THE Turkish trade unions called a two-day general strike for yesterday and today to express their outrage at the bombing on Saturday of the ‘Labour, Peace and Democracy Rally’ in the capital, Ankara.
In a joint statement, the Confederation of Progressive Labour Unions (DISK), Public Workers Labour Unions Confederation (KESK), Chamber of Engineers and Architects and the Medical Association of Turkey (TTB) declared they had agreed upon a general strike against the government and for peace.
The call stressed, ‘To protest at the fascist massacre and to commemorate the death of our friends we are now in mourning for three days.’ The two explosions at the start of the rally killed at least 128 and left more than 200 wounded as thousands gathered to march under the slogan of ‘Stand Up to War, Demand Peace Now!’ demanding an end to the escalating war being waged by the right-wing Turkish government of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan against the Kurds.
Yesterday, Erdogan blamed Islamic State, claiming that the bombings were an attempt to influence the outcome of the country’s general election due to take place on November 1st. The thousands of trade unionists and youth who packed the streets of Ankara on Monday correctly insisted it was an attempt to influence the general election in Erdogan’s favour, with demonstrators shouting slogans condemning the Turkish president and chanting ‘chief and murderer Erdogan’ and ‘death to fascism’.
The blame for this massacre of trade unionists and youth lies firmly at the door of Erdogan and his government and all the public denouncements of ‘terrorist’ acts by IS cannot disguise the hand of the Turkish state in this.
The first reaction of the state was to punish the victims – the area of the bombings was cordoned off by police, ambulances and doctors were stopped from entering to tend the wounded and tear gas was fired into the survivors ensuring that the maximum number of deaths occurred.
Immediately a state clamp down on reporting the bombing was implemented with the state blocking access to social media. Erdogan blaming Islamic State suicide bombers for the atrocity conveniently overlooks the fact that IS has for years enjoyed the support of the Turkish state, which has armed and facilitated their free movement into Syria as a crucial part of the war to overthrow the legal government of president Assad.
Whether or not Erdogan contracted out this atrocity to his allies in IS is a moot point, the fact remains that, as the Turkish trade unions are insisting, Saturday’s bombings are an attempt by him to go to the polls in the election using the ‘terrorist’ threat and security to scare voters. Erdogan is in a precarious position with his Justice and Development Party (AKP) losing its overall majority in parliament following elections in June, for the first time since coming to power in 2002.
Erdogan, who has long harboured dreams of re-creating the old Ottoman Empire by expanding into Syria and beyond, is seen by imperialism as its main ally in the fight to overthrow Assad and dominate the entire oil rich region. In his murderous war against workers, Kurds and the Syrian people, Erdogan is assured of the full support of the imperialist powers, he remains their staunch ally and a valued member of NATO.
The Unite union in Britain has issued a statement condemning Saturday’s bombings saying: ‘The recent actions of the Turkish government are deplorable and have been undertaken with its own political self interest in mind. The language and actions used by the government are aimed at creating a climate of fear and intimidation ahead of the pending election and serve precisely to create the atmosphere in which such atrocities take place. Unite will continue to stand in solidarity with all those progressive forces that seek to bring about peace and change.’
Solidarity in words is not enough – the issue for the trade unions in Britain is to stand with the Turkish workers by striking a mortal blow at Erdogan’s imperialist backers through organising a general strike to bring down the Tory government, which helps prop up his regime, and to go forward to a workers government and socialism.
