Turkish and Greek communists: "USA and NATO, get out of our neighborhood"!

With a large anti-imperialist political event held on Sunday 15 May in the southern Turkish city of Adana, the five-day visit of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) delegation in Turkey was concluded. 

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and the KKE, two parties that share a long history of fraternal relations, organized bilateral meetings and joint events in Turkey between 11 and 15 May. 

During the week, cadres from the two parties jointly traveled in different provinces, visiting TKP's District Houses and attended in political activities. Communists from the two countries have voiced their demands together, against NATO and US imperialism, against exploitation and capitalist barbarity.

The KKE political delegation consisted of Giorgos Marinos, MP and member of the Political Bureau, Eliseos Vagenas, member of the Central Committee and head of the International Relations Section and Aris Evangelidis, member of the Party's International Relations Section. The Greek delegation was welcomed by TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan, Central Commitee members Ekin Sönmez, Senem Doruk, Ozan Yılmaz, Party Central Council and International Relations Bureau members.

The program included bilateral meetings between party leaders, various activities and visits in Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and Adana. KKE delegation visited five of the TKP District Houses in those cities, whose total number is approaching one hundred across Turkey. They exchanged ideas with local base organizations, and were informed in detail about the organizational activities, struggle of working women, youth, trade-union activities and so forth. 

The delegation of the KKE with TKP members in Istanbul.

Four anti-imperialist meetings were also held in each city, contesting the presence of NATO and US military bases in Turkey and the integration of both countries to imperialist plans. TKP Secretary General Kemal Okuyan, KKE Political Bureau and Central Committee members Marinos and Vagenas spoke to the audience, including party members and friends.

Giorgios Marinos delivers a speech in Istanbul.

From the political event in Ankara.

KKE's Giorgos Marinos and TKP's Kemal Okuyan in Ankara.

On Sunday, May 15, the leaders of the two parties came together with the Communist Youth of Turkey in Adana, who on the same day had a the protest march  to Incirlik Air Base.

Communist youth members, who came to Incirlik with the banner “Away with NATO, this country is ours” shouted the slogans “Do not surrender, protect the country”, “Youth will come, socialism will come”, “This country, this people is not for sale”. A press release was read on behalf of the Communist Youth of Turkey, which protested against NATO and US imperialism with slogans and speeches made here.

The joint political event in Antalya,

Militant rally by the Communist Youth of Turkey in Adana, close to Incirlik.

In the press release they said: “No looting, we will expel NATO from this land. No looting, we will confiscate this Incirlik Base you see. As the Communist Youth of Turkey, we promise!

The political framework of the visit has been the response of the two parties to international political developments, the attacks against the working class, and the communists’ joint response to racist and nationalist provocations. In the joint statement made last February on the 70th anniversary of Turkey and Greece’s entry into NATO, this effort was expressed as follows: “We are consolidating our joint struggle against imperialist wars, NATO and its plans, capitalist barbarity and for a socialist-communist society. ”

The internationalist solidarity and friendship of the two communist parties on both sides of the Aegean is based on the unity of forces in the struggle for socialism, which is the only hope of a peaceful, fraternal and egalitarian future for both peoples.

tkp.org.tr / 902.gr