Turkey needs a strong communist party: The 13th Congress of TKP to be held on August 9th

In a statement addressed to the fraternal Communist and Workers' Parties, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) informs that the 13th Party Congress will be held on August 9th, 2020. 

More specifically, the TKP points out:

"The 13th Congress of TKP will take place under conditions of the pandemic, and more importantly, at a time when the "parasitism and decay" of imperialism/capitalism, referring to the great analysis of Lenin, have become apparent in front of wide masses, in almost every country.

French communist Maurice Cukierman dies

Maurice Cukierman, leader of the Communist Revolutionary Party of France (PCRF), has died at 71 after a long battle with a serious illness. 

Cukierman was born in 1949. A politically active person, he joined the Communist Youth in 1963 and the French Communist Party (PCF) in 1968.

Maurice Cukierman had active participation in numerous solidarity movements in France, such as the one for the Vietnamese people. 

During the 1970s he opposed the revisionist and eurocommunist trend within the French Communist Party. In 1982 he was among the editors of the so-called "Letter to the Central Committee", alongside Jeannette Vermeersch, Georges Bouvard, Marcel Fryedman, Jean Mérot, Jean Salem.

Turkey-Greece tensions: The USA-EU stance adds fuel to Turkish government's aggression

Tensions in Eastern Mediterranean are, once again, at high level after the NAVTEX issued by Turkey on Tuesday, with which Ankara blocks the maritime zone south-east of the Greek island of Kastellorizo in order to carry out seismic surveys. 

From its side, the Greek government filed a protest demarche to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and raised the issue with the EU, NATO and the United Nations. 

“Today’s announcement of Turkish surveys in a section of the Greek continental shelf through a new illegal NAVTEX constitutes an escalation of tension in our region”, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued on Tuesday. 

"Capitalism has led Russia into a 30-year depression", says Moscow City Duma deputy

Moscow City deputy for CPRF Nikolai Zubrilin.

The Lenin State Farm (Lenin Sovkhoz), a 2,000-hectare sprawl of fields growing fruits and vegetables on the outskirts of Moscow faces the danger of closing. 

In what seems to be a coordinated attack from multiple directions, Pavel Grudinin, the Farm’s director and the Communist Party’s presidential candidate in the 2018 elections, faces potential bankruptcy as the Moscow Region Arbitration Court has ordered him to pay a fine of over one million rubles ($15 million) for supposed “illegal transfer of lands”. 

From its side, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) has strongly denounced the “organized attack” against the Lenin State Farm, calling the accusations against Grudinin as arbitrary and lawless. 

Danish communist Betty Frydensbjerg Carlsson dies at 76

In a statement the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Denmark (KPiD) announced the death of its former General Secretary Betty Frydensbjerg Carlsson, who died on July 19th at the age of 76.

Betty was from the foundation of The Communist Party in Denmark in 1993 our general secretary. In 2015 the had to step down from this function due to her health condition, but she was still to her death member of our central committee and editor of our monthly paper.

29th Anti-imperialist camp of KNE: Thousands of young communists sent message of struggle

Source: 902.gr

Thousands of young men and women sent a powerful message of class struggle during the 29th Anti-imperialist Camp of the Communist Youth of Greece (KKE) which was held in Stomio, Thessaly, on July 17-19th. 

The 2-day camp concluded on Saturday evening with a major political event where Dimitris Koutsoumbas, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), delivered a speech. 

Nelson Mandela — The international working class movement honors his legacy

Today, July 18, 2020 marks the 102nd anniversary since the birth of Nelson Mandela, the iconic South African leader and anti-apartheid revolutionary. Honoring his legacy, the World Federation of Trade Unions and the Trade Union International-Public Service & Allied (TUI-PS&A) issued the following statement:

Today, the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)-Trade Union International-Public Service & Allied (TUI-PS&A) joins humanity in remembering the contributions and sacrifices of a man who dedicated his whole life to the course of building a more humane world, Comrade Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Nelson Mandela embodied more than just the spirit of narrow volunteerism and philanthropy: he was a revolutionary. 

Milos Jakes, 1922 - 2020

Miloš Jakeš, the last General Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, died on July 10th at the age of 97. He was Czechoslovakia’s leader during the counterrevolutionary events of 1987-1989 which are known as the “Velvet Revolution”.

Born in 12 August 1922 at České Chalupy, the son of a poor family, he began working at the age of 15. He joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in 1945, just after the end of World War II. In 1955 he began his studies at the CPSU Higher College in Moscow and graduated in 1958. 

Greek Communist Youth (KNE) anti-imperialist camp to kick off on July 17th in Stomio

Archive photo from previous KNE camp.

Under the slogan “We remain strong – We move forward to counterattack. With the KKE for socialism!”, the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) organizes the 29th Anti-imperialist Camp on 17-19 of July 2020. 

The camp, which has a tradition of many years, will take place in the seaside village of Stomio, close to the city of Larisa and will include numerous political, cultural and sports events.

Hundreds of young people from all over Greece are going to unite their voices against the new capitalist crisis, the anti-people policies and the country's involvement in the dangerous imperialist plans.

Hagia Sophia: The EU-NATO policy stimulates Turkey's provocation and aggression

The European Parliament group of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) condemned on Monday the decision of Tayyip Erdogan's government to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. 

As 902 portal reports, in an urgent question submitted to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, KKE MEP Kostas Papadakis points out:

The U.S is using Cyprus as a vehicle to promote its strategic interests — AKEL reacts

The United States, the imperialist power which played a dark role in the 1974 Turkish invasion and division of the island, is back in Cyprus. 

The goal is always the same: the protection and promotion of the U.S. imperialist interests in the broader region of Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, in competition with other forces, such as Russia, China and Iran. 

Hagia Sophia: Turkish and Greek communists condemn its conversion into a mosque

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's decision to sign a decree which converts Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, a World Heritage Monument, into a mosque has provoked negative reactions. 

In a statement issued today, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) condemns the decision, stating that the conflict is not between Christianity and Islam, but between reactionalism and secularism. TKP also calls the world's communists to denounce Erdogan's decision and the bourgeois reactionary mindset behind it, which obscures the future of Turkey’s working class. 

Greece: Huge rallies against ND government's bill which aims to restrict and prohibit protests

“The prohibition of demonstrations will not be implemented” was the message sent to the government by thousands of protesters throughout Greece who participated in massive rallies against the new law which aims to restrict demonstrations and public gatherings. 

In Athens’ Syntagma Square, outside the Greek Parliament, Trade Unions, Students Unions and various organizations of the workers’ movement gave a militant response to the government’s authoritarian bill.

Communist Party of Mexico: Obrador's "nueva normalidad" protects the monopolies' interests

Statement by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) on the political developments in the country and AMLO government's policies:

The “new normal” has meant more risks and greater exploitation for the working class

One month after the start of the “new normal” was announced, amid a high degree of virus spread;  without having contained the pandemic or reduced its spread, it is necessary to take stock of what it has meant for the working class.

Five years since the 2015 Greek referendum — The stance of the KKE was totally vindicated

By Nikos Mottas.

The 5th of July marked the fifth anniversary since the bailout referendum in Greece. The 2015 Greek referendum, a milestone event in the four year governmental term of SYRIZA coalition government, is one of the biggest political frauds in post-1974 Greek history. 

In the referendum, the Greek people were asked to choose whether or not they agree with the bailout conditions proposed by the so-called “Troika”, the EU Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank (1). The outcome was a triumph of the “No” vote with 61.31%, contrary to 38.69% of “Yes”. 

Spain: PCTE communists ready for Galicia and Basque Country regional elections

On  the occasion of the upcoming regional elections in the northern Spanish provinces of Galicia and the Basque Country (Euskadi), the International Department of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) issued the following statement:

Next Sunday, July 12 there are elections in Spain held in the territories of Galicia and Euskadi, previously canceled because of the situation generated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In spite of this recent health crisis, the governments of both territories have decided to restart the election, even though they are quite aware of the difficulties in a background like the current one. It is an electoral appointment that will group large masses in front of the doors of the polling stations, where the health of the whole population should be assured without any exception. 

Internatonal Communist Bulletin #5 2020

Week #5, July 2020

Indian Railways Privatisation: The Communist Parties condemn BJP government's policy

In a statement regarding Modi government's plan for the privatisation of Indian Railways, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) points out:

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly opposes the decision for privatisation of the Indian Railways particularly the running of passenger trains by private investors over the Indian Railways network. This is the first time that this is happening in independent India. 

KKE and PAME call for mass popular uprising against government's bill on demonstrations

In a statement regarding Greece's right-wing government's shameful bill which aims to ban demonstrations and popular protests, the Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) points out:

"The KKE calls for a mass popular uprising for the withdrawal of the ND government bill, which is trying to paralyze the right to labor-people's demonstrations, for which rivers of blood were shed. 

Greece: The prohibition of demonstrations by Mitsotakis’ government shall not pass!

On Monday, the conservative government of New Democracy (ND) submitted to the Greek Parliament a despicable bill that aims to restrict demonstrations, protest rallies and outdoor public gatherings. 

The bill stipulates that organizers will have to promptly notify police or port authorities about planned gatherings. It provides for restrictions regarding the amount of road space occupied and the location of the demo. It also allows authorities to ban demonstrations under certain conditions, and sees criminal penalties for violators.

Down with Bolsonaro and his genocidal policy! Statement by the Brazilian Communist Party

With more than 57,600 deaths and 1.35 million cases, the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil worsens day by day. A major factor which has contributed to the spread of the virus and the increased death toll is the policy of the far-right Bolsonaro government. 

In a statement issued on July 26th, the National Political Commission of the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB) exposes the great responsibilities of Jair Bolsonaro's government, pointing out that Brazil is undergoing a political crisis. The full statement of PCB, in both English and Portuguese, is the following:

Croatia's Socialist Workers' Party (SRP) ready to participate in July 5th parliamentary elections

Under the slogans “Consistent for Socialism” and “Capitalism is barbarism”, the Socialist Workers’ Party of Croatia (SRP) participates in the parliamentary election which will take place on July 5, 2020. 

The Socialist Worker’s Party is a member of the European Communist Initiative and a frequent participant in the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties (IMCWP).