MORE THAN 40,000 people, shouting anti-fascist slogans escourted the body of a young murdered murdered leftist, Kerim Yaman, through the streets of the Turkish capital Istanbul on 25 January, Yaman, a student, had been killed by a fascist commando squad two days carlier the latest incident in a rising tide of right-wing and State violence.
A few days previously on 19 January, armed police wielding batons and throwing smoke and tear gas bombs attacked anchter mass rally of students and workers demonstrating against the indiscriminate killing of 20 smugglers at the Syrian border.
The smugglers are impoverished, mainly Kurdish and Arab peasants driven to this deadly means of subsistence by the feudal relationships that still dominate the They have to run the gauntlet Turkish police lay into demonstrator of the State authorities at the Frontier in their villages, while their feudal landlords and bosses enjoy fuil state protection to sil the contraband goods in the large towns at a huge profit.
In the confrontation with the police 30 demonstrators were arrested. On the same day police forced their way into the branch offices of the newly fotmed Turksh Socialist Worker's Party and the Youth Socialst Union, arresting a further 126 people present there and confiscating books. documents and membership rocords.
MARTIAL LAW Martial Law, imposed following the Cyprus invasion and extended periodically since, has allowed the fascist gangs and police fuil reedom or anon, win soor strikes and strugples are being broken by the State apparatus On January the offices of the pro-Macist monthly were raided. All those present and those arriving at the offices during the raid were arrested. them will stand trial in the special State Security Courts formed to track down revolutionary organisations.
Kerim Yaman was not the first victim of the fascist comman dos, organised under the win of the National Action Party. On 19 December a committee memher of a student organisation was shot down in front of his university. On 23 December a worker was beaten to death by the fascists after a public meetIng. On 18 January a group of 50 fascists walked down the main street in Istanbul in broad daylight and destroyed all the arca.
Jeft-wing bookshops. were conveniently not to be seen al the time.
Attacks by the fascists have now become a dally event. • reminiscent of the pre-1971 period when, laced with the anset of mass cconomic and political struggles the reaction of the mil ing ciass was to mobilise the Fascist forces:
Armed confrontations in tac towns, with the fascist hands enjoying police protection, then made it possible for the armed. Torces to gain the support of the petty bourgeoise and intervene lo secure the pressing requirement of the ruling classes and imperialism a defeat ef the working class.
Revolutionary and working ated, thousands of socialists arrested, many during armed clashes, while three leaders of the student movement were hanged.
ELECTIONS After less than three years of extreme political and economic repression, however. the was lorced to seek out by calling clections for October 1973.
emerged with the largest number of seats (though not an overall majority) was the Republican People's Party (RPP) led by Bulent Ecevit. Its success the result of a demagogic left turn to win working class support;
1s social-democratic programme pledged a return to democracy, amnesty for political prisoners free speech, reforms for workers and peasants etc.
dominated by the RPP there was Filty of a certain easing of the repressive machinery, and an amnesty motion Has Pincu Tents began to gain momentum.
Bur capitulation was round the corner the RPP remained imprisoned within its reformist limita tions break with the historical interests of imperialisms agents, the Turkish capitalists.
destruction of even the limited independence of Cyprus found a willing ally in Ecevit.
social crisis was accelerated by the Cyprus invasion, and shortly police afterwards the Ecevit Government had to resten class were physically liguid OCTE others. were shot another way The party which Caribbean High Commission.
February. was Under a coalition Government Revolutionary cur and repression.
UNITED FRONT
and therefore unable to and its national groupings.
Imperialist plots aimed at the socialists But the acute and untackled economic and benefited from massive amounts London N.1. at 4 p.m., and among the speakers will be well known black militant Althea Jones. Even Tribune accepted the TUC's Portuguese colonics The unresolvable contradictions within the ruling class can be seen in its inability even to form years, under Tory and Labour a viable new government. Farly elections are blocked by the right wing parties united in the "Nationalist Front'. The only perspective of the ruling class to regitne contain the explosive nature of the class struggle is military adven leave the British bases on the turism coupled with fascist terror A uniled front to fight fascism villages is today taking shape in Turkey, embracing working class organsutions, students and revolutionary This must be given every possible support by British For years one repressie regime in a campaign to demand that after another in Turkey has of aid channelled through the allianice.
Imperialist NATO alliance lo strengthen this vital strategic aren against the workers' states Further pickets to draw attention to the case of Desmond Trotter took place last week during the visit to Britain of Dominican premier Patrick John-the one above coinciding with his attendance at a cocktail party at the Eastern Trotter, a leading opponent of the John regime, was recently sentenced to death in a framed-up court case-tha latest incident in a wave of repression now sweeping this British colony. His appeal is scheduled for the end of The next stage in the campaign to win his release is a public meating this Sunday, 9 February, organised by the Caribbean People's Solidarity Campaign. The meeting will be at the Keskidee Community Hall, 1 Gifford Street, Britain alone has contributed more than t60 million in the last ter Governments alike It is oniy days since the Labour Government further strengthened the hand of the Turkish by allowing thousands of Turkish Cypriot refugees to island for Turkey. They are now being Down to the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus to accupy former Greek Cypriot homes and Working class organisations in Britain must demand an immediate end to this collaboration, and use the example of NATOs tole in bolstering up the repression of the Turkish workers and peasants the Labour Government immediately wilhdraw from this imperialst Aydn Ora