Fidel Castro's interview with Barbara Walters, 1977

On May 1977, the legendary leader of Socialist Cuba, Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro, gave an interview to ABC's reporter Barbara Walters (1929-2022). It was Fidel's first interview to U.S. television since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. Below you can read the full transcript of the interview, accompanied by a video: 

When will your country and my country have normal relations?

Comandante Fidel Castro - In His Own Words (VIDEOS)

Communist Party, Turkey (KP): "Step into action!"- Interviews with Kemal Okuyan and Özlem Şen Abay

Communist Party, Turkey: Step into action!

Turkey must exit NATO.

The EU membership process must stop;

All military agreements with the US must be abolished, all relevant military bases must be closed;

All religious associations must be dissolved. Any religious discourse must be forbidden in politics. Educational system must be refashioned on the secular basis;

The support for the terrorist groups in Syria must be called off.

These are the urgent demands that must be raised and popularized after the coup attempt of the Gulenists and their collaborators.

The Communist Party cannot let the immediate connections between the unjust system in the country and what happened thereof be passed over while struggling for such demands.

Interview with KKE's Makis Papadopoulos: "The communists need to struggle decisively and methodologically against imperialism"

Special interview with Makis Papadopoulos, member of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Greece (KKE), responsible for the Ideology Department.

Source: International Communist Press, 01 June 2016.

ICP: As a result of the protocol that exists between CP of Greece and CP, Turkey you came to give a seminar on imperialism to the cadres of CP, Turkey. Do you think that the seminar was productive?

Makis Papadopoulos (MP): The seminar itself proves the substantial and fraternal cooperation in the relationship of the two parties. CP of Greece (KKE) and CP, Turkey (KP) in order to develop a revolutionary strategy they realize the need of a new theoretical analysis in the Marxist-Leninist approach. This seminar was productive because it gave us the chance to clarify the Leninist approach of our party and to debate certain critical points of the topic. At a period which the antagonism among the inter-imperialist centers is intensifying and with NATO getting more aggressive, thus there is a risk of a more general war, the communist parties need to be alert to act in time.

Interview with Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of Communist Party of Turkey (Rizospastis, 15 May 2016)

COMMUNIST PARTY OF TURKEY

Discussion with Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of the Central Committee.

Source: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

For the developments in Turkey, the activity of the communists, the difficulties but also the existing potential, we had the opportunity to discuss with comrade Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of the CC of Communist Party, Turkey, and representative of 'Gelenek' magazine in the International Communist Review. 

- What is the political, socio-economic reality in Turkey? We know about the persecutions of party's members and yours personally. How does the Party react?

Turkey passes through a long and deep political crisis which, for the time being, doesn't include the financial crisis, despite the fact that Turkish economy is very fragile, with dissolution of state property and a continuous attack on the working class' rights, while there is a huge leak of wealth and high level of foreigh investors. The government evolves a generalized social attack, which includes the Kurds, the secular forces against religious fundamentalism. And, of course, we the communists are permanently the target. Attacks on our offices occur, (attacks) against our members with the accusation of insulting President Erdogan. I personally face prosecution in three different cases (one began on May 5th, but was re-scheduled for the coming September). The Party has agreed to intensify the offensive political struggle.

- What are the priorities of the Party this period?

Interview of the General Secretary of KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas in the "Newspaper of Editors"

Abstracts from the interview of Dimitris Koutsoumbas, Secretary-General of the CC of KKE, in the weekend edition of the "Newspaper of Editors" (Efimerida ton Syntakton), Sunday 27 March 2016. You can read the whole interview here.

Translation: In Defense of Communism.

Q: The economic crisis and the refugee issue seem to be grist to the mill for the Far-Right. Almost everywhere in Europe, xenophobic and intolerant parties are strengthening. Why does it happen? Where is the Left? Why does it fail to affect the situation? Why it doesn't convince the working people?

Koutsoumbas: Today it is important to be widely realized that the so-called far-right, xenophobic but also the openly fascist parties are "brood" of the capitalist system's rotteness itself. They are created, used and connected with strong business interests and other centers of the capitalist establishment, having as an aim to divide the people in order to offer immunity to the same corrupt system- that creates poverty, crises, wars and refugees- as well as to enpower the authority of the big capital and the monopoly companies.