Voice of Revolution - Issue No. 10 (December 98)

An exemplary struggle against privatisation

The working class has gained a victory against privatisation in Turkey. After facing the determined resistance of workers, the Privatisation High Committee (OYK) has had to drop its decision on privatising the biggest national paper factory SEKA. After Yatagan Thermoelectric Power Plant workers who resisted the privatisors by not letting  them into the production plant, Izmit SEKA workers built one of the most important labour barricades in recent years, setting a  good example of a determined struggling against privatisation.

Immediately after hearing the decision of OYK that agreed on the closure of the Izmit Enterprise of SEKA, dated 14 September 1998, workers and the Seluloz-Is (cellulose workers) Union, organised  in  the paper sector, took  action. As a result of the initiative of the advanced workers and  the fighting unionists of Seluloz-Is, thousands of workers gathered to protest the government’s decision to close down the factory with the purpose of privatising it. They decided not to leave their factory until the decision was withdrawn. SEKA workers, who continued  routine production after  putting  up their banner -
"Production continues in this factory" (usually when the workers go on strike, they put up a banner stating that there is a strike) -, did not leave their factory for 30 days. The determined attitude of the workers against privatisation mobilised other workers in other branches of SEKA. This resistance, in one of the biggest factories in the Izmit region, received the full  support of primarily working people and artisans of Izmit, and of the workers from other sectors. In spite of being organised in the private sector and thus  not directly facing the privatisation attacks, warehouse workers organised a  solidarity strike after the call of their union, TUMTIS (Transport Workers’ Union). Through the initiative of the Platform of Workers Unions Branches in Istanbul,  production was stopped for 2 hours in a number of work places in Istanbul to show solidarity with the SEKA workers. The Party of Labour (Emegin Partisi) which actively supported the resistance of SEKA workers right from the beginning, organised a demonstration in front of the SEKA factory with the attendance of more than 800 party members who came from nearby towns.

The determination of the workers and their families in defending their factory made the SEKA workers the practical vanguard of the struggle against privatisation in Turkey. In the face of this development, OYK announced on 6 October 1998 that the privatisation decision was temporarily stopped until the workers’ employment problem has been resolved. None the less Davut Bozkan, the general secretary of Seluloz Is, stressed that they would not let the government cheat them, and that they would organise a mass demonstration on 31 October 1998. Bozkan also underlined that the SEKA workers would march to Ankara, the capital city, if the privatisation decision was not withdrawn.

After it  became clear that the workers would not step back and that the resistance began to influence wider sections,  OYK, just two days before the planned demonstration, announced that they cancelled the privatisation decision. Thereupon, SEKA workers, instead of cancelling the Izmit demonstration, turned it into a victory demonstration.

Despite the heavy rain, 30 thousand workers and working people took part in the demonstration organised by the SEKA workers. The organisations actively attended were the workers union confederations (Turk-Is, DISK, Hak-Is), the public workers confederation KESK, mass organisations and political parties. The paper (SEKA) workers and other workers and working people from other sectors who gathered in the demonstration forced the union confederations to act in line with their struggle. Usually these confederations come together only on May Days and yield to privatisation attacks. The slogans "SEKA belongs to the people so cannot be sold", "Today SEKA, tomorrow the whole country", "SEKA resisted, Turkey gained" were shouted throughout the demonstration and the workers highlighted once again the meaning and the value of the success of the struggle.

The political significance of this successful struggle against privatisation can be expressed as follows: The privatisation was first started in 1986 in Turkey. Since then $4.5 billion worth privatisation has been completed. Nevertheless, as a result of the pressure of international monopolies and their collaborators who found the privatisation process slow, the National Security Council (MGK) and the Yilmaz Government, in fact led by the generals, have decided to "accelerate the privatisation programme". The Government proclaimed the year 1998 as "privatisation year" and set $4.5 billion as the revenue from privatisation. The Yilmaz government has announced the implementation of this programme as a "matter of honour". The implementation of  this programme actually means the plunder of the public enterprises, which are products of the labour of the workers and the working masses, by imperialist capital and their collaborators. With their struggle the workers forced the government, which openly declares enmity towards the working people, to take a step back.

What the Telecom workers, Tekel (state company producing tobacco and alcohol drinks) workers and energy workers in Tokat and Izmir, miners in Zonguldak who face privatisation attacks have learnt from this determined resistance by the SEKA workers is that when the working class acts together these attacks can be pushed back, that unemployment (1) and poverty is not inevitable, and that even the most fierce governments can be repulsed if class-based trade unionists and revolutionary workers get the upper hand in the unions, which are workers’ organisations and not the property of union bureaucrats, and when the workers act together with their unions.

When the SEKA workers’ resistance began it was also a time when the wrangling of counter-guerrilla gangs and mafia was at its height. This was a result of the attempts of the dictatorship to re-organise its primary institutions, particularly those in the superstructure. As a result of this dogfight it has become clear that the counter guerrilla gangs and mafia  groups use privatisation as an "instrument of money laundering". Thus the picture stands as follows: On one side workers who resist privatisation, and on the other links between gangs and privatisers. For this reason the government cancelled one of the bids due to "mafia links" in order to prevent the anti-privatisation public opinion from getting stronger.

Undoubtedly, the use of privatisation as a "means of money laundering" for the mafia, gangs and drug dealers is just one side of the coin. This fact which did not take long for the bourgeois press to expose to a certain extent is not the actual side of the question. The main purpose of the discussions around the criticism of "dirty capital" which can no longer  be hidden is not about condemning the plunder of privatisation itself. On the contrary, the aim is to legitimise, through "clean capital", this plunder which will be done by big international monopolies and their collaborators in the country.

In fact, the attitude of the government on this question is clear. The privatisation programme on Turkish Airlines, Turk Telecom, Petkim (oil-chemical industry), Tupras (Turkish oil co.) and Erdemir (iron and steel industry) which was planned to go ahead in the last quarter of this year has only been postponed to 1999. To implement the privatisation programme in a more convenient environment and in a faster and more rigid way. This is the dictatorship’s plan for privatisation. 

The resistance of the SEKA workers shows how these anti-worker and anti-popular plans can be destroyed. It also demonstrates that in Turkey, the struggle against privatisation has entered a new period where this struggle will be more than stopping the plunder of this or that public enterprise.

(1) If we take into account the population growth rate in Turkey every year one million people need to be employed. Far from achieving this, according to the official statistics, in 1997 more than 54 thousand workers have been made redundant. According to research made by a union, the unemployment rate has increased 41.3% in the last year. In this reaserch, it is stated that unemployment level has reached  10 million. (The official rate of unemployment is 26,1%). 7 out of 12.5 million people aged between 15-24 are unemployed. In the meantime, as a result of privatisation redundancies in public enterprises is at its peak. Only in 1997, 10.1 % of redundancies are as a result of privatisation.

• The Turkey - Israel Agreement: A new step forward for US imperialism's gendarme station in the region

The Agreement signed between Turkey and Israel  at  the instigation of the USA is still being discussed even though it was signed long ago. One of the reasons why this question is still on the agenda is because of the role played by the governments of the two countries in the political and military developments in the region, their announcement of gaining new positions as "regional forces", and the reaction of other countries in the region against this announcement. The other reason is that, following this agreement, especially the reactionary forces in Turkey have launched a more aggressive policy both inside and outside the country.

The big powers of  world capitalism have always shown a great interest in Turkey because of its geographical and strategic position. Turkey constitutes a "door" where the sea and land routes for Asia, Europe and Africa meet. With Istanbul and the Canakkale Straits and through the Black Sea Turkey opens to the Caspian region and to the Caucasus, and through the Mediterranean to the Red Sea; while the routes from North Africa and from the Mediterranean and European countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain intersect in Turkey. Geographically Turkey is situated both in the Middle East and the Balkans. As it has territories both in Asia and Europe it is named as "Euro-Asia Minor".

It is not possible for a big imperialist power seeking for hegemony on capitalist markets, cheap labour and raw materials not to show an interest in Turkey and in the region where it is situated. History proves this fact.

The ruling classes in Turkey have shaped their policies with the importance of the country's strategic position in mind, and are still doing so. As the ruling classes of a semi-colonial country dependent on outside forces they have, since the beginning of the century, been utilising this position to increase their  involvement in imperialist collaboration. According to the balance of power of the period, they first served the British and the French capitalists, and then German capital. Finally, for the last 50 years they have been the "trustworthy ally" (in fact, loyal servant and collaborator) of US imperialism in the region. 

The fact that the Republic of Turkey was established on the heritage of the collapsing Ottoman Empire and that the founders had a military origin had an effect on its home and foreign policy having a militarist line since its foundation. From the beginning, the Military General Council and the top military bureaucracy had a say in the political governing of the country. Turkey has never had a democratic political structure. This situation facilitated even more the implementation of an anti-popular, reactionary and fascist policy of oppression in the country, and a pro-imperialist and chauvinist foreign policy based on tension. This also holds true vice versa: The collaborationist classes with the support of imperialism have maintained the fascist regime and kept the working class and the working people in general under oppression in favour of international capital.

The US imperialist bourgeoisie, together with the other Western capitalists and imperialists, tried to use the reactionary forces in Turkey efficiently in its international attacks on the Soviet Union. Turkey was considered as an important element of the imperialist "green belt" (Islamist) movement against the Soviet Union. The US tried to use Islam as a "unifying" motive in order to mobilise the Turks, Arabs, Azerbaijanis, Kirgizes, Chechens, Tadjiks, etc. against socialism. However, the great revolutionary strength gained by the working class and the Soviet peoples with the construction of socialism, the establishment of people's democracies in Eastern Europe, the development of  left-liberal currents in the name of "Arabic socialism" in some Arab countries in the Middle East and their increasing influence in the governing of these countries - all this forced the ruling classes in Turkey to follow a foreign policy taking all these developments into consideration. For a long time Turkey had a foreign policy which took the "big neighbour in the North"  and the "balance of power" into account. It tried not to create enmity with the Arab nations and the Palestinian liberation movement in the Middle East.

The disintegration of the Soviet Union was the most important factor for the Turkish reactionary forces to begin to follow a more reactionary and aggressive foreign policy as a tail of the American war mongering. The rhetoric of "the great Turkic world from the Adriatic to the Wall of China" was the expression of the policy of the collaborator big bourgeoisie in the region. After World War II, US imperialism kept Israel, the existence of which came on to the agenda as a result of the international situation of the period, under its protection. Following the overthrown of the Shah's fascist dictatorship in Iran, the importance the US attached to "small" Israel was greater. The developments in the Middle East; the Mullah regime in Iran and its anti-American policies; the raid in the American Embassy; the distancing attitudes of Syria, Iraq and Lebanon; the problems with the Saddam regime; and finally the anger caused by the Gulf War, all this led US imperialism and other Western big powers to review their policies on the Middle East and the Caucasus  in the light of these new developments. The US wanted to bring the Palestinian movement to a standstill, and tried to improve its relationship with the Turkic republics in order to benefit more from the Caucasus oil and other natural resources by using the ruling classes in Turkey more efficiently. With the Israel-Palestine Agreement the US gained another position in the Middle East. Thus the conditions were more ripe for a higher degree of co-operation between Turkey and Israel. The US made a great effort for the realisation of the Turkey-Israel Strategic Co-operation Agreement and achieved it. 

This Agreement has given a greater role to Turkey (and Israel) in the Middle East and the Caucasus for American interests. It was more of a military agreement rather than an economic and political one. The Agreement was drafted by the Turkish and the Israeli General Staff and finally signed by the two governments. According to the Agreement, the Turkish and the Israeli armies will have joint military training, they will jointly build and improve their war-planes and other weapons, and an attack on either country will be treated as one on the other one. Obviously this is an anti-Arab Agreement which constitutes a threat to the Arab peoples and which strengthens the positions of the American imperialist bourgeoisie in the Middle East. 

With this Agreement while the US imperialist bourgeoisie has improved its possibility of using Turkey and Israel, its loyal collaborators, more efficiently in the fight for power and markets in the region because of Turkey's strategic position and the strength of the two countries, the reactionary forces in Turkey are trying to use it as a basis for "solving" the problems with its neighbours in its favour.

The collaborating bourgeoisie in Turkey has serious problems with almost all its neighbours. The Aegean and Cyprus problem with Greece; the Kurdish question with Syria, Iran and Iraq; increasing contradictions with Russia because of its propaganda about "the great Turkic world from the Adriatic to the Wall of China", its Turkic policy and provocative-sabotaging practice towards Chechnia, Azerbaijan, Kirgizistan and Tajikistan; the problems with the Balkan countries because of its reactionary attitudes towards them and its direct participation in the Serbia-Bosnia conflict. The ruling classes in Turkey want to benefit from this Agreement in "solving" or postponing the problems with the neighbouring countries.

It is true that the geographical and strategic position of Turkey provides some advantages to the ruling classes. However, their impasses are increasing not only because of their foreign relations and unsolved problems with their neighbours, but also because of economic and political problems at home. With this agreement Turkey has drawn the anger of the Arab peoples on itself. Basing itself on the agreement with Israel, an adventurism it will conduct in the region or provocation of conflicts and coups in the Caucasus through the "Turkic Republics" will encounter the increasing anger of the peoples in the region. Despite their plans and the imperialist bourgeoisie, there is no political, economic or military position to be gained in the Middle East and the Caucasus by the ruling classes in Turkey. This is because the "lion’s share" would go to the imperialist bourgeoisie, and their "subcontractors" could only get the crumbs, if the imperialist bourgeoisie tolerates this.

The fact that the bourgeoisie in Turkey bases its politics mainly on the denial and destruction of the Kurdish people and of their national rights makes it weak -not strong- in the region and in its relations with its neighbours. The fascist political regime and the implementation of national oppression policy on the Kurds leads to the use of international agreements such as the one with Israel as a trump card against the people at home and as an instrument for intensifying economic and political repression. As is the case in other countries, the bourgeoisie  claims that such agreements are useful for "national interests" and for the security of the people. However, it is obvious that these kinds of agreements are not for the development of peaceful politics or for the rapprochement of the peoples. On the contrary, they are used as an instrument in the struggle for hegemony, of aggression against the popular masses at home, and sharpen the contradictions.

The Co-operation Agreement between Israel and Turkey is not any good for the people of Turkey, other peoples in the region or the people of the world. The bourgeoisie expresses armament and the co-operation between reactionary forces with the excuse of a "deterring factor" and "defending peace", which is a complete lie. The US-Israel-Turkey co-operation is not for the peace in the region or in the world. The increasing hegemony of the US in the region would only sharpen the dogfight between the imperialists and between the reactionary collaborators, and consolidate aggressive politics against the peoples. As a result of the Agreement with Turkey,  Israel’s Zionism has placed itself in a stronger position against the Arab peoples which will sharpen the Arab-Israel contradiction. These kinds of agreements promoting armament, modernisation of weapons and development of arms technology  place a heavier burden on the peoples and make them encounter the danger of new wars.

The interests of the Turkish and Kurdish working masses and all the peoples in the region require the annulment of all reactionary agreements like the Turkey-Israel one and all other bilateral or multilateral agreements with imperialists. It also requires an end to the existence of the US and other imperialist powers in the region. This would also be in the interest of all the working people of the world and oppressed nations. Under the present conditions where capitalist contradictions are deepening and the inter-imperialist struggle for hegemony is continuing, there is no doubt that these kinds of agreements would have a context against the proletariat and the oppressed peoples. Therefore, it is an urgent task to fight against the imperialist and reactionary initiatives.

• The world youth gathering in Bergama

An International Anti-fascist, Anti-imperialist Youth Camp took place in Turkey between 31st of July and 10th of August 1998. This has once again demonstrated  the determination and decisiveness of the common struggle of  world youth against imperialism and capitalism. About three thousand young people from 22 different countries gathered in the historic Turkish city of Bergama  on the coast of Aegean Sea . For ten days they  shared life, struggle, brotherhood / sisterhood, and friendship. For a short period of time they  lived in a world which they long for, a world in which they could live fraternally. 

During the camp these young people from all over the world embraced the Bergama villagers who have been fighting against the multi-national Eurogold Company for nine years.

The organisation of the gathering was initiated entirely by youth organisations. At the same time,  camp  was a meeting place for progressive intellectuals in Turkey who  support the  international  struggle of young people from one single front. 

The area where the Bergama gathering took place was turned into a campsite from inhabitable ruins. From catering, accommodation cleaning and other facilities to the swimming pool, all the facilities had been built through the collective work of the youth and local working people. The same spirit of collective work has been practised in the division of labour, and with the principle of sharing the problems of everyday life for ten days.

More than 30 mass organisations and associations from outside Turkey  helped in the organisation of the Bergama gathering which attracted the participation of about 40 musical and theatre groups. More than 100 intellectuals, artists, writers, film makers, and poets tried to share their work, explore science and art with young people and local villagers; they tried to teach and at the same time learn form them. They have in practice condemned the "intellectual type", not in any way  linked to social life, imposed on them. After the discussions and panels which took place during the day, night concerts and stage performances which took place in the ancient theatre has attracted 5-10 thousand young people.

During the camp, workers, students, unemployed people, apprentices (trainees) and villagers –young  people from different parts of the country initiated various discussions on economics, politics, philosophy etc. Their discussions  were aimed at achieving  a common platform of struggle against wars which are being provoked every day in one or other part of the world, in the interests of capitalist plunder and re-division of the world. Different experiences in different countries were told by the very people who are taking part in the struggle.

With the Bergama gathering, Turkey has hosted the first international youth camp. Delegations from  European countries included those from Germany, France, England, Holland, Austria, Italy, Greece, Albania, Spain and Denmark; from Latin America there were delegations from Ecuador, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Colombia, and from Asia there were delegations from India, Iran and Russia. They were embraced by Turkish and Kurdish youth, by other minorities, intellectuals and leaders of the workers movement.

In the seminars held during the camp, the belief was once again  affirmed internationally that the struggle against the capitalist system, imperialist plunder, exploitation and repression on youth can succeed only under the leadership of the working class and by  adhering to scientific socialism.

It was stressed that, though struggles may be  isolated, there is a need to unite the continuing and spreading struggles in various parts of the world against poverty, exploitation and plunder, and that the young people are  in the forefront of the rebellious sections who do not  obey  the existing system.

During the Bergama gathering, world youth has shown in practice that they don't  silently accept the selling off of social security institutions, public enterprises, natural enterprises to imperialists. Young people have  had the chance to meet the nine years long anti-imperialist struggle of Bergama villagers. At the same time,  they have worked together with the villagers, entertained together, and shared each others problems. International solidarity was experienced and concretised in 17 villages of Bergama, in the strike of council workers, and in the visiting of the working peoples' resistance in Soma thermic power station against privatisation. This process was in a way a  proof that Bergama’s people, who materialised the struggle against imperialism, who defended the country and drove back international monopolies and their collaborators, are not alone. This has also shown that in spite of all efforts to suppress anti-imperialist sentiments, they were alive among youth.

Having successfully overcome all the obstacles and completed the Bergama gathering, with their own talent and creativeness, the youth have expressed in their declaration that, "they would confront (oppose) imperialism, capitalist oppression subordination of peoples, and be in the forefront of the struggle for the right of the oppressed peoples to self-determination and for the creation of a world in peace". 

  

International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organisations

Caracas - Venezuela, October 1998

In October, an International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organisations was held in Venezuela. Eight parties and organisations from the American and European continents participated in the Conference: Communist Party of Chile (Proletarian Action), Communist Party of Labour of Dominican Republic, Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador, Workers' Communist Party of France, Communist Party of Mexico, Communist Organisation October of Spain (Octubre), Revolutionary Communist Party of Turkey and Red Flag Party of Venezuela (Bandera Roja). Some parties and organisations which could not participate in the Conference  for financial and technical reasons sent messages of solidarity and stated that they would support the decisions of the Conference. Among them are the parties and organisations from Tunisia, Upper Volta, Benin, Italy, Germany, Greece, Albania, Iran, Colombia and the Antilles.

The main agenda of the Conference was "Anti-imperialist struggle and the tasks of the communist parties". Following the efficient discussions on this question, a joint statement was declared. The focus of the discussions was the tasks and the responsibilities of the genuine communist parties, under the present conditions where the workers' and working people's movement has a new ascending trend on a world scale, in order to prevent the reformist, revisionist, social democrat and class collaborationist currents from diverting once more the movement from its path.

Among other decisions taken were the continuation of the half-yearly publication of "Unity & Struggle", the journal of the Conference, and improving its content; the continuation of the international solidarity campaigns; the organisation of regional and continental meetings; and the organisation of various activities which could draw outside parties and organisations.

Communiqué

An International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organisations was held in October. In a fraternal atmosphere the Conference has evaluated the common work carried out since the last session; it has analysed the international situation taking the question of imperialism as a basis; and has determined the tasks for which the member parties of the Conference will take responsibilities.

In the evaluation session the following topics were dealt with: the developments in the relations with outside parties; the publication and circulation of the journal "Unity & Struggle"; and the developments in the campaigns for solidarity with Francisco Caraballo, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Colombia (M-L) and the commandant of the EPL , who is in prison in the hands of the reactionary government; and with comrade Gregorio Alvarado, the leader of the Communist Party of Mexico (M-L). Also on the agenda were the International Meeting of Trade Unionists held in France, the seminar "Problems of the Revolution in Latin America" held in Quito, the anti-fascist and anti-imperialist international youth camp, and the re-publication of The Communist Manifesto in various languages and countries and concerning activities to mark its 150th anniversary.

The Conference held useful discussions on the question of "imperialism and the struggle of the working class and the peoples of the world". The delegations of the parties present talked about the general crisis of the world capitalist system and its effects on the workers, other oppressed and exploited sections in our countries. "The crisis has arrived at a level where it constitutes an obstacle to the development of society, and today imperialism manages to maintain its existence as the hegemonic system only because of its economic hegemony and its monopoly on violence apparatus."

The Conference especially highlighted the achievements and developments of the struggle of the working class and the peoples against capitalist exploitation and for the emancipation from colonial and semi-colonial hegemony.

"Based on the existing main tendencies in the economic, political and social processes in the world", our Conference has drawn attention to "the particular importance of developing an anti-imperialist policy which will be embodied in an international anti-imperialist front".

The Marxist-Leninist parties and organisations are faced with the task of canalising this anti-imperialist struggle towards theoretically and politically correct targets by being in the forefront of this struggle. In this framework it is of particular importance to fight against the revisionist and opportunist currents which, with their old and new theses, are trying to divert the struggle of the working people and to keep them under the hegemony of capital.

A series of new tasks have been determined, tasks that involve common work of our parties. Among them are the international campaign for the return of comrade Gregorio Alvarado alive to his family and friends, and an urgent action campaign for the release of comrade Francisco Caraballo.

It was decided that all the work of the Conference should be dedicated to comrade Washington Alvarez of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador whom we lost a short time ago.

The Conference has decided the venue and the theme of the next session. It has thanked the Red Flag Party of Venezuela (Bandera Roja) for its efforts for the success of this meeting.

Communist Party of Chile (Proletarian Action) (PCC-AP) 

Communist Party of Labour of Dominican Republic (PCT) 

Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador (PCMLE) 

Workers' Communist Party of France (PCOF) 

Communist Party of Mexico (PCM-ML) 

Communist Organisation October of Spain (Octubre) 

Revolutionary Communist Party of Turkey (TDKP) 

Red Flag Party of Venezuela (Bandera Roja)

To the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Equador (PCMLE):

Having received the news about the tragic death of Comrade Washington Alvarez, the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organisations meeting these days in Venezuela sends its condolence to the family of the Comrade, to the comrades from the PCMLE and to the people of Equador. 

The death of Comrade Alvarez has caused mourning in all Marxist-Leninist parties and organisations in the world. The loss of a militant who made an all-out effort for the emancipation of the Equadorian people and for the unity of the international communist movement is a blow on the cause of all the oppressed of the world. His memory will be an example for us, we also believe that it will be a flag for the struggle of the people of Equador.

We show our respect for the memory of Comrade Alvarez and declare our belief that the cause to which he devoted  his whole life will be victorious with our individual and collective struggle.

With our internationalist regards! 

Glory to Comrade Washington Alvarez!

International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organisations 

Venezuela, October 1998

... News update from Turkey ...

Metin Göktepe case still continuing

The trial against the policemen who murdered Metin Göktepe, the correspondent of the daily paper Evrensel, on 8th January 1996, is still continuing. In the preliminary heraing on 13th November 1998, the policeman Seydi Battal Köse stated that the persons who are actually responsible for the murder of Metin Göktepe are the Chief of Istanbul Security Police Orhan Tasanlar, the vice-chair Kemal Bayrak, the local director of the Eyüp Security Police Mehmet Ali Akdemir and the local Security Commander Mehmet Isbitiren.

Thus, the claims of Metin Göktepe’s lawyers who, from the beginning, argued that those who are actually responsible for the murder are not only police who were arrested but also those who hold important positions.

The case of Metin Göktepe has been followed carefully by a great number of democratic organisations and journalists both nationally and internationally. Each hearing has been attended as if it was a public demonstration.

The lawyers of Metin Göktepe who made a statement after the last hearing asked for the continuation of the support given so far in Turkey as well as abroad. They have also declared that they would demand the enlargement of the case in the next hearings in order to ensure the trial of the chief of Istanbul Security Police Orhan Tasanlar and other top officers involved. The next hearing is on 11th December 1998 in Afyon.

A new daily paper for the workers in Turkey

Since the 25th of September a new revolutionary workers’ paper has been coming out in Turkey. The first paper Evrensel was published on 7th June 1995 but had to terminate its publication life in November 1996 due to the charges made by the judiciary organs. After the publication of the daily paper Emek for 673 days and after its clousure once again by the State, Yeni Evrensel (New Universal) which stands for the defence of the rights and interests of the working class and the Kurdish people began to come out on the 25th of September 1998.

The daily workers’ papers which have been published continuously since 1995 have faced countless attacks, bans and arbitrary confiscations by the judiciary organs and security forces. Also the pro-Kurdish papers are under systematic attacks. Ülkede Gündem was closed down for a month in late October.

In Turkey, 40 journalist have been killed since 1980 and around 300 were arrested in 1997only.