Jihadism, capitalism and neo-Ottomanism

Interview of Kemal Okuyan, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey-TKP given to journalist Marinella Correggia and published on Italian News Portal Il Manifesto with the title of "Jihadism, capitalism and neo-Ottomanism: There is nothing good for the Syrian people" on January 3:

– About this sudden change in Syria. Turkish Foreign Minister, said he had convinced Russia and Iran in Doha not to intervene on the side of the Syrian government, otherwise it would have been a bloodbath. It means that militarily the Russian and Iranian forces would have to face huge weaponry and mercenaries supplied by forces outside the country. Which ones?

 

Communist Party of Turkey: "In Syria, Israel and the USA have won a temporary victory using the jihadists"

On the occasion of the fall of Damascus in the hands of the armed jihadists and the alleged overthrow of the Assad government, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued the following statement:

"The plan put into effect by the US imperialism and the reactionary forces in the region about 15 years ago in order for the disintegration of Syria has succeeded as of yesterday. The jihadist forces mobilised by the USA, Israel, Britain and the AKP government overthrew the Syrian government in a short period of one week.

NATO has been threatening humanity for 75 years — Statement by the Communist Party of Turkey

Statement by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on the 75th anniversary of establishment of NATO:

Today, the 4th April 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of NATO’s establishment. No matter how much the governments, parliaments and corporate media of NATO member countries try to paint a glorious past for this organization, its foundation is nothing to be celebrated: NATO is one of the worst things that ever happened to humanity. 

Turkey's Communist Party emerges strengthened in municipal elections, doubles its votes

Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu and Hizam Hasirci

Against all odds and despite political polarisation between the governing AKP and the Kemalist Republican People's Party-CHP, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) emerged significantly strengthened from the municipal elections of March 31. 

Particularly significant is the performance of TKP in the earthquake-ridden Defne municipality, in Hatay, where its candidate, Hizam Hasirci, received 39.62% thus coming in the second place. Additionally, the communist candidate in the Istanbul district of Kadıköy, Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu (formerly mayor of Dersim) was placed third, with 10.01% of the votes. 

Communist Party of Turkey on anniversary of deadly earthquake: "We will not forget, we will not forgive"

In a statement on the first anniversary of the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit South Eastern Turkey and Syria in February 2023, leading to at least 54,000 deaths, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) stresses out:

"We remember the great disaster like it was yesterday.

How can we forget the thousands of people who died under the rubble while the state was completely absent, who were displaced from their homes and left to despair, how can we forget our neighborhoods, our districts, our labor, our history. 

Communist Party of Turkey condemns Grand National Assembly's approval of Sweden NATO bid

In a statement, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) stresses out:

"The Grand National Assembly of Turkey has made another shameful decision. The issue of Sweden's membership to NATO was discussed in the General Assembly of the Parliament today and approved with a majority of votes. As it is known, after the start of the war in Ukraine, NATO's attempt to gain new members in Northern Europe gained great momentum and the membership of Sweden and Finland was immediately on the agenda. As a result of an extremely fast process, Finland became a member of NATO and the Turkish Parliament was one of the parliaments that signed this historic decision in March 2023. 

Statement of the Communist Party of Türkiye on the result of the May 14 elections

Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on the outcome of the May 14 Election:

Defeating the AKP by becoming like the AKP was a great illusion and deceiving the people. The so-called Nation Alliance is the subject of this illusion and the effort to deceive the people.

AKP, on the other hand, has been deceiving the country for more than 20 years. 

Communist Party of Turkey declares its electoral position: "1 Vote Against Erdoğan, 1 Vote For TKP"

The Communist Party of Turkey has declared that all revolutionary, socialist and communist forces representing Turkey’s anti-imperialist, secular accumulation, who have a clear stand against domestic and foreign capital should enter the 14th of May parliamentary elections under a common electoral alliance. 

 

Our party has intensified its work in this regard and made various contacts.

Turkish Communist Party launches electoral campaign: "TKP comes, everything changes!"

In a press release titled "TKP COMES, EVERYTHING CHANGES", the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) launches its campaign for the 2023 parliamentary elections:

"In 1923, we broke the chains of dependence, we annulled the sultanate and the caliphate.

We overthrew the old and founded the new.

Turkish communists condemn Erdogan's attack in Syria and north Iraq

In a statement concerning the air strikes of the Turkish Armed Forces on Kurdish settlements in Syria and Iraq, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) stresses out:

"Following the bombing attack on Istanbul’s Istiklal Street last week, the Turkish Armed Forces has been conducting air strikes on Kurdish settlements in Syria and Iraq since last night. Alleging that this operation is carried out on the pretext of “defense”, the AKP government is once again concealing the truth.

Erdogan Vs Women: Turkish communists on the front line of the struggle for women's rights

In the early hours of March 20, Turkey's government issued a decree deciding to pull out of the Istanbul Convention to combat the violence against women. Although the AKP government was giving signs of this decision earlier and peaked the debate in August 2020, by lobbying against the Convention, the decree came as a sudden decision after midnight and sparked tension.

Hundreds of women took to the streets on Saturday afternoon, declaring the decision as an attack of the AKP government against the health and lives of the women in Turkey. Several protests were organized in different cities of the country. While Erdogan's cabinet and pro-AKP circles celebrated the decision, the progressive organizations and opposition groups condemned the decision.

KKE denounces the persecution of HDP deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu in Turkey

In a statement issued today the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) denounces the political prosecution against the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party's MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu by the Turkish government.

More specifically the statement, which was published on 902 portal, points out:

Communist Party of Turkey: The Coronavirus pandemic is yet another evidence of the historical collapse of capitalism

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has released a political report focusing on COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Turkey's working class, examining the policies of Tayyip Erdogan's government.

"The coronavirus pandemic, which has affected the whole world since the first months of last year, not only showed once again how devastating capitalism is as a social system but also showed the extent of its desperation. From this point of view, the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus cannot be seen as a health problem alone,” the report said. 

Solidarity with the students in Istanbul's Bogazici University — Statement by the Communist Youth of Turkey

Once again, the reactionary regime of Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey has shown its repressive and authoritarian face. This time, the target of police violence are the students of Boğaziçi University who protest against the appointment of Melih Bulu, known for his close ties to the ruling party AKP, as the new rector of the institution. 

Melih Bulu has held various managerial positions within the AKP since 2002. He was a mayoral candidate in 2009 as well as a candidate for parliamentary deputy position from the AKP in the 2015 elections. 

Turkey: Reactionary attacks against communists will not reach their goals — TKP will continue its struggle!

In a letter addressed to fraternal Communist and Workers' Parties, the International Relations Section of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) refers to a recent malicious attack by reactionary elements against Party members in Istanbul and the role of the governing AKP party. The text is the following:

Dear comrades, 

We are writing this note to inform you about some recent developments and an attack against our party by the reactionary forces.

Turkey's Communist Party slams Erdogan's warmongering plans in Libya

In a statement issued today, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) condemns the warmongering plans of Tayyip Erdogan's government in Libya. 

More specifically, the TKP statement refers to the recent adoption of a bill by the Turkish Parliament which gives the green light to Erdogan to deploy troops in Libya.

TKP called for the cancellation of this recent bill and those which proceeded it and called on all armed forces in the territory of other countries' lands to return to the country.

The full statement published in soL news portal is as follows:

In Erdogan's Turkey 18 million people are living below poverty line

While the world's media are busy covering Tayyip Erdogan's visit in the United States, a report issued by the General Workers Union exposes the harsh reality of the deepening of social inequalities in Turkey. 

According to a report titled "Income Inequality and Poverty in Turkey", the number of poor people in Turkey is 16 million, while 18 million people are living below poverty line. 

As the report notes, the working pverty in the country has increased by 11% in one year, while the capitalist crisis has created more than 1 million newly unemployed. 

"Erdogan and the USA are partners in crime in Syria" — Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has released a statement regarding the military offensive into northern Syria, on which Turkey carrying out ground attacks and airstrikes. Shouting "hands off Syria!", TKP says AKP and the United States are partners in crime in Syria for the last eight years. The statement is the following:

"Syria has been suffering for eight years.

About eight years ago, anti-government demonstrations commenced in Syria. These demonstrations soon turned into an armed uprising and clashes in certain cities. Then together with the involvement of foreign forces, the civil war and the occupation of imperialist powers led by the US started.

"Hope is flourishing in Turkey": TKP reflects on the results of local elections

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a statement after the local elections, declaring that the party will not allow the two-party system that started to be considered as the normal in Turkey today. 

TKP stated that despite the system seems to be a two-party system in the elections and despite all the difficulties, pressures and restrictions, Turkey's communists have increased their votes radically.

Erdogan and Gülen, former accomplices in CIA anti-communist campaign in Turkey

Fethullah Gülen, the islamic preacher and businessman who resides in Pennsylvania, is today regarded as the number one enemy of Tayyip Erdogan's AKP government which has repeatedly asked for his extradition to Turkey. 

However, it is known that Erdogan and Gülen were once close allies. What is less known is that both men had participated, in one or another way, in the CIA-designed anti-communist campaign in Turkey during the Cold War years.