Stop the Repression Against TKP and Anti-NATO Protesters in Turkey

Below is the text of the joint declaration proposed by the Communist Party of Turkey to the Communist and Workers’ Parties (Solidnet).

We, the undersigned Communist and Workers’ Parties, strongly condemn the repression carried out by the Turkish authorities against the demonstration organized by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) in Ankara in protest of the NATO Summit. 

The violent police intervention, the injuries inflicted on demonstrators, and the detention of 145 communists including one member of the Central Committee of  TKP and 8 members of the Party Council, constitute an unacceptable attack on the  right to organize and protest. The sweeping bans imposed on demonstrations and public gatherings, which effectively turned the Turkish capital into a closed city ahead of the NATO Summit, reveal once again that NATO’s war agenda goes hand in hand with the restriction of political rights and freedoms. 

The attempt to silence the communists cannot conceal the truth: NATO is an aggressive imperialist alliance that has brought war, occupation, destruction and suffering to peoples across the world. Those who raise their voices against militarization, imperialist interventions and wars cannot be intimidated by repression. 

We express our full solidarity with the Communist Party of Turkey, with all detained TKP members, and with everyone who stood up against the NATO Summit. We demand the immediate release of all communists in custody, the dropping of all charges, and an end to every measure restricting all anti-NATO political activity. 

Hands off TKP! Hands off all communist and anti-imperialist militants!

SolidNet Parties signing the Joint Statement

1. Communist Party of Albania
2. Algerian Party for Democracy and Socialism
3. Party of Labour of Austria
4. Communist Party of Brazil
5. Brazilian Communist Party
6. Communist Party of Canada
7. Communist Party of Bohemia & Moravia
8. German Communist Party
9. Communist Party of Greece
10. Hungarian Workers’ Party
11. Iraqi Communist Party
12. Tudeh Party of Iran
13. Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan
14. Communist Party of Luxembourg
15. Communist Party of Mexico
16. New Communist Party of Netherlands
17. Communist Party of Norway
18. Communist Party of Pakistan
19. Palestinian Communist Party
20. Communist Party of Poland
21. Portuguese Communist Party
22. Communist Party of Russian Federation
23. Communists of Serbia
24. Communists of Catalonia
25. Communist Party of the Workers of Spain
26. Syrian Communist Party
27. Communist Party of Ukraine
28. Union of Communists of Ukraine
29. Communist Party USA

Other Parties signing the Joint Statement

1. New Communist Party of Australia
2. The Revolutionary Communist Party of France
3. Communist Party (Germany)
4. Communist Front (Italy)
5. Communist Workers’ Platform USA
6. Party for Socialism and Liberation – USA

The statement is open for further subscriptions