Kemal Okuyan: "Turkey does not have any other choice. We need socialism as we need air and water" (Interview with TKP's First Secretary)

The interview by soL news portal with Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of the CC of TKP (Communist Party of Turkey), on the results of the 16 April referendum in Turkey.

Source: International Communist Press, 17 April 2017.

soL: What can you say right away about the results of the referendum?

KO: We cannot talk about an arithmetical result. They did something they are good at, and they have stolen the results. Our logic, our mind and conscience tell us that ‘No’ won in arithmetic terms, too. 

Yet, there are other results. First of all, we see all they could muster despite all their repression, exploitation of public resources, and fraud; the picture speaks for itself. We saw that in reality their followers do not add up to more than 40 percent of the population in Turkey.

TKP: Erdoğan and AKP government are no longer legitimate after devious referendum's results

The CC of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) released a statement declaring Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and AKP government as illegitimate after the devious results of Sunday's referendum was revealed.

The statement of TKP is as follows:

Turkey referendum: The aspiring Sultan Erdogan and the militant activity of Turkish communists

EDITORIAL

The referendum which will take place in Turkey on Sunday is certainly a historic and important one. Voters will decide whether to approve constitutional changes that would replace the current parliamentary system with a presidential one. 

When we talk about constitutional changes we actually refer to 18 constitutional reforms which will strengthen the powers of the President thus giving Rejep Tayyip Erdogan a much more advanced status of authority (e.g. declare state of emergency, issue decrees, appoint government ministers, appoint half of the highest judicial body etc). 

"Yetmez ama hayır!": Communists in Turkey headed into the streets, raising the voice of "No"

Report from soL international.

While Turkey prepares for the referendum on April 16, the Governorship of Istanbul banned the rally of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) that was scheduled to be held on April 8 in Istanbul, claiming there was no adequate police force. On the call of the party, thousands of people headed into street across the country on April 8 to show that the government will not be able to silence the voice of the working people.

TKP members and the friends of the party came together in many cities with the party’s weekly journal ‘Boyun Eğme’ (Do Not Surrender). Those who say "Not Enough but No!" distributed tens of thousands of election bulletins of TKP.

"Hands off the Communist Party of Turkey": KKE sends solidarity message to the CC of TKP

On the occasion of the decision by the Turkish authorities to ban the political rally of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on April 8, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) send the following message of solidarity to the CC of TKP:

"Dear comrades,

The KKE decisively condemns the antidemocratic decision of the Turkish authorities to ban the political rally of the TKP on April 8 and expresses its full internationalist solidarity to your Party, to the communists in Turkey.

"Istanbul says No!": Turkish communists defy Erdogan government's ban of rally

According to soL International, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) made a public statement upon the government's ban on the rally that is scheduled to be held on April 2 with the slogan, 'İstanbul says no'. TKP calls the people to come together at a meeting on April 9. 

The Governorship of İstanbul has banned the TKP's rally scheduled for April 2 under the slogan of “İstanbul says ‘no’!”, on March 31, just  2 days before the meeting.

Since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) holds pro-‘yes’ campaign meetings across the country in the run-up to the referendum, the Communist Party of Turkey reacted the ban of the rally with a public declaration.

THE PEOPLE STILL CONTINUE TO SAY ‘NO’!

Joint Statement by NCPN and TKP: To the working people of Netherlands and Turkey

Joint Statement by the New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN) and the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP).

To the working people of Netherlands and Turkey.

A crisis is being practiced between the two countries reflecting the rude nature of the bourgeoisie politicians, so severe that we have not observed for many years. Now, they provoke and play with nationalistic emotions among the people and they try to benefit politically out of this tension being escalated.

However, we know that the politicians who are the heroes of this crisis resulting in the crisis reaching scandal dimension have been attacking their own working people and that they have put their signatures under policies extorting the rights of the proletariat. Both parts represent the bourgeoisie class and exploitative monopolies.

Turkey's Communist Party (TKP) unleashes new attack against Tayyip Erdogan

Photo credit: In Defense of Communism.

With a statement the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) bashes the AKP government of Tayip Erdogan. 

How much more will you humiliate this country? Get out of here!

Everyone is aware of the tensions between the AKP and several European countries. 

This international scandal is nothing but vileness done by a fundamentalist gang which considers its own interests, future, and destiny over the country’s destiny. 

Communists in Greece and Turkey denounce nationalist "cockfights" over the Aegean

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos and Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
have been engaged in a warfare of nationalist and provocative statements over the Aegean.

Ankara and Athens resurrect old nationalist tension, writes soL international:

"Greece will do everything to prevent Turkey from getting to its territory", Greek Minister of National Defense Panos Kammenos said Sunday, adding that Greece is ready to rebuff Ankara in a case of any provocation. After his statement, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu called the Greek minister "a spoiled child". 

Kemal Okuyan on Turkey's referendum: "Everybody should stick to their own guns"

Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of the CC of Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and soL columnist wrote an article on February 20, 2017, on the stance of the communists in Turkey regarding the upcoming referendum for constitutional amendments. 

Everybody should stick to their own guns…

By Kemal Okuyan / Source: soL.

We are facing a well-known front on the road to the referendum: the front of "yes." I have no idea about the covert aspect of the cooperation between [President] Erdoğan and Bahçeli [the Nationalist Movement Party’s leader who supports Erdoğan’s presidential system]; some mention blackmailing and some others talk about awarding. There is, however, politically and ideologically close links between them and between the social groups they represent. Furthermore, we can say that the "yes" votes are merged within the devotion to the Ottoman past, i.e. anti-Republicanism…

Theses and tasks of TKP: Erdogan, capitalism and imperialist contradictions

THESES and TASKS of the COMMUNIST PARTY of TURKEY.

On the Presidency, the orientation of the capitalism in Turkey and the contradictions with in the imperialist world.