Re: Question for Zeynep (Turkey)

[Zeynep Tufekcioglu <zeynept@xxxxxxxx>]

Kevin, actually nothing is banned, and everything is. The process works like
this; you set up a party. The courts rule that you are violating some law,
they usually claim separatism for communist parties as well, since most
communist parties have called for a voluntary union based upon
self-determination with the Kurdish people. They shut you down. You set up
another one with a similar name. Meanwhile, many of the leaders of those
parties get killed by the never-proven but always beyond doubt paramilitary
state forces. Some are also jailed.

So, the Kurdish party was HEP, which was banned, DEP, which was was banned,
and now HADEP about to be banned again. DEP had deputies in the parliament,
they are in jail. Around 30 HEP-DEP-HADEP members were killed during the
process. TBKP was shut down, even though they were a mild bunch. Communist
STP was shut down, they formed SIP. EP, newly founded, is in the process of
being shut down. ODP won't be shut down, because they are reformists, and
one needs a lefty party to look more democratic.

Same with publications. You publish they ban. You change the name, get
banned again. Meanwhile, here and there they shoot on sight people
distributing that publication they happen to disapprove of. The only leftist
daily was banned, let me see, 4 times if I'm not forgetting any. It went
>from being Ozgur Gundem, Ulke, Politika, now Demokrasi. It is a collobrative
effort, a lot of us contribute to the paper in some way. They fine heavily,
which is also a deterrent since the left isn't very rich, thankfully. Many
of the correspondents of that paper were and continue to be killed, by
"anonymous" forces. Last year, they bombed to shreds the headquarters of the
paper. Had to take a break for a few months.

The censorship is getting worse. They are now censoring the bourgeois media
(explicitly - they shut down TV stations) for broadcasting about the
hunger-strikes.

It is all so refined. Vague laws that allow you to convict at will but don't
look that awful word for word, mixed with intimidation, terror, murder and
coercion tactics. And heavy state support as subsidies for the bourgeois
media. Pentagon-originated, widely adopted strategy of low intensity
warfare. Methods varying with the intensity of the conflict, the strength of
the opposition, etc.

Zeynep


>On Thu, 18 Jul 1996, Zeynep Tufekcioglu wrote:
>
>> Their magazine, along with many other communist / socialist publications is
>> banned every now and then. I looked for their latest issue after reading
>> your question, but it wasn't around. I don't know if this is because it was
>> banned, or are they going irregular with the publishing.
>
>       Are all communist parties banned in Turkey? Or is it just the
>Kurdish parties?
>
>Kevin
>Cols, Oh



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THE FASCIST TURKISH STATE CAN'T CONQUER DIGNITY!

Hunger strikes of hundreds of political prisoners in Turkey continues - day
65. Aygun Ugur, 25, fell on day 63 and Altan Kerimgiller, 26, on day 65. The
prisoners are fighting for the right to preserve their political beliefs and
be treated with the dignity due to a human being.

Protest! Get the word out!

(Relevant faxes in Turkey)
Prime Ministry          : +90 312 417 04 76
Ministry of "Justice"   : +90 312 425 34 55

VICTORY TO THE DREAM AND THE FIGHT FOR A BETTER WORLD!
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