InternationalSocialistLeague
Turkish masses fight the government
O
Eye witness from RED our part in Turkey
ur Taksim resistance has gained a new dimension after the attacks carried out on the morning of 11 June in Taksim Square by the AKP dictatorship. Despite the province governor’s assurance of “they are not going to attack”, as a result of police forces severe gas attacks many people have been injured, and many have been detained. Some of the injured are fighting death... Despite all this violence, our movement that has become an open mass uprising against the dictatorship of the AKP. The resistance lasted all day long in Taksim and in the evening many continued throughout Istanbul and Turkey. In many parts of Istanbul the main roads were closed to traffic by thousands of people. Firstly in Izmir and Ankara and then in many other cities and even in small towns demonstrations continued throughout the night. On the other hand, in the evening the police threw poisonous gas and poisonous water once again and managed to disperse our barricades but not the masses. Despite the fact that they significantly damaged and burnt the tents of the Gezi Park resistance, the tents were re-built in the morning. The resistance is still standing. Until the Taksim resistance conditions are accepted by the government we will defend human dignity street by street. We would like to also mention some of the issues we have been seen to assist the success of the resistance. 1. The government is helpless in front of the resistance. The AKP that did not retreat until now is appearing to suggest a referendum proposal. The masses of people who do not accept the government are on the streets and the police attack the people violently. The AKP want to make a breathing space with the help of a referendum. While there are thousands of wounded, three dead and the comrades who grapple with death, we will not accept a referendum by forgetting everything. The government will accept our provisions and will be brought to account! 2. The resistance is still unorganised. Taksim is really fascinatingly self-
organised in solving shelter and food as well as establishing temporary infirmaries for the wounded or the distribution of the gas masks everywhere but this should not mislead us. A joint self-defence force must be created to support the resistance and to be able to reorganise when dispersed and prevent provocations. Thereby the methods and tools used to threaten the masses that joined the resistance will be blocked. 3. The working class must take part in the resistance completely. Yes, a lot of workers are participating in the protests in their districts and coming out into the streets at 9pm every evening with their saucepans. However, this action does not find support in the factories. The resistance that has open support from KESK and DISK but not TÜRK-İŞ which is oblivious, TÜRK-İŞ together with the opposition Union Collaboration Platform is inactive cooperation. All unions must call and organise a GENERAL STRIKE. For the realisation of the General Strike, all kinds of pressure must be applied to Türk-İş leadership. 4. An effective fight must be carried out against nationalism. Last weekend, around 20 provocateurs that were put into the giant rally in Taksim by the government provoked the masses against Kurds and wanted to start attacks. Our intervention along with our friends from other groups managed to stop the provocation from growing. Any behaviour that can divide the resistance will give more power to the government, it is
essential to concentrate on our demands. All people involved in the resistance must take this responsibility on. 5. Ant capitalist and revolutionary Muslim groups are supporting our resistance. These groups are our friends. They slapped the face of the government by praying at Taksim Square while Tayyip Erdogan is still trying to divide people based on religious sentiments. And the police showed who’s really attacking Muslims by destroying the mescit that was built in Gezi Park. We will not allow any discrimination against Muslim groups involved in the resistance. We call upon everyone to be sensitive in this matter. 6. Our resistance, instead of reacting day by day, should identify a roadmap. Until the adoption of the proposals we must strongly defend Taksim Square. On the other hand, those who cannot come to Taksim must spread the resistance in their neighbourhood and streets. All actions of solidarity must be organised in the other cities as well. The ruling party has organised two meetings for 15 and 16 June in Ankara and Istanbul and mobilised all the resources of the government. Our resistance on both Saturday and Sunday, also 43rd anniversary of a great workers resistance, must get together in the main squares of cities. Squares of all cities must be captured. We must show the ruling party of the state and the whole world our power of resistance. We call upon all supporters of RED Movement to take part at the front of the demonstrations. 7. AKP government, in order to
undermine the resistance in the eyes of the people are implying that the US and Israel have provoked the resistance. Even children would not believe this demagoguery. It is the AKP itself which has walked arm in arm with imperialists and Zionists until today. The explosion of anger starting in Taksim and spreading across the country is a result of the AKP government’s arrogance, repressive and anti-worker policies. The revolutionaries are fighting for the leadership. Hitherto, the revolutionaries of Turkey have led a proud fight against Zionism and imperialism. No one will swallow the government’s lies. Our resistance will not only result in the acknowledgement of our demands but the AKP government will collapse as well. Thus, the masses walking to the squares are frequently chanting GOVERNMENT RESIGN. We
adopt this slogan. The government is without an alternative; the alternative must be formed in the streets. 8. Since the first day of the uprising in different cities in the country our comrades and supporters are at the forefront of the barricades. In this exhausting process our comrades have been injured, poisoned with gases, beaten up, hit with water cannons but we did not step back not even once. We are determined. We will win and will never give up the struggle. Join us! Let’s conquer the streets and squares together! Let’s overcome the dictator! Build the future together! BARRICADE! STRIKE! REVOLUTION! UNTIL VICTORY PERMANENT REVOLUTION!
Full support to the resistance in Turkey End repression
SocialistVoice
No 2 September 2011
JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST LEAGUE, BRITISH SECTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WORKERS LEAGUE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL
Youth need jobs not police harassment
£1
Great victory of Libyan people! Beware TNC treachery! NATO out now! International Courier pages 9-11
Flames that reached high into the night during the August ‘riots’ illuminated more than burning buildings and cars they cast a penetrating light on the way the youth and poor working class communities have been neglected for decades under this and previous governments. The flames also shone a light on the future, the total destruction of working class communities or a united working class struggle fighting for socialism. The flames of the Arab revolution also showed us something, dictators can be overthrown and like in Libya important victories can be achieved quickly, as in Tripoli, when there is mass support for change. But we warn that in Libya that victory cannot stop there, now the struggle must continue against NATO, foreign control and the Transitional National Council.
The youth in England protested creating panic amongst the political and ruling elite of this country, at the same time a riot was shattering the stock markets of the world which escalated the economic crisis in the USA and Europe. The shockwaves that spread through the financial markets following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in 2008 created a financial maelstrom which is out of control and is continuing to sweep across the world causing chaos and resulting in direct attacks on the world’s working class.
The living conditions which sparked the struggles against dictatorships in the Middle East can be glimpsed in Britain: one million youth unemployed with disproportionate continued on page 3
Build action against cuts and privatisation Pages 4
Liverpool 8 activists speak Pages 5, 6 and 7
Capitalism in the post-war period Page 14
Permanent Revolution Bill Hunter Page 18
Read Socialist Voice Available from News From Nowhere, Bold Street Myrtle Parade
International Socialist League
W
e call on the world’s working class and all its organisations to support the occupations and demonstrations taking place in Turkey, the largest in the world at the moment, which spread to 48 cities. And to condemn the brutal, response to what began as a peaceful protest in Gezi Park. Over the last few days many hundreds have been injured and hundreds have been imprisoned.
Government forces have killed two protestors. The Turkish Doctors’ Union reported the death of 20-year-old Mehmet Ayvalitas, who was hit by a car on Sunday which was driven into the protesters in Istanbul’s Mayis district. Government forces have killed a second protestor in the southern city of Antakya. Abdullah Comert, 22, a member of the youth wing of the opposition Republican People’s Party. Doctors and nurses have been leaving their hospitals to provide medical help on the street to the hundreds who have been seriously injured. One of Turkey’s big trade union groups called a two-day strike on 4 June in support of the anti-government protests and the Kesk trade union confederation, which represents 240,000 workers, has accused the government of committing “state terror”. We call on all the union and social movements in the UK to stand with the people of Istanbul and Turkey against repression. Our organisations must condemn Turkish government and of any support from the British government given to Prime Minister Erdogen. The Turkish authorities are no doubt using the violent and murderers attacks to impress their masters in the USA and European Union by their actions, proving that Turkey is a safe place for capital to invest. The Turkish government has been trying to suppress any information getting out about the size of the demonstrations and the level of police brutality, but that is impossible. Social media forums have been able to tell and show the world what is happening. The images of the bravery of the protestors should mean the working class in the UK is with them as they struggle against the UK and EU plans of austerity. Full support to the demonstrations and occupations in Turkey. Support the demands of the protestors For the freedom for trade unions and protestors End to state repression Release all prisoners Punish those who gave the orders
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