The Choice for the Working Class will certainly be
created
1. For days now Turkey is witnessing a genuine popular
movement. The actions and protests, which have started in Istanbul and spread
all over Turkey have a massive, legitimate and historic character. The most
important of all is the striking change in the mood of people. The fear and
apathy has been overcome and people gained self-confidence.
2. The Communist Party of Turkey has been part of the popular
movement beginning from the first day and mobilized all its forces, tried to
embolden the proletarian and revolutionary character of the movement,
endeavored to pervade a mature attitude of discipline, organized numerous
actions and demonstrations. In this process,the police forces carried out a
heavy assault on our party headquarters in Ankara. All over Turkey, several
party members have been injured and arrested. There have been some attempts of
abduction of our party cadres. But the attempts of provocations against our
party defeated.
3. Our emphasis on the role of the TKP does not aim to
underestimate the spontaneous nature of the movement or contribution of the
other political actors. On the contrary, the TKP stressed that this movement
has an aspect that is beyond the impact of any political actor or any kind of
political opportunism.
4. The call of the masses for the government to resign is
an absolute truth of this movement. Although it is obvious that a leftist
alternative cannot be built ‘right now’, this demand should be expressed
loudly. This option for the working people can be generated only through
benefitting from the energy that came out at this historical moment. The TKP
will focus on this and exposethe real meaning of alternatives like “the formation of a national government”,
which will most likely be put forward to deceive the working masses into
thinking that the crisis can be overcome that way.
5. Without a doubt, the holders of political power will
try to calm the people down, institute control and even attempt to use the
situation to their advantage. They can have temporary achievements. Even in
that case the popular movement would not be wasted. The TKP is ready for a
period of stubborn but intense struggle.
6. In order to act in concert, different branches of the
socialist movement sharing similar goals and concerns need to evaluate the rise
of this popular movement immediately. The TKP, without interrupting its daily
missions and activities, is going to act responsibly regarding this issue and
endeavor for the creation of a common ground in line with the urgent demands
below.
7. In order to nullify the plans of the government to
classify and divide the popular movement as legitimate and illegitimate, all
forces need to avoid the steps that might cause damage to the legitimacy of the
movement. It is the political power that attacks. The people should defend
themselves as well astheir rightful action but never fall into the provocation
trap of the government.
8. While the masses are chanting the slogan “government,
resign”, the negotiations limited to the future of the Taksim-Gezi Park are
meaningless. The government pretends not to understand the fact that the old
balances has been upset fundamentally and cannot be restored. Everybody knows
that the popular movement is not the product of susceptibility towards the
trees in the Gezi Park. The anger of the people is over the urban
transformation projects, the terror of the market, open direct interventions in
different lifestyles, the Americanism and the subordination to the US, the
reactionary policies, the enmity towards the Syrian people. The AKP cannot
deceive the people with a discourse of “we will plant more trees than the ones
that we will chop down.”
9. While rolling up our sleeves in order to create an
alternative of the working people, the movement needs to lean on certain
concrete demands. These demands are valid in the in the case of the resignation
of the government or of Erdogan:
a) The government must announce that the projects that
involve the demolishment of the Gezi Park and of the Ataturk Cultural Center
are terminated.
b) Those who were taken in custody during the resistance
must be released and all charges against them must be dropped immediately.
c) All officials whose crimes against the people are
proven by the reports of the commissions that are formed by the Union of Bar
Associations and local bar associations must be relieved of their duties.
d) The attempts that hinder the right of the people to
get true news on the developments must be stopped.
e) All prohibitions regarding meetings, demonstrations
and marches must be repealed.
f) All de facto or de jure obstacles that lock the
political participation of the people, including the 10 per cent election
threshold and the anti-democratic articles of the ‘law on political parties’,
must be abolished.
g) All initiatives that attempt to impose a monotype life
style to all people must be stopped.
10. These urgent demands will in no case affect our right
and duty to continue the opposition against the political power. The People’s
reaction to the government must be reinforced, and efforts must be concentrated
to bring about a real alternative in the political scene.
11. The star and the crescent Turkish flag that was
intended to be used to provide a shield for reactionary and chauvinist attacks
against laborers, leftists, Kurdish people after the fascist military coup of
September 12, 1980, has now been grasped by the People from the hands of
fascism, and given to the honorable hands of DenizGezmiş and his comrades, as a
flag in the hands of patriotic people.
12. The People’s movement, ever since the beginning, has
persistently let down the sinister strategy to play one community against
another in Turkey. This attitude must carefully be maintained, leaving no room
for chauvinism or vulgar nationalism.
13. Appealing to our Kurdish brothers and sisters, we had
already declared that “There can be no peace agreement with AKP”. There can be
no deal with a political power to which its own People have turned their back,
and the true face of which has been revealed. Kurdish politics must give up
“cherishing hopes of proceeding further with AKP”, and become a strong constituent
of a united, patriotic and enlightened laborer People’s movement.
14. Our citizens who have lost their lives through the
hands of the police force of the political power, have sacrificed their lives
in the name of a just and historical struggle. The People are never going to
forget their names, and those who are responsible for their death will pay the
price before law.
Central Committee
Communist Party of Turkey
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