Interview with Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu - Turkey's communist mayor talks to "Rizospastis"

In its weekend edition (6-7 April), the KKE daily "Rizospastis" published a short interview with Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu, the - supported by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)- newly elected mayor of Dersim (Tunceli Province) in the recent local elections. 

Below you can read a translated version of the interview:

-The CP of Turkey participated in the recent local elections with an alliance and achieved important experiences fighting against bourgeois mechanisms. What do you think about this experience?

"NATO must be destroyed" - Statement by the European Communist Initiative

NATO was established seventy years ago, in 1949, in order to block the ideological and political influence of socialism and the Soviet Union, which had greatly increased after the Second World War, as well as its military power. As of its establishment, NATO became one of the headquarters of anti-communism and an imperialist alliance aimed to stop the rise of the working class. Their war policies of relentless military harassment threatened with direct military attacks, including nuclear ones, against the countries that were building socialism, which was answered in May 1955 with the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Warsaw.

KKE: The 70th anniversary of NATO is a "black anniversary" for the people around the world

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the imperialist alliance of NATO, the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued a statement, calling it a "black anniversary for the people in all over the world". More specifically the KKE points out:

"The 70th anniversary of NATO's foundation is a black anniversary for the people in all over the world, but also an opportunity to look back at the bloodstained history of the imperialist organization which continues in our times.

The GSEE mafia strikes again: Congress-parody in Rhodes by employers' trade unionism

The leadership of the GSEE choosed to organize its
congress-parody in a five-star resort in Rhodes.

The actual role of the leadership of GSEE (Greece's General Confederation of Labour) has been fully exposed during recent events, about which you can read in the following articles: 1. Workers storm, interrupt event of the reformist Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) and 2. PAME's George Perros denounces the trade union mafia of the GSEE leadership. 

On Thursday, a new incident that took place in the island of Rhodes, confirms the dirty role of the GSEE bureaucrats as "stooges" of the employers. 

"Young people have their own voice. It is the Communist Party of Greece" - D. Koutsoumbas

On 3 April 2019, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, visited the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens and spoke to the students, in the run up to the triple electoral battle of the local, regional and European elections which will be held on 26 May 2019.

In his speech, amongst other things, he stressed: "From here, the building of the School of Philosophy, we send a powerful message: Young people have their own strength, their own voice. It is the Communist Party of Greece".

Capitalism in Britain: Homelessness increased by 165% since 2010

The images are disturbing and show the tragic reality of the rotten capitalist system. 

The statistics about homelessness in the United Kingdom reveal capitalism's barbarity. 

According to a report by The Independent, thousands of people sleep rough every night in the cold streets of London and other large cities. Both the two bourgeois parties which have governed the country all these decades, the Conservatives and the Labour Party, bear huge responsibility for this situation.

20 YEARS OF PAME: LONG LIVE THE WORKING CLASS OF GREECE

It was April 3, 1999 when, with the great initiative taken by Federations, regional Trade Unions, Trade Unions, Unionists, was formed the All Workers Militant Front (PAME), the class-oriented pole within the workers movement. It was the response to the parasitic action of employers’ and government led unionism, which quickly adapted to the demands of the monopolies to serve competitiveness, to the promotion of European Union directives, to the hammering of working time, social security, the transformation of trade unions into enterprises, co-managers of the capitalist economy, in the social partnership. 

"Hope is flourishing in Turkey": TKP reflects on the results of local elections

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a statement after the local elections, declaring that the party will not allow the two-party system that started to be considered as the normal in Turkey today. 

TKP stated that despite the system seems to be a two-party system in the elections and despite all the difficulties, pressures and restrictions, Turkey's communists have increased their votes radically.

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) presents its candidates for EU Parliament elections

Under the slogan "Strong YES to the KKE is the strongest NO to the EU - For the disengagement, for a Europe of Socialism", in a political event held in Athens the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) presented its candidates for the European Parliament elections which will take place on May 26th. 

The major speaker was the Party's General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas who pointed out that the struggle for a stronger KKE is the choice that consists "the only clear opposition to the EU, to its imperialist character and its anti-worker, anti-people policy". 

Spanish Elections 2019: The Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) will be present!

"On April 28th, there will be candidates of the PCTE.
Thanks for your support!"

The Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) has announced that it has managed to present candicacies to the Congress of Deputies in 29 provinces in spite of the restrictions imposed by the Central Government, which demanded the presentation of endorsements to be able to participate in the elections. 

The members of the Party and the Collectives of Young Communists took profit of this situation to make the communist project known for workers, students, pensioners, neighbours, relatives and friends. More than 30.000 people endorsed the new communist project in a bit more than 2 weeks. 

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’.

"We trust KKE, the only party that doesn't divide workers by skin colour, language or religion"

Birgül Maksum is a young working woman from Western Thrace, which is home to a diverse muslim minority of approximately 120,000 Greek citizens of various ethnic origins (Turks, Pomaks, Roma, etc). She is also a candidate for the Regional Council of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace with the electoral list of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). 

Birgül was among the speakers during yesterday's KKE event in Komotini, which was attended by the Party's General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas who is currently visiting the region. 

World Peace Council (WPC): Speech by General Secretary Thanasis Pafilis in Belgrade

WPC General Secretary Thanasis Pafilis.

The World Peace Council Secretariat Meeting was held in Belgrade, Serbia, on 21st and 24th of March, 2019. 

The meeting coincided with the international conference, organised on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Below is the speech of the WPC General Secretary Thanasis Pafilis to the meeting.

Dear Comrades and Friends,

20 years later Greek Communists did not forget NATO's imperialist crime against Yugoslavia

General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas during his speech
in Thessaloniki.

In a fully-packed ceremony hall, at the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, hundreds of members and supporters of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) attended the Party's political event in commemoration of the 20 years since the bombardment of Yugoslavia by NATO imperialists. 

The event began with a 15 minute video depicting moments from the 1999 anti-imperialist, anti-war mass mobilizations in Thessaloniki and elsewhere in Greece, in which the communists had a leading role. 

International Communist Bulletin 27-3-2019

KKE: "The communists in Turkey and Greece are giving a common struggle"

On the occasion of the March 31, 2019 local elections in Turkey, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) have sent a message of solidarity to the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), stressing the bonds between the communists in both countries and calling  the working classes of Greece and Turkey to struggle together against the exploitative system that brings poverty, unemployment and crisis. 

Read the full message:

Don't Forget Yugoslavia: 20 years since NATO's crime in the Balkans

By Nikos Mottas.

It was March 24, 1999, twenty years ago, when the imperialists of USA-NATO-EU were launching the last mass slaughter of the 20th century against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 

NATO's war in Yugoslavia was the peak of the country's fragmentation, a process which was steadily orchestrated after the counterrevolutionary overthrows in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe in the beginning of 90s. The dominance of capitalist relations of production in Yugoslavia after many decades, marked the kick off of its dissolution. That was a great opportunity for the vulptures of capitalism, US and European monopolies, to extend their businesses in new markets and feed on the remains of the former Federal Yugoslavia. 

24 March 1999 - We Shall Never Forget (VIDEO)

KKE: Statement on the trilateral Greece - Cyprus - Israel summit with the US participation

Pompeo - Anastasiadis- Netanyahu- Tsipras.

On the occasion of the trilateral summit in Jerusalem between Greece, Cyprus and Israel, with the participation of the United States of America, the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued the following statement:

"The trilateral meeting in Jerusalem between Greece - Cyprus - Israel, with the participation of the American Secretary of State is being presented a “milestone” in developments.

The SYRIZA government is 'leading the dance', which up until a few days ago hoped that the trilateral meeting would be hosted in Crete and that the participation of Pompeo would be recorded as yet another recognition of its "offer" to  American-NATO designs in the eastern Mediterranean and wider.

Brexit: Communist Party of Ireland's political statement on the current situation and debate

At its regular meeting on 16 March 2019 the National Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Ireland discussed the current situation in relation to the continuing debate about Brexit and also the decision of the Public Prosecution Service in regard to the prosecution of members of the British military in connection with the events of Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972 and the murder by the British state military of fourteen innocent Irish citizens taking part in an anti-internment march. [...]

Greece: PAME's George Perros denounces the trade union mafia of the GSEE leadership

After the incidents at the 37th Congress of the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) in Kalamata, where the Confederation's leadership tried to impose... employers as congress' delegates, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) strongly protested such methods. 

Trade Unionists and workers affiliated with PAME denounced the mafia methods within the trade union movement used by the GSEE leadership of G. Panagopoulos. During a press conference held by Regional Trade Unions and Federations, the member of the Secretariat of PAME George Perros noted the following:

20 YEARS SINCE NATO CRIME IN YUGOSLAVIA: Belgrade to host international conference on March 22-24

On the occasion of the tragic 20th anniversary since the imperialist attack of NATO, US and the EU against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Belgrade Forum for the World of Equals and the World Peace Council (WPC) organize an international conference in Belgrade, on March 22-24. 

The conference, which is a commemoration "against forgetting the 1999 NATO aggression", is expected to be attended representatives from peace and anti-imperialist organizations from around 40 countries. 

International Communist Bulletin 20-3-2019

Turkish communists on New Zealand massacre: "Racism and capitalism will be defeated"

Regarding the massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued, on March 16th, the following statement:

Yesterday there had been a brutal massacre killing 49 people in New Zealand.  It became clear by his messages that, the assailant had been in a sick hatred and he been preparing for the attack beforehand.

This increasing racism, anti-immigrant hatred and as witnessed in the last incident, a fascist delusion all around the world, is the reflection of capitalism's deadlock.