March 1, 2006 – İstanbul The first anti-imperialist rally in Istanbul was organized independently by People’s Houses, which had withdrawn from the organizing committee of the rally, a coalition including the Islamist groups, on grounds that an anti-imperialist struggle couldn’t be carried out in cooperation with Islamist groups. A separate rally was held at a […]
March 1, 2006 – İstanbul
The first anti-imperialist rally in Istanbul was organized independently by People’s Houses, which had withdrawn from the organizing committee of the rally, a coalition including the Islamist groups, on grounds that an anti-imperialist struggle couldn’t be carried out in cooperation with Islamist groups. A separate rally was held at a different location by some other parties and organizations.
Peoples’ Houses Cried Out: “STOP Imperialism and Collaborationism!”
Peoples’ Houses rally, held on the third Anniversary of Turkey’s rejection to participate in the Iraq’s invasion, started with a march to protest the on going war on Iraq, imperialist collaborationism and threat of new wars and ended with reading a press release.
Three years ago on March 1st, before the invasion of Iraq, when the proposal “to allow the deployment of US troops from Turkey and militarily support the US” was being debated in the Parliament, 100.000 people gathered in Ankara for a meeting to protest the imperialist war and its collaborators. Due to this expression of public opposition and the pressure put on the government the proposal wasn’t approved in the parliament despite the governments persistent efforts for approval.
Now, three years later, a new war threat, this time directed towards Iran, Lebanon and Syria is on the agenda. As US imperialism increases its threats, the AKP (Justice and Development Party) government acts as a role model for “imperialist collaborator” on the one hand and supports US war plans with open and hidden agreements on the other.
The pro-US policies of the government gave rise to a confrontation by the unified anti-war movements.
Around 100 members of Peoples’ Houses had the first protest march, carrying anti-war placards, banners and signs and chanting slogans such as “Murderer USA, Collaborator AKP”, “Iraq-Iran are not Alone” and “STOP Imperialism, Collaborationism, Regression, and War”
Following the march, İlknur Birol, a representative from the Peoples’ Houses, read the press release, which pointed out that “three years ago the people in Turkey refused to cooperate with this dirty war and the events in the last three years have proven them right. However, imperialists persist in continuing the war and the AKP government is collaborating with them. Members of the Peoples’ Houses consider it their historical duty to oppose the war plans and will continue to fight against them.”
Protest Rally in the Taksim Gezi Parkı, Istanbul
Various groups including Emek Party, the Party of Labor, No to Invasion of Iraq Coordination, Özgür-Der and SDP, the Party of Socialist Democracy had a unified rally attended by around 250 people. Participants carried placards asking for the closure of the US base in Incirlik, Adana, and signs such as, “Imperialism Will Be Defeated Resistance Will Win”, “Murderer USA Out of the Middle East” and “Long Live Global Intifada”.
Speakers included the mother of a US soldier who lost his life in Iraq and Bilge Erenus, an activist and writer, who called on the people to stop Turkey from becoming a contractor without dignity for the imperialistic policies of blood and conquest and said, “We shall continue to stand against US aggression against Iran and Syria.”
Youth Against US Imperialism in Ankara
University, high school students and youth from poor neighborhoods marched to the US Embassy in Ankara, chanting, “Youth Will Not Submit to Unemployment, War, Privatized Education or Imperialism”.
Unlike three years ago when 100.000 people stopped Turkey from entering the war, this time it was the students and neighborhood youngsters who took to the streets to protest imperialist aggression and the Turkish government’s compliance to it.
The press statement released at the rally emphasized the AKP (ruling Justice and Development Party) collaboration with the US administration, “Three years ago the AKP government asked us to open our land, seas and air space for US hegemony and oil interests. They even wanted us to go to Iraq, shed our neighbors’ blood and kill them.”
“To Be Like One of Dev-Genç”
The press statement also said, “To create a stronger movement against imperialism, today’s youth will join the politics of the revolutionaries who were murdered in Kızıldere and join forces with the workers who have been weakened, made poorer and less secure by elimination of social programs and privatization.”
The rally ended after the youth took the “revolutionary oath”
(NOTE: Dev-Genç was an anti-imperialist leftist revolutionary resistance group in Turkey in the 70’s. A number of them were murdered by government forces and its collaborators)
EK