The Eurasian country is now experiencing a violent storm created by the massive struggle of various popular sectors of workers, young students, women, school teachers, doctors and other professionals who, with the movement in the streets, are confronting the neoliberal, repressive and sell-out government of the AKP (party of "justice" and "development"), headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In recent years the AKP government has developed a policy of "bended knee" towards the United States of America and has become one of the pillars for the building of the "Greater Middle East," an economic, political and military fortress of imperialism, as well as being the most obedient executor of all the neoliberal policies in favor of the foreign monopolies and the big bourgeoisie, to whom they have cynically handed over the public properties and resources of the country.
The anti-popular policy of the Erdogan government is also expressed in mass layoffs, the reorganization of working life against the workers and public employees, it has carried out the so-called outsourcing of services in order to proceed to a regime of trade union repression, restriction of social rights, low wages, increased exploitation of the workers in the name of greater efficiency and competitiveness, etc., all of which has led to daily protests in the factories and institutions in various cities of the country.
The indignation of the workers and youth of Turkey rejects outright Erdogan’s policy of intervention in the conflict in Syria.
There is much indignation, discontent and opposition to the neoliberal
government, to these policies and also because, trying to ease the
crisis, it has put up for auction all the public properties and even
historical sites to foreign companies. In the last two weeks a massive
uprising of the big popular sectors broke out, when Erdogan proposed
carrying out a giant architectural project of concrete and iron in Gezi
Park of the traditional Taksin Square in the heart of Istanbul, to be
allocated to the large multinational corporations, banks and shops of
the great powers, sacrificing the public space, destroying the ecology
and depriving the people of a place of rest and relaxation.
It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. When the demolition machines entered the park, hundreds of people, especially youth, took over the park to prevent them from destroying it. The police came, using water cannons and tear gas; they destroyed the tents and violently assaulted the occupants to allow the work of destruction to continue. However, the next day, tens of thousands of workers, students, employees, teachers and professionals retook Gezi Park, making it the symbol of the wrath of the people, tired of the disastrous policy of the defense of capitalism by the government in office.
The fighting has intensified in these last days and extended to other big cities such as Ankara, Smyrna, Hatay, and others. Erdogan has sent large police contingents to stop the human tide and has accused the protesters of being "looters" and pushing a process of destabilization and an attempted "coup.The police forces have beaten thousands of people and arrested hundreds. The workers and youth, who are major players in this uprising, are calling for the cessation of construction of the Gezi complex, but also for the AKP government to resign in order to put an end to its policies affecting Turkey and all its peoples.
The powerful union of public sector workers (KESK) and the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions have called a general strike. The left parties including Emek Party have also been together with the struggling people, pushing forward the fighting and leading the indignation of sectors of the Turkish people.
In the last three days Erdogan has been visiting the Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania) and in each of those places he has been rejected by the people because of his repressive actions and pro-imperialist policies. On his return he stated that he will not let up on the conspirators, who use social networks and twitter to "make calls for destabilization," social networks that, according to the Prime Minister, are the "greatest threat to society."
He further stated that these actions were carried out by those "bitter" people who "lost the elections" and who wanted to stop the "development" in this manner...
In the middle of this situation, the government is also threatening the media who are together with the fighters. Many progressive newspapers and TV channels have been warned. Hayat TV channel, which has been covering the events and showing the protests, their character and extent, has recently received a closure order from the "High Commission of Radio and Television," the government body that controls the media. This is a fact of grave violation of the right to information against which the voices of protest should rise around the world and by all means.
The Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador makes the banners of combat of the peoples of Turkey its own, it gives its solidarity with all its might to the struggle of the workers, youth, women and people against the neoliberal, repressive and anti-popular government of the AKP and of Prime Minister Erdogan. It unites its forces with EMEK Party and the popular organizations.
We Communists of Ecuador call on all organizations, institutions and individuals of the left, revolutionaries and progressives to support this struggle, to denounce the government's actions and above all to raise their voice against the intended closure of Hayat TV, a channel at the service of the workers, youth and women and the progressive intellectuals.
Long live the valiant struggle of the workers, youth, women and peoples of Turkey.
Down with the neoliberal AKP government and Prime Minister Recep Erdogan Tayyis.
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