Fascist attacks aiming the leftists, including the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) members, increased as the campaigns calling for a"NO!" at the referendum proceed.
ICP, 28 February 2017
As Turkey approaches the referendum on the amendment of the constitution towards the presidential system, which is expected to intensify the authoritarianism of Tayyip Erdoğan, government aggression to those who say “No” escalates. Recently in a number of cities communists and left wing groups were attacked by fascists encouraged by the government and administrative units. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is known to have declared its support to the AKP government.
Kocaeli, an industrial city next to İstanbul, has a university where left wing groups are organized but constantly face the oppression of fascists backed by the university administration. On Monday 27th February, students among whom were members of the Communist Youth of Turkey (TKG), propagating “No” in the canteen were attacked by fascists with prods and bottles with the help of the private security. As the students chanted slogans that Umuttepe (the campus name meaning “Hopehill”) will be cleared from fascists, the police detained 47 of the students instead of the attackers.
Another attack had happened on Saturday in Samsun, in the Black Sea region, where the members of Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) were distributing the journal Boyun Eğme, (Do not submit), in the city center. Several fascists attacked the TKP members and immediately fled without being caught. The absence of the police who generally keeps an eye on political activities in the street was remarkable. After the attack where one TKP member was slightly wounded, the citizens in the street showed their support to theTKP members and many made comments in the social media challenging the attackers.
While the government aggression induces reactions strengthening the “No” campaigners, the bourgeois opposition parties and “liberal” intellectuals try to tone down the polarization which is actually inevitable. The communists, on the other hand, say “No, though not enough!”, calling for an organized struggle against the bourgeois system. The slogan ironically refers to the slogan of those “liberal” intellectuals who in 2010 had passionately supported the government saying “Yes,though not enough!” to the constitutional amendment that reinforced the power of Tayyip Erdoğan.