Turkey

We received this article a few days ago from a Turkish Marxist, who looks at the reasons behind the failure of Turkey's parliament to pass a motion giving the US the right to move its troops across Turkish territory into Iraq. Now it seems the Turkish government is attempting to get a second motion authorising the US to use Turkish air space to bomb Iraq, and this is to be voted on tomorrow.

On March 1, Ankara witnessed two important events. While as a result of the dirty haggles between the government and the US, parliament was negotiating the government petition for a permit to allow US troops on to Turkish soil, there were tens of thousands of workers and youth in the streets of Ankara shouting no to war in Iraq. From Turkish Marxist website Marksist Tutum.

On December 1, 20,000 people took part in an anti-war demo in Istanbul. Although there was a lively and angry mood on some sections of the demo the turnout was rather low compared to previous demonstrations. The trade unions did not help as, although they were officially part of the promoting group, they did very little to mobilise their forces. This, in spite of the fact that an overwhelming majority of 80-90 percent of the population is against the war.

The coming period will be a test for the AKP government. The workers and toilers in general, who voted for the AKP seeing in it a hope for salvation, need to draw important lessons from this coming period of government on the basis of their own experiences. The truth has to be explained and the advanced layers need to be organised. This task falls on the shoulders of revolutionary Marxists.

Turkey's political establishment has been stunned by the landslide election victory of the moderate Islamic Justice and Development Party, the AKP. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the former mayor of Istanbul who leads the party, won a crushing victory in Sunday's election. None of the parties that went into parliament at the last elections have survived. This dramatic turnaround is an expression of the anger, frustration and disgust of the masses with the corrupt and degenerate bourgeois parties, which have ruled Turkey for the last four years. However their experience of an AKP government will be a bitter lesson for them. This is another bourgeois party that will do nothing for the Turkish...

From a geopolitical point of view Turkey has an important strategic position, not only for imperialism, but also for the world proletarian revolution. Quite significant economic and industrial development has been made particularly since the 60’s and this process has enormously strengthened the proletariat. Of course, in comparison to the big European countries, the basis of Turkish capitalism remains relatively weak and unstable. The rotten and corrupt Turkish bourgeoisie has not been able to solve any of the fundamental problems of society. This article looks at the current situation in Turkey, and the tasks facing Marxists.

This a report from Turkey on the May Day celebrations. Despite intimidation from the state, and the fact that May 1 was a working day, the demonstrations in many cities were larger than in previous years.

What are your experiences with political work among women in Turkey?

A: In 1973 the leadership of the TKP decided to organise the party underground. This was combined with the attempt to build legal mass movements, the trade unions, a youth organisation and also the working women's movement. In 1975 we built the Women's Association. Starting as a very small force we began to work in the suburbs and working-class districts. Soon we came into contact with women workers from different factories.

This article was sent to us by a group of Internationalist Communist from Turkey. It analyses the role of Turkey on the international scene, the economic crisis affecting the country, how the Turkish bourgeoisie is trying to drag itself out of this crisis and the repercussions this has on its home and foreign policy.

The death fasts of the political prisoners in Turkey have reached their 208th day and the number of deaths during the last few weeks has reached 22. The total number of losses resulting from these actions has already passed 50, if we take into account the 30 prisoners who were killed during the massacre that took place during the so-called "Back to Life" operation. Furthermore, many prisoners who are fasting to death have now incurred incurable physical and mental damage.

The present war, in which US imperialism seeks to maintain its hegemony, is further aggravating the current contradictions in Turkey. Although the country is engulfed in a serious economic crisis, Turkey is setting out to undertake new roles in the region, playing "little brother" of the USA. The Internationalist Communists of Turkey report on anti-war movements, and send solidarity greetings from the Turkish workers.

This is an interview with an Internationalist Communist from Turkey active in the trade union movement, in which she describes the situation of brutal repression facing worker activists in Turkey and the effects of the recent economic crisis on the labour movement.

The death fasts of the political prisoners in Turkey have reached their 208th day and the number of deaths during the last few weeks has reached 22. The total number of losses resulting from these actions has already passed 50. We are publishing an update on the situation by our Turkish correspondents.