Turkey

We publish here some of the solidarity letters we have received and passed on to the Tekel workers in Turkey. The courageous struggle has now gone on for 46 days and put huge pressure on the Turkish government. The letters from workers and trade unionists from all over the world are a great source of inspiration in order not to give in but fight until the victory. Please keep on sending them!

The protest of the Tekel workers is lasting for more than 40 days. Because of their consistent pressure the Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan has now decided to meet up with the trade union tomorrow evening. The hunger strike has now been postponed until Friday, pending on the results of the meeting with the Prime Minister.

We have received further news about the Tekel workers in Turkey. As a result of their determined struggle trade union confederations have pledged a general strike if the government fails to meet their demands by January 26. This marks an important step on the road to winning this dispute. Please keep on sending solidarity messages!

The Tekel workers are stepping up their struggle with a hunger strike, but also raising the demand for a general strike. The desperate conditions of these workers is pushing them to he limit. They need the solidarity of workers from all countries. Send us your messages now!

The Tekel workers in Turkey are starting a hunger strike today at 16.00 pm Turkish time in Ankara. They are requesting messages of solidarity from workers and students, intellectuals from all over the world. The message we received and forwarded below was a great source of inspiration for the workers. Please send more.

We received this article from a reader of marxist.com about the ongoing struggle of the Tekel workers in Turkey. Tekel is a tobacco and alcohol producing company which has announced the closure of plants affecting 12,000 workers. This is a very militant struggle and desreves the attention and support of workers around the world.

The Turkish parliament has voted massively in favour of granting its army permission to carry out widespread military operations inside Iraq. Diplomatic pressure has been mounting to pull Turkey back from the brink, but the Turkish army continues to amass troops on its southeastern border. From being the most stable region of Iraq, the Kurdish area may become its most unstable and bloody.

At the end April Turkey was thrown into a constitutional crisis as the ruling AK Party’s presidential candidate failed to gain the support of two thirds of parliament. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) challenged the result through the Constitutional Court. Now Turkey faces early elections. Behind all this is the ongoing conflict between the AKP, which has the backing of big capital in Turkey and imperialism, and the old Kemalist military state apparatus.

This year’s May Day rally in Istanbul was somewhat smaller than last year’s. However, there are growing tensions in Turkish society over such issues as cuts in welfare and pensions and rising unemployment.

On Sunday March 6, Turkish police forces commemorated International Working Women’s Day in their own way – by using truncheons and tear gas on demonstrators. Around one thousand people took part in the gathering organised by revolutionary left groups to mark the International Working Women’s Day, which took place at the Beyazit Square, Istanbul. The demonstrators were then tear-gassed, kicked and beaten by the police. Many people were left injured. There were so many cops and the attack was so sudden that the demonstrators were not able to resist the attack.

In Turkey around 150.000 people joined May Day demonstrations held in many towns up and down the country. As is always the case the central event was in Istanbul. For the first time since 1993 the May Day demonstration in Istanbul was split into two. It was a result of the disagreement between major labour confederations. The demonstration held in Caglayan square, which was organised by the Turk-Iş, the biggest labour confederation, was joined by 15.000 people, while the other demonstration organised by the DISK and KESK in Sarachane was joined by 30.000. In Ankara there were 10.000 people demonstrating, while 15.000 were demonstrating in Izmir, the third biggest city.

On November 20, two explosions devastated the offices of HSBC, a British-based bank, and the British consulate in a busy part of Istanbul. Marxists utterly condemn this brutal and barbarous act of terrorism. It cannot be justified on any political grounds. It does not help the people of Iraq. It does not strike a blow against world imperialism. It will not weaken the Turkish state. On the contrary. It plays directly into the hands of the state and imperialism.

This article was written in the early stages of the present war. Unfortunately for technical reasons its publication was delayed. It gives an interesting perspective as it was written by Marxists in Turkey, a country closely involved in what is unfolding in Iraq.