The War in Ukraine and the Role of Turkey

By Erhan Nalçacı

The beginning of the war in Ukraine should perhaps be taken as 2014, but in this article [1] we will focus on the period starting with the Russian intervention into Ukrainian territory in February 2022. The war in Ukraine did not take place between two nation states, Ukraine was put forward as a proxy of NATO, in other words of imperialist Euro-Atlantic bloc, so the war took place between NATO and Russia. But more generally, Ukraine was a front in the war of imperialist division, which is a product of the imperialist rivalry that has now taken over the world, a war that has not yet become total.

Communist Party of Turkey on Fethullah Gülen's death

In a comment posted on social media concerning the death of US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) stresses out:

"He was a faithful servant of the capital and the multinational monopolies. His greatest service was the realization of the expansionist ambitions of the capitalist class in Turkey and implementation of regional policies developed in collaboration with the USA. He led a life full of crimes against the people and laid the foundations of conditions in Turkey today, which is built by the AKP government. 

Communist Party of Turkey: TKP 14th Congress Political Report and Resolutions

The 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) was held on the weekend of September 7-8, with the participation of almost 400 Party delegates from across the country, under the slogan "STRENGTHENING FOR REVOLUTIONARY TASKS, THROUGH STRENGTHENING TOWARDS REVOLUTION AND SOCIALISM". 

You can read here the Political Report of the 14th TKP Congress.

The following Resolutions were adopted by the 14th TKP Congress:

Communist Party of Turkey: The 14th Congress of TKP concluded successfully

Photo: tkp.org.tr

The 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) was held on the weekend of September 7-8, with the participation of almost 400 Party delegates from across the country, under the slogan "STRENGTHENING FOR REVOLUTIONARY TASKS, THROUGH STRENGTHENING TOWARDS REVOLUTION AND SOCIALISM".

The Political Report, which was accepted unanimously by the delegates, included a comprehensive analysis and evaluation on a series of issues, such as: 

Communist Party of Turkey: Mass protest against US warship docked in Izmir port

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), declaring that ‘the ports of our country cannot be the supply and logistics point of the imperialists’, protested in front of İzmir Port and started the ‘honour watch’ that will last until the ship leaves the port.

‘This is a message by the US, it has symbolic importance’

It was revealed that Turkey’s first amphibious warships TCG Anadolu and TCG Gökova conducted joint training exercises in the Mediterranean between August 13-17 with US Navy forces USS Wasp and USS Oak Hill.

Communist Party of Turkey on the 11th anniversary of the Gezi Park protests

Statement by Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on the 11th anniversary of the Gezi Park protests which turned to a great resistance all over Turkey:

11 years ago, a vast segment of society rose up against the AKP government. The anger and resistance of millions turned into a great mass movement. By putting enlightenment, secularism, freedom, and working class patriotism at the center of the resistance, the people managed to draw the line to the AKP government. And through their fury and courage, people reminded AKP of who really owns this country.

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 mayor of Patras Kostas Peletidis visits Turkey, meets with TKP delegation

Kostas Peletidis, the communist mayor of Patras, Greece's third largest city, visited Turkey as a guest of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP). In a joint meeting with TKP, the communists of both countries evaluated the elections and communist approach to municipalities. 

 

Delegations from TKP and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) met journalists in Istanbul on Friday morning.

Communist Party of Turkey: 14 Communist Principles for Municipal Elections

As the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) prepares for the local elections on March 31 (check out here TKP's major candidacies), it declares that it will act with the following principles wherever a communist municipality will be actualized:

1. For communists, the main goal in municipalities is first and foremost to open channels for the people, who are becoming increasingly conscious of their organization, to participate in governance.

Turkey's Communist Party nominates journalist Orhan Gökdemir to run for Istanbul mayor

In a meeting held at Nazim Hikmet Cultural Center in Istanbul, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) presented its candidates for the local elections that are scheduled to take place on 31 March 2024. 

TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan underlined: “We are a Marxist party. We know that it is the central political power that will change everything. "However, local elections offer the opportunity to create some cracks in the order", he said.

European Communist Action Conference in Istanbul: Two Years Since the Imperialist War in Ukraine

The European Communist Action (ECA) convened in Istanbul in a conference that is hosted by the Communist Party of Turkey, on the second anniversary of the imperialist war in Ukraine. 

Delegates from the Party of Labour of Austria, the Communist Workers’ Party – for Peace and Socialism (Finland), Communist Revolutionary Party of France, Communist Party of Greece, the Workers Party of Ireland, Communist Front (Italy), New Communist Party of the Netherlands, Communist Party of the Workers of Spain, Communist Party of Sweden, Swiss Communist Party, Union of Communists of Ukraine, and Communist Party of Turkey participated in the conference entitled “Two Years Since the Imperialist War in Ukraine: The Experience and Conclusions of the Communists”.

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. 

Security threat: Ottomanism, Islamism, Kurdism, Turkism and Imperialism!

Security threat: Ottomanism, Islamism, Kurdism, Turkism and Imperialism!

 

On the evening of January 12, many soldiers were killed and wounded. The attack did not take place within Turkey’s borders, but instead beyond them.

We know that the real reason for Turkey’s military presence in foreign lands, especially in Syria and Iraq, is the insatiable greed for profit of the capitalist class.

Turkish communists cowardly attacked by fascists in Ankara University — Messages of solidarity

On November 21, students-members of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and the Communist Youth (TKG) became targets of a cowardly attack by fascists, presumably members of "Grey Wolves" far-right group, outside the Faculty of Political Sciences at Ankara University's Cebeci campus. Two Communist Party members were slightly injured.

There was a similar attack attempt by fascists at the same faculty a few days earlier, but it was repelled by TKP members. 

Turkey and the Socialist Revolution: Are We Chasing a Dream?

By Kemal Okuyan, TKP General Secretary 

October 2023 

The question “Do you really believe in revolution?” is probably not asked only to Turkish communists. 

It has been 32 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union. We labeled the 20th century the era of transition from capitalism to socialism. In the last decade of that century and in the period that followed, we did not encounter even a single example that could mean “transition to socialism”. 

Communist Party of Turkey: "The rightful resistance of the Palestinian people will win!"

"No one should act as if they have just discovered the violence in the region", says the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) in a statement about the ongoing war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas. 

More specifically, the statement issued by the CC of the TKP reads:

"Following the operation launched against Israel from Gaza yesterday, there is no shortage of propaganda in favor of the Israeli government in the bourgeois media and anti-violence messages of hypocritical imperialist centers and statements of solidarity with Israel are coming one after another.

The struggle against NATO cannot be postponed — Statement by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)

Following Tayyip Erdogan's "green light" for Sweden's accession to NATO within the framework of the imperialist alliance's Summit in Vilnius, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a statement:

"It is only a matter of time before NATO, the world’s largest terrorist organisation, expands to include one more country.

We cannot be expected to remain indifferent to Sweden’s membership of NATO. Our interest does not only come from our responsibility to fight against the role of our own government in the oppression of the peoples of other countries. 

10th anniversary of Gezi Park Resistance: TKP hold a protest on Istanbul's Istiklal street

Communist Party of Türkiye (TKP) organised a demonstration on Istiklal Street in İstanbul today on the 10th anniversary of Gezi Park Resistance. TKP members, who 10 years ago hung the banner of “Don’t Bow Down” on Atatürk Cultural Center -this slogan had become the symbol of the resistance afterwards- this time hung it on Demirören Shopping Mall and chanted slogans of “Everywhere Taksim Everywhere Resistance”, “Don’t Bow Down, Reclaim Your Country”, “This is just the beginning, keep on struggling”. TKP members marched on Istiklal Street and faced police intervention in the first minutes of the protest.