Communist Party of Turkey (TKP): Go to the ballots, Say “NO” to Erdogan!

On Sunday 28 May, the people of Turkey will vote in the 2nd round of the presidential election, between the two contestants, current President Rejep Tayyip Erdoğan and his opponent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. 

 

In fact, both Erdoğan and Kılıçdaroğlu, despite their particular differences, are competing over who will serve better the interests of the Turkish monopolies, aiming at the reconstruction of the country's capitalist economy in favor of the big capital. 

 

It is reminded that in the first round, held on 14 May, Erdoğan came out in front with 49.5% of the vote, with his opponent receiving 44.9%. Recently, a poll conducted by KONDA Research, shows Tayyip Erdoğan leading with 52.7%, while Kılıçdaroğlu receives 47.3%. 

 

TKP: Go to the ballots, Say “NO” to Erdoğan!

In a statement concerning the second round, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) calls for a defeat of Erdoğan and his ruling party, AKP. The full statement of the TKP reads:

"For 20 years, this country has been ruled by a government backed by capitalists, sects and cults, gangs and imperialist countries. For 20 years, the women, youth, workers and patriots of this country have been resisting against this tyrannical government.

The people, who have been resisting against the exploitation, injustices and tyranny of the AKP government for 20 years, were ceaselessly told by the Nation Alliance: “Leave it to us; we will solve it at the ballot box.” For years, this discourse was used to narrow the political action of working people down to the ballot box. It was not enough; they even eviscerated the vote we cast. They turned our vote into some arithmetical formula rather than a choice about the fate of the country and our future.

The outcome of their equation for the parliament was that ex-AKP members, rightists, fascists, misogynists and reactionaries formed the majority. The electoral outcome on the night of 14 May showed very clearly that not a single aspect of struggle in this country, including the ballot box, can be left to the hands of the Nation Alliance. In other words, the duty has once again fallen to the shoulders of the workers, patriots, women, youth and millions of people struggling with poverty in this country.

The dreams, hopes and belief in the good days to come are bigger than the result of the ballot box. However, if Erdoğan is to be buried in the ballot box in this country, it will be us, the workers, who will do it, not the Nation Alliance, which disbanded with a balcony speech. The fate of this country will not be determined by formulas and mathematical calculations, but by women, youth and workers who will not submit to AKP’s obscurantism. Millions struggling with poverty, worried about their future, those in favour of secularism, patriotism, equality, those who are indebted to this system will stand up and complete the job that the incompetent bourgeois opposition has failed to do. On 28 May, every vote against Erdoğan will contribute to the loss of blood of AKP, regardless of the outcome.

We will go to the polls, we will send Erdoğan away and we will settle accounts with everyone who had a share in these dark days. This is just the beginning, keep fighting…”

tkp.org.tr