With
organised rallies that took place in Athens, Istanbul and
Thessaloniki, Communists in Greece and Turkey expressed their firm
stance against the dangerous, war-mongering imperialist plans in the
region.
In both Turkey and Greece, demonstrators raised their voice against the dangerous role of NATO and the US, demanding the immediate closure of foreign military bases in both sides of the Aegean.
In both Turkey and Greece, demonstrators raised their voice against the dangerous role of NATO and the US, demanding the immediate closure of foreign military bases in both sides of the Aegean.
As we reported on February 27th, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) organised a large demonstration in Athens' Syntagma
Square, which was followed by a march towards the U.S. Embassy.
During his speech, the KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas
denounced, among other things, the stance of the SYRIZA-ANEL
government which “is holding the banner of the USA and NATO because
through this choice it wants to promote the geostragetic interests of
significant parts of the large Greek capital”.
He
also highlighted the role of NATO as a factor of instability both in
the Aegean and the Balkans, pointing out that the stance of the
Euroatlantic alliance actually fuels the aggressive attitude of the
Turkish government against Greece and Cyprus. The KKE General
Secretary called the workers and the youth to join the struggle,
alongside the Communist Party, against the imperialist unions and the
policies which involve the country even deeper in the US-NATO-EU
plans.
ISTANBUL
On
Sunday 4th
March, the Communist Youth of Turkey (TKG) staged a protest in
Istanbul's Besiktas district, as part of a nationwide
anti-imperialist campaign. According to soL international, Their
protest against the "NATO, the US and their allies in Turkey"
drew heavy attention from the people.
TKG
said that Turkey has been NATO member for 66 years, which has had
grave consequences upon the lives of the people of Turkey in the
statement they read during the protest.
"As
in many European countries, the capitalist resorted to the NATO, or
in other words the patronage of the US as the greatest power of the
imperialist world, against the threat of communism and rising working
class movement", the statement said. Adding that Turkey was no
exception to this, the statement underlined that "all sovereign
rights have been violated, numerous massacres, assassinations and
coups have been organised in Turkey so that Turkey's ties with the
NATO remained tight by means of counter-guerrilla organisations."
The
statement noted that there cannot be any explanation about the
inglorious bilateral agreements between the NATO and Turkey, adding
that these agreements should be undone and the NATO base in İncirlik
should be held back immediately.
"Unfortunately,
our country has taken part in the war as part of imperialist
ventures. It is death that falls to the share of the youth while some
others make money and secure their positions. However, the youth
needs to see this: This is not our war; it is the war of energy
conglomerates, holdings that compete over artillery tenders,
politicians who want to secure their positions", said the
statement. It added that as Turkey ventures on a war in Syria, the
economy gets worse in Turkey and poverty increases.
Reminding
the patriotic protest of the revolutionary youth of the 1968 against
the arrival of the US 6th fleet in Istanbul, Turkey, the Communist
Youth of Turkey said they are going to hold back NATO and the US
bases in Turkey and will send foreign soldiers to their homes.
At
the end of the protest, TKG members set the US and NATO banners on
fire, chanting the slogan "Imperialists, and their allies:
remember the 6th fleet!"
THESSALONIKI
In
Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki, thousands of people
defied the rain and participated in KKE's anti-imperialist rally at
the city center on March 6th.
Holding high the red flags with the sickle and hammer, the
demonstrators declared
their decision to escalate the struggle against the imperialist plans
and dangers that they are bringing for the peoples of the
country and the wider region.
Dimitris
Koutsoumbas, who was the event's major speaker,
underlined that the
"interest" of the USA-NATO-EU in Northern Greece, centred
on Thessaloniki, is related to the
implementation of their imperialist plans in the region in their
competition with Russia and China. For this reason USA-NATO have
"targeted' Northern Greece, which is at the "heart" of
the Balkan peninsular, as well as at a crucial point for the
conflicting plans for the transport of energy, commodities. For this
reason the US ambassador characterized Thessaloniki
as a "gateway" to the Western Balkans and South East
Europe. For this reason they are putting together plans for new
military bases, like the one in Alexandroupoli.
The
GS of the CC of the KKE stressed that the escalation of Turkish
aggressiveness in the Aegean and the EEZ of Cyprus refutes the
government that is attempting to soothe the people. D. Koutsoumbas
stressed that NATO has not up to now protected the sovereign rights
of any country, nor is it going to protect us in the future.
The
GS of the CC of the KKE in reference to the agreement being prepared
by the SYRIZA-ANEL with FYROM stressed that the KKE is not going to
vote for it , because this will bring FYROM into NATO, will not put
an end to irredentist propaganda, will not secure the mutual
recognition of the inviolability of the borders, the territorial
integrity of both countries, the necessary changes to the
Constitution of the neighbouring country.
The
KKE General Secretary called on the people to join forces with
the KKE, which is the only party that can lead the regrouopment of
the labour movement in the struggle against imperialist war, the
interventions of NATO and the EU. So that the people can truly come
to power.
After
the rally, there followed a combative march to the US consulate in
Thessaloniki. Thousands of militants with
the banners and flags of the KKE denounced that the "imperialists
redivide the land, they draw the borders with the blood of the
peoples" and declared their resistance and struggle with the
slogans "solidarity with the struggle of the peoples against the
plans of the imperialists", "no fear, no submission,
together with the KKE for the overthrow."
The
youth of KNE with an impressive piece of street theatre, with the
sirens of war and the sounds of the bombing rendering the air,
demonstrated the barbarity and death sown by the imperialists and
alos the strength of the people determined to realize the overthrow
of the system. They set fire to the US flag and shouted "no
submission to imperialism, the peopleas are the only superpower".
