Scientific symposium on Socialism initiated by the Communist Party (TKP) held in Ankara

Photo: soL news.

An interesting symposium on Socialist future and planning began on Friday 6th December in Ankara, after an initiative by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP). 

The meeting takes place under the auspice of the "Academy of Science and Enlightment" at the premises of the Middle East Technical University (METU), with more than 300 scholars, university students and workers attending the event.

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey, Kemal Okuyan, was among the speakers of the first day. Okuyan pointed out that the only goal of scientific work in capitalism is the maximalization of profits, because its organization is in the hands of monopolies. In socialism, he said, the organization of scientific work will be transformed into a large network of all the working people. 

21st International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties: The opening speeches by Dimitris Koutsoumbas and Kemal Okuyan

The 21st International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP) kicked off today, Friday 18 October, in Izmir, with the participation of 75 Parties from 61 countries. 

The hosting Parties are the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). The meeting takes place between 18 and 20 of October.

Below, you can read the full transcripts of the opening speeches delivered by the General Secretaries Dimitris Koutsoumbas and Kemal Okuyan.

More than 70 Communist Parties to participate in the 21st International Meeting in Izmir

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) Kemal Okuyan and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas will deliver speeches in the opening event of the 21st International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP) which will take place in Izmir between 18 and 20 October. 

According to 902 portal, Dimitris Koutsoumbas will be the head of a large delegation of the KKE, including Giorgos Marinos, member of the Poltical Bureau and MP, Elisseos Vagenas, member of the Central Committee and responsible of the Party's International Relations Section, the Party's MEP Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos and Aris Evangelidis, member of the International Relations Section of the KKE. 

"Erdogan and the USA are partners in crime in Syria" — Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has released a statement regarding the military offensive into northern Syria, on which Turkey carrying out ground attacks and airstrikes. Shouting "hands off Syria!", TKP says AKP and the United States are partners in crime in Syria for the last eight years. The statement is the following:

"Syria has been suffering for eight years.

About eight years ago, anti-government demonstrations commenced in Syria. These demonstrations soon turned into an armed uprising and clashes in certain cities. Then together with the involvement of foreign forces, the civil war and the occupation of imperialist powers led by the US started.

Turkish communists respond to Donald Trump: "Loser, liar and a tyrant servant of imperialism"

"As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!)”, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter, commenting on a possible military operation of the Turkish army in northern Syria. 

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has released a statement regarding the tweet of the President of the United States threatening Turkey. The full statement is as follows:

Turkey's "red mayor" Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu visited Greece

Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu, the militant mayor of the Turkish city of Dersim, paid his first visit to Greece after an invitation by "New Star" studio cinema. 

During his stay in Athens Mr Maçoğlu participated in numerous events, including the screening of two documentaries ("From Soil to Sky" and "Dersim") and a book presentation ("Komünist Başkan-The Communist Mayor"). 

The mayor of Dersim, who has been elected with the list of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), had the opportunity to visit the 45th KNE-Odigitis festival which is taking place at Athens' Tritsis Park from 19 to 21 September. He was welcomed by members of KNE, toured the festival's premises and also signed the resolution against the "US-Greece mutual defense agreement on bases". 

Turkey: Communist Party (TKP) celebrated its 99th anniversary in Istanbul and Izmir

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) started the events celebrating the 99th anniversary with the slogan "We Are Ready".

The first event was held on September 10th in Istanbul with the participation of thousands of TKP members and friends.

The event started with the singing of the anthem Internationale and a video on the history of TKP was showed.

Biz hazırız! Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) to mark its 99th anniversary on September 10

Biz hazırız! (We are ready!). Under this slogan, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) leaves 99 years behind to reach its centennial on September 10.

According to soL portal, this week Boyun Egme ("Do not surrender"), the weekly publication of the party, explains that socialism is contemporary and TKP’s claim to establish an egalitarian social order is realizable.

As declared in the official website of the party, TKP says the party is ready for the struggle of a socialist revolution with the high organizational capacity of workers, intellectuals, and young people.

Kemal Okuyan: Who will be the target of S-400 missiles purchased by AKP government?

The General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) Kemal Okuyan reflects on the issue of Turkey's purchase of S-400 missiles from Russia and the stance of communists on this political crisis:

Can a government develop domestic policy in a completely different direction from its foreign policy? Can a political power that is hostile to its own people defend the interests of the oppressed and the poor in the international arena and take a position against inequalities in the world?

Statement by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) after Istanbul's mayoral re-elections

The Communist Party of Turkey's statement came after the June 23 redo local elections in Istanbul as Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayoral candidate of the opposition, won the polls by a wide margin against his rival, Binali Yıldırım, from the ruling party: 

To our people

The overwhelming victory of Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was elected as the Mayor of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality on March 31, against Binali Yıldırım, the candidate of AKP and MHP, in the elections that were unlawfully annulled and repeated does not only mean the invalidation of an attempt to usurp universal suffrage but also has dramatically changed the political balances in Turkey.

Istanbul mayoral re-election: The stance of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality elections were unlawfully annuled and are going to be repeated on June 23. The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a statement and clarified its position. 

As early as the announcement of the annulment decision, the Party had declared that Ekrem İmamoğlu had been elected as the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and that the TKP candidate for the March 31 elections, Zehra Güner Karaoğlu, would not be nominated again for any repeated elections.

The 21st International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties to be held in Izmir, Turkey

The Working Group Meeting of the 21st International Meeting of the Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP), hosted by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), in Izmir, Turkey on June 8th.

Delegates from 25 Communist and Workers Parties attended the event.

The Working Group Meeting decided that the 21st IMCWP, which will be jointly organized by the TKP and the KKE, will take place in the city of Izmir on October 2019.

Great victory: Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu becomes Turkey's first communist mayor!

According to soL news portal, Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)’s candidate Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu wins Dersim municipality according to the unofficial reports.

Maçoğlu was previously the mayor of Ovacık, Dersim. During his term of office, he was already known as the ‘communist mayor’.

Istanbul to host the European Communist Initiative's meeting on February 16-17

Photo Credit: In Defense of Communism.

According to the new portal soL, the Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties of Europe which continues its activities since 2013 will hold a meeting in Istanbul on February 16-17 with the call of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP). 

The meeting will be held at a time when the 100th anniversary of the founding of Comintern and will host 18 parties of the Initiative. The title of the meeting will be: 'Struggle for Communism: 100 Years of Political Heritage', the meeting will be in the form of a history conference.

Turkish workers establish solidarity network against the crisis and the capitalists

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has inaugurated the solidarity, struggle and communication network of workers against the crisis and the capitalists, soL news portal reports. 

In its appeal, “the TKP will welcome those who wish to have access to this network at its buildings, clubhouses and representative agencies,” the party said. 

“We will join our forces. We will not bow down to the bosses. We will clamp down on the exploiters. Those who suppose that workers are all alone should know that we will breathe down bosses’ neck.”

Turkish communist leader Kemal Okuyan talks about the economic crisis

Kemal Okuyan, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), elaborated on the ongoing economic crisis for soL news portal. 

Okuyan highlighted that crises are inevitable under capitalism, and that they result in further monopolization as well as the reallocation of funds from toiling masses to capital. 

Emphasizing that expecting the crisis to lead Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or his AKP government to a political stalemate would be too optimistic, Okuyan pointed out that the political outcomes of the crisis would be determined by the struggle of the working class.

98 years of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP): Socialism is possible and necessary

On September 10th, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a statement regarding the 98th anniversary since the foundation of the "oldest and youngest party" of the country:

"We will not content ourselves with something less than what is possible. Even though some claim that it is “impossible”, socialism is the only possible future in Turkey and the world.

The rest is nothing but darkness. The rest is nothing but lies.

Turkey's currency crisis: "Our country has become the playground of international monopolies" says the Communist Party

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has released a statement on the current currency crisis in Turkey, declaring that Turkey "has become the playground of international monopolies, companies and banks". 

The full statement issued by the TKP is the following:

DO NOT BE DUPED ANY MORE

Our country has become the playground of international monopolies, companies and banks, the names of which we cannot even pronounce correctly.

Communist Party of Turkey: We have to kick all of US imperialism out of our land!

Statement of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on the recent tension between the governments of Turkey and the United States: 

We have to kick all of US imperialism out of our land, along with its bases, soldiers and collaborators.

It is impossible to achieve this within today’s system. Because today’s rule is the rule of money bags who make huge profits owing to their close relations with the US, NATO countries and the European Union and who see those relations as the assurance of the continuation of their rule. The party that is ruling today is a party that came to power by the open support and guidance of US. Those who are having a row with the US today are the same ones who were boasting of being strategic partners with the US yesterday.

Joint Statement by Communist & Workers' Parties about June 24th elections in Turkey

As the communist and workers’ parties listed below, we condemn the Turkish government’s fait accompli in the strongest way possible, which prevented the Communist Party of Turkey from running for the elections on June 24th as one of the candidate parties.

We call on the people of Turkey for refusing to choose between one or another actor of the capitalist order. 

We invite you all to vote for the independent candidates of “This Social Order Must Change” Platform (Bu Düzen Değişmeli Platformu) and to raise the flag of socialism in and after the elections. Do not let the bourgeoisie to hold your future in their hands!