I am trying to make an rpg with flash and I want it to have turn based battles
but I am very new to flash and I have no idea how to go about making a battle
engine. Please, any help would be appreciated.

I would say the best help I can give you is to recommend getting a book on
Flash and learning it from the ground up. This is a pretty complicated project
you are trying to engage in for a newbie.

First thing tho, as with any computer program, is to do get up from the
computer and get a pad of paper or white board or some other scratch medium.
Then write out your idea. What do you want.

Fer instance:

I want players to control giant turtles attacking Tokyo.

Include how they win, the functionality of each "character" etc etc. Start
very general and then go back through and get more specific with each step.

Then when you are ready, you will know exactly what you are going to try and
accomplish in Flash.

Well, i have a pretty good idea on what i want its very similar to many other
rpgs but i have no idea how the code is to be witten, do i use a whole bunch of
frames, or do I make a whoole bunch of symbols.

I am definately planning on getting a book. do you have any recomendations?

A lot depends on what and how you are want to do it. You can go with looping
frames for similar type sequences. Like swinging a sword. Or you can code it
in AS.

Personally I do everything in AS because I am an old school programmer. :)