is taken.

a) The CC can start an internal discussion with the aim of education of militants. Discussions concerning programmatical and constitutional questions however, should be contingent upon the convening of the Congress.

b) Upon the demand of half of the committees of MLCP, the CC is obliged to open an internal discussion.

c) Members join discussions and advance their proposals in their organizational units or on legitimate organizational platforms (congress, conference, and internal journal). Approaches to the contrary are inadmissible, since they lead to the violation of organizational discipline.

d) Members who violate organizational discipline are penalised with sanctions, such as warning, heavy warning, temporary removal from responsibilities, downgrading, debarring from holding leading posts for a certain period, downgrading to candidate membership, suspension of membership for a certain period and expulsion.

e) The expulsion from membership requires the decision of the provincial committee and the approval of the CC. Provincial committees are authorized to deliver the other sanctions, which take effect immediately. Right to appeal for all sanctions is recognized. The appeals are made to the CC.

f) The membership status of members who violate the rules systematically, is reviewed. Members who do not pay their membership dues two times consecutively are reprimanded; three-consequtive non-payment put an end to membership status.

g) Expelled ex-members or removed members have the right to appeal to the first congress if they maintain their contact with the organization.

h) Members who capitulate under torture lose their membership status.

15- MLCP is an unity of will and action that can not allow existence of factions. All forms of factional activity and any call for the formation of factions are forbidden and require expulsion from membership. All are obliged to inform the CC about any possible factional activity and the CC is obliged to inform the organization about any possible factional activity within its own ranks. None of the rules of MLCP can be utilized to the detriment of the organization.

Organizational work and contacts are conducted in accordance with legitimate rules of functioning. Establishment of arbitrary contacts without regard to authorized bodies is forbidden and constitute a breach of discipline.

16- The financial sources of the organization consist of membership dues, donations and other revenues, procurement of which do not contradict the aims of the organization. It is the CC who decides on the amount of membership dues. In determining this figure, the CC takes into account the position of lowest paid workers.

The Second Congress, 1997