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”. 

The 23rd International Meeting of Communist Parties (IMCWP) to be held in Izmir, Turkey on 20-22 October

Turkey's coastal city of Izmir will be the hosting place of the 23rd International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP) on October 20-22, 2023.

The decision was taken during the IMCWP Working Group meeting that was held in Istanbul on Saturday 10 June.

The responsibility for organizing and hosting of October's meeting belongs to the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP). It is reminded that Izmir had hosted the 21st IMCWP in October 2019.  

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.

 

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on Erdogan's re-election: No room for pessimism, we 'll be victorious

In a statement for Tayyip Erdogan's victory in the second round of the Turkish presidential elections, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) points out:

"Those who are trying to squeeze the struggle of this people into the ballot box should shut up from now on!

The results of the second round of the presidential elections have been largely finalized. Of course, it cannot be said that what emerged as the outcome of the elections, which were pointed to determine the fate of Turkey, is a hope for a bright future.

Communist Party of Turkey (TKP): Go to the ballots, Say “NO” to Erdogan!

On Sunday 28 May, the people of Turkey will vote in the 2nd round of the presidential election, between the two contestants, current President Rejep Tayyip Erdoğan and his opponent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. 

 

In fact, both Erdoğan and Kılıçdaroğlu, despite their particular differences, are competing over who will serve better the interests of the Turkish monopolies, aiming at the reconstruction of the country's capitalist economy in favor of the big capital. 

 

Statement of the Communist Party of Türkiye on the result of the May 14 elections

Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on the outcome of the May 14 Election:

Defeating the AKP by becoming like the AKP was a great illusion and deceiving the people. The so-called Nation Alliance is the subject of this illusion and the effort to deceive the people.

AKP, on the other hand, has been deceiving the country for more than 20 years. 

A strong TKP in Türkiye and a strong KKE in Greece — that's what the people need

Interview of Eliseos Vagenas, member of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), in TKP’s soL website:

Elections in Greece will be held on May 21. While it was expected that the elections would be held on an earlier date, they were postponed due to the train accident, which can be considered a "working class agenda". What is the political atmosphere in which Greece moves towards the elections?

Thanasis Pafilis (KKE): "Today the people in Türkiye and Greece need a strong Communist Party"

A delegation of the KKE took part in the mass event organized by the Communist Party of Türkiye (TKP) on Sunday 9/3 in Ankara ahead of the national and presidential elections that will be held in Turkey on 14 May. Thanasis Pafilis, member of the CC of the KKE, MP and head of the National list of the KKE delivered a greeting speech.

The full speech reads as follows:

Communist Party of Turkey declares its electoral position: "1 Vote Against Erdoğan, 1 Vote For TKP"

The Communist Party of Turkey has declared that all revolutionary, socialist and communist forces representing Turkey’s anti-imperialist, secular accumulation, who have a clear stand against domestic and foreign capital should enter the 14th of May parliamentary elections under a common electoral alliance. 

 

Our party has intensified its work in this regard and made various contacts.

"We will not suffocate under rubble once again!": Large solidarity event by the Communist Party of Turkey held in Ankara

On the dawn of the 6th of February, the southern region of Turkey was hit by a grave earthquake, followed by another one during the day, of 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudes, respectively. The earthquake impacted a wide zone of more than 10 cities. The Communist Party of Turkey initiated its rescue and solidarity work immediately after the earthquake, in the impacted region as well as other parts of the country, collecting aid materials and channeling them to those in need. 

On Saturday, the 18th of February, a massive event in the Kocatepe Cultural Center of Ankara was held, with the slogan “We are standing up, not to suffocate under rubble once again!

KKE: The Turkish communists detained in Osmaniye must be immediately released

In a statement issued today, the  International Relations Section of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) denounces the premeditated detention of ten members and cadres of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) in Osmaniye. More specifically the statement is the following:

The Turkish communists must be immediately released and any action by the Turkish authorities to hamper their activity must be stopped!

Solidarity with the people and the Communist Party of Turkey 

Turkish communist leader Kemal Okuyan assesses the earthquake disaster: "A big storm is brewing"

On February 10th, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), Kemal Okuyan, made an assessment about the disaster in the earthquake-hit region of southern Turkey:

"The darkness of the AKP along with the market economy based on exploitation and plunder cost the lives of tens of thousands of our citizens , and left millions of people homeless. This is a terrible, unacceptable, revolting situation. There is more. Turkey has become completely open to a new operation of domestic and foreign capital and imperialist centers.

Turkey Earthquake: The Communist Party (TKP) on the frontline of solidarity and material aid

From the very first time after the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit southern Turkey and parts of Syria, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) mobilized all its resources in order to provide aid to the affected people. Members and supporters of TKP participated in rescue teams while others gathered humanitarian aid in numerous cities across the country. 

TKP has issued reports for the days following the earthquake, describing the situation and the role of the Party in providing actual solidarity to the earthquake-hit people.

Communist Party of Turkey-TKP: Organizing people's solidarity after the earthquake

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has released a statement following the powerful earthquake that hit the country early on Monday, February 6, calling on the citizens to grow solidarity.

Dear comrades,

We are in deep grief and very sorry to inform you that the destruction and damage caused by the earthquake seem quite massive.

For a brief information: 

Istanbul bomb attack: Statement by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)

In a statement about the bomb attack in central Istanbul, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) points out:

We are deeply sorrowed and angry about the attack that happened on Istanbul’s Istiklal Street today, in which 6 citizens lost their lives and 53 were injured. We express our condolences to all our people.

We are against this anti-human attack and against the politics that legitimises such an attack.

Turkey: Communist Party's 102nd founding anniversary celebrated in Istanbul

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) celebrated its 102nd anniversary with a political and cultural event held in Istanbul. Under the slogan “victory belongs to the workers who resist”, ETF workers who have been fighting for their rights entered the hall receiving the warm applause by the large crowd, including workers, unionists, associations' members, young men and women.

Speaking at the opening of the event, the head of TKP Istanbul Provincial Organization Senem Doruk Inam underlined: “We know that we can rebuild this country together. The owners of this country can and will rule this country”. 

Joint Statement of the General Secretaries of the CP of Greece, Mexico, Workers of Spain, Turkey

On 8 July 2022, a quadripartite meeting between the CP of Greece (KKE), the CP of Mexico (PCM), the CP of the Workers of Spain (PCTE), and the CP of Turkey (TKP) was held in Athens, at the headquarters of the CC of the KKE.

After the meeting, the General Secretaries of the 4 CPs issued the following statement:

“During our meeting on 8/7/22 in Athens, we had the opportunity to exchange opinions on the developments at international and national level, the situation formed due to the imperialist war in Ukraine, and the multifaceted anti-popular and anti-labour attack under the conditions of the so-called Green transition, of the energy crisis and a possible food crisis, essentially of the impending economic recession and crisis. 

Speech by Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the KKE, at the quadripartite meeting of the 8th of July

On 8 July 2022, a quadripartite meeting between the CP of Greece, the CP of Mexico, the CP of the Workers of Spain, and the CP of Turkey was held in Athens, at the headquarters of the CC of the KKE. The opening speech of Dimitris Koutsoumbas, GS of the CC of the KKE reads as follows:

“Dear comrades,

We are always happy to welcome the delegates of fraternal Communist Parties at the headquarters of the CC of the KKE. All the more so today, after the pandemic, which had limited our in-person multilateral contact.

Quadripartite meeting of Communist Parties of Greece, Spain, Mexico and Turkey to be held in Athens

A quadripartite meeting between the Communist Parties of Greece (KKE), Workers of Spain (PCTE), Mexico (PCM) and Turkey (TKP) is going to be held on Friday 8 July in Athens. 

The theme of the meeting, which will take place at the KKE Party headquarters in Perissos, is "We strengthen the workers-people's struggle against the imperialist war and capital's attack, for socialism". According to Rizospastis, all the four parties will be represented by their heads. More specifically, the participant comrades are:

Greek, Turkish communists rallied against G7 Summit in Munich

Photo: 902.gr

Communists from Greece and Turkey had a militant participation in yesterday's protests in Munich against the G7 Summit which is taking place in Southern Bavaria.

With a joint bloc, members and supporters of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) rallied in the German city, waving flags and shouting slogans, such as “no to the bloody redistribution of the world by the imperialists” and “hope lies in the peoples' struggle” (Watch video here).