Extraordinary Conference by the Communist Party of Turkey

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) held an Extraordinary Conference last Sunday, 9 January, in Ankara. Delegates from all around Turkey gathered and discussed the ongoing political-economical crisis and how the Party will intervene.

The Extraordinary Conference, titled as “One More Step Forward” thematized the actual conditions of the working class in the context of the political and economical crisis Turkey is suffering, the decline of AKP government, the efforts of the bourgeois opposition for a capitalist restoration. 

Turkish communists lead protests over price rises: "Stand up against expensiveness"

While the Turkish Lira collapses and the cost of living is rising day by day, demonstrators are taking the streets in Turkey's major cities in order to protest Erdogan government's economic policy.

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) is once again on the forefront of the protests, organizing rallies in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and other cities.

 “Our labor is exploited, our country is plundered. Our lives are being stolen with prices that change every day, with increasing bills. We have to resist for our life, for our future. Now is the time to stand up!”, reads a statement by the TKP which calls the working people to mobilize against the governmental policies. 

The Communist Party of Turkey on the Kurdish Issue

In a statement issued on 9 October, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) refers to the Kurdish Issue, stressing out that it must be analyzed from a class perspective. 

The full statement of the TKP is the following:

"A small segment of the population in Turkey possesses enormous wealth, while millions of people are struggling with poverty and unemployment.

Big rally by TKP in Istanbul: Now is the time for socialism!

Photo: sol.org.tr

Under the slogan "Now is the time for socialism", thousands of people, men and women of every age, gathered at Kartal Square, Istanbul, in order to attend the rally organized by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP). 

Speaking at the rally, TKP Secretary General Kemal Okuyan said among others: "We are a family, a growing family that fights against lies and exploitation. TKP is acting with great self-confidence at its 101st year, it is spreading and growing. Come and be a part of this struggle, if you are still not in the ranks of the TKP. We are the future of Turkey". 

Turkish Communist Party calls for rally in Istanbul on 12th September: Şimdi sosyalizm zamanı!

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has called for a rally in Kartal Square, Istanbul, on Sunday, September 12, 2021, saying, "Do not delay, do not linger, do not settle for less!” The statement said, "If we do not want to live in a country where our resources are plundered, people become worthless and nature is slaughtered for the sake of profit, we must get rid of this order first.”

The statement of TKP, which said, "This country has not a day left to lose," is as follows;

Turkey: 8th anniversary of the Gezi Park protests

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) made a statement on the 8th anniversary of the civil resistance that started in Taksim’s Gezi Park in June 2013.

Stating that the June Resistance was a people's movement in which secular and patriotic sensibilities were determinant from beginning to end, TKP drew attention to the fact that the hope and confidence that the people aroused through this resistance were tried to be extinguished in the halls of order politics.

Turkish communists in Germany: Petition against Erdogan's decision to withdraw Turkey from Istanbul Convention

The Germany branch of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has launched a petition against the recent decision of Erdogan's AKP government to withdraw Turkey from Istanbul Convention.

In a declaration the TKP Party organization in Germany points out that "AKP does not have the legitimacy to draw the boundaries of womens' right to life and living space in this country", adding that "it should not be forgotten that in Turkey, where feminicide and violence against women are on the rise, all reactionary sects and religious communities, together with the AKP, targeted the Istanbul Convention". 

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.

Turkey's communists filed complaint against Erdogan for the torture of protesters at Bogazici University

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) filed complaints against President Erdogan, the minister of interior Süleyman Soylu and his spokesperson, fascist party leader Bahçeli, and the police that tortured the protesters during Bogazici resistance.

Turkish police detained 159 students on the 1st of February, trying to prevent the protests against the newly appointed pro-AKP president of the Bogazici University. The protests at Bogazici University started right after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appointed the new rector on January 2 and continued with the participation of students, university staff, and citizens. Protests spread nationwide and further reactions from the right-wing politicians continue to come.

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. 

Under the Shadow of the Revolution: Berlin, Warsaw, Ankara 1920 — Book by Kemal Okuyan

The International Relations Bureau of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) launched the latest book of Kemal Okuyan, the General Secretary of TKP, titled "Under the Shadow of the Revolution: Berlin, Warsaw, Ankara 1920" in English and published by Yazılama Editorial House.

Originally published in Turkish in 2019, this work does not only analyzes the achievements but also the shortcomings of the communist movement during the rise of the revolutionary wave in the early 20th century.

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.

"Long live the joint struggle of the KKE and the TKP!" — Message by Dimitris Koutsoumbas

Recently, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) celebrated the 100th anniversary of its foundation, while a few weeks earlier it held its 13th congress, under difficult conditions. The CC of the KKE in its message to the 13th Congress of TKP noted, among other things:

"The communists of Turkey, honoring the 100th anniversary of the founding of the heroic Communist Party of Turkey, can take further steps. Turkey, but also the whole region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, need an even stronger Communist Party of Turkey, a 'revolutionary party, a party for revolution', as is the slogan of your 13th congress."

Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) awards KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas

The Central Committee of Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has awarded Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece, with TKP Mustafa Suphi Friendship Award on the 100th anniversary of TKP's foundation.

As soL news reports, TKP announced the award with a letter written by the Central Committee. The letter is as follows:

Dear comrades,

Stop Warmongering! The Communist Party of Turkey honors World Peace Day

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a statement on September 1, the World Peace Day*.

"Peace is the dream of all children, and all mothers," TKP says, referring to the verses by Yannis Ritsos, the great poet of Greece, while calling on the peoples to stick to the struggle for peace on the basis of equality. 

The full statement is as follows: 

The Soviet Union that won victory over fascism in the Second World War other countries bearing friendship had declared September 1, the day that the war had started, as the World Peace Day. In order not to forget one of the most unfortunate days of the history of the world. In order to enable humanity to remember and protect peace as a duty...

Beirut explosion: Solidarity messages by the Communist Parties of Greece, Cyprus, Turkey

At least 100 people were killed and 4,000 were wounded after the massive blast that rocked Beirut on Tuesday. The whole city was shaken by the explosion and a mushroom cloud could be seen spreading over the port area. 

The Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) declared the 5th of August as a day of humanitarian solidarity and requested a prompt investigation for the incident. 

Statements of condolences and solidarity towards the people of Lebanon were issued by the Communist Parties of Greece (KKE), Cyprus (AKEL) and Turkey (TKP):

Greek and Turkish Communists: No to a military confrontation for the interests of the bourgeois classes and imperialist alliances!

In a joint statement, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) express their deep concern over the latest dangerous developments in the relations between the two countries and declare once again that the people of Greece and Turkey have the right to live in peace and shape their future, against capitalist exploitation and tensions created by the interests of the bourgeois classes and the imperialist alliances.

You can read below the statement in English, Greek and Turkish language.

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.

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. 

Turkey and Covid-19: Interview of TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan in "Rizospastis"

In an interview with the daily newspaper of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) "Rizospastis", the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) Kemal Okuyan commented on the Covid-19 pandemic, its effects on working-class and TKP's initiatives to protect the health and rights of the workers. Okuyan noted that they have built solidarity networks organized by the district organizations of TKP:

— What is the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey? How does the TKP judge the measures of the Erdogan government and the positions of other bourgeois parties?