Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Call of Turkish Medical Association (TTB)



It is not possible to practice medicine under these circumstances

WE ASK ALL MEDICAL DOCTORS TO ABANDON THEIR ROUTINE WORK AND, INSTEAD, RUSH TO HELP OUR CITIZENS WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO BRUTAL VIOLENCE ON THE STREETS.

The violence exercised against protestors –who have gathered to protect Taksim Gezi Park and have been conducting a totally peaceful and democratic manner- caused injury of many of our citizens and the death of a young person named Mehmet Ayvalıtaş.
As of 3 June 2013, information obtained by Turkish Medical Association (TMA) regarding injured protestors is as follows:
According to information Istanbul Medical Chamber received from Provincial Directorate of Health, there are 5 people in intensive care units, 2 people in critical condition and 26 people under general care. More than 880 people got admitted to hospitals during this process including outpatient cases. If we add the 625 people who got treatment in Istanbul Medical Chamber emergency departments, there are at least 1485 injuries in Istanbul and this this excludes injuries that haven't been reported yet.
During the protests in Ankara, on the other hand, according to information our colleagues in hospitals communicated to Ankara Medical Chamber, at least 515 injured (out of which 15 in critical condition) were admitted to hospitals. A young person, who has been injured in head, is currently struggling for life in Ankara Numune Hospital.
According to data communicated from İzmir; within 2 days, 800 injured were admitted to hospitals. 2 patients are known to be in critical condition.
As a result of the latest police attacks against public in several cities including Adana, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Kocaeli, Antalya and Hatay, there are hundreds of injured some being in critical condition and detainees whose we have not been able to find out the exact number so far.
Police’s attitude is worrisome for the well-being of citizens!
The majority of the injuries are caused by unmeasured use of water cannons targeting human body, by firing pepper spray capsules directly at protestors and firing rubber bullets from a short distance. As a consequence of aforementioned injuries, many of our citizens lost their eyes. There are patients with skull fracture, experiencing cerebral haemorrhage and with foreign bodies in their brains.
Under these brutal circumstances routine medical service cannot be delivered. In order to deliver ordinary, routine medical services, the country ought to normalise. In order for us to carry out routine medical practice, the inflow of injured from the squares of Beşiktaş, Taksim, Kızılay, Adana, İzmir ought to stop.
As Turkish Medical Association, we believe that the protests that are being /will be carried out for the protection of Taksim Gezi Park and against the violence are fully legitimate and therefore we support protests.
We ask all our colleagues to react to this brutality, to focus their medical practices on emergencies until the moment comes when citizens are not subjected to fatal injuries anymore and TO ABANDON THEIR ROUTINE WORK, INSTEAD, RUSH TO HELP OUR CITIZENS WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO BRUTAL VIOLENCE ON THE STREETS.

Turkey:PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE GOING ON STRIKE FOR 2 DAYS



KESK (Confederation of Public Labourers’ Unions) announced that its members are going on strike for two days, starting from tomorrow (Tuesday). General Secretary of KESK, İsmail Hakkı Tombul, said that the confederation had declared it would go on strike on June 5, Wednesday, against a new legal procedure related to public servant laws, but they decided to began tomorrow, as a support for the social events and protests in Turkey. Tombul also invited other trade unions and associations to join the strike and support Taksim Gezi Park demonstrations

"The anger of the people is over the urban transformation projects, the terror of the market, open direct interventions in different lifestyles, the Americanism and the subordination to the US, the reactionary policies, the enmity towards the Syrian people."


1. For days now Turkey is witnessing a genuine popular movement. The actions and protests, which have started in Istanbul and spread all over Turkey have a massive, legitimate and historic character. The most important of all is the striking change in the mood of people. The fear and apathy has been overcome and people gained self-confidence.

2. The Communist Party of Turkey has been part of the popular movement beginning from the first day and mobilized all its forces, tried to embolden the proletarian and revolutionary character of the movement, endeavored to pervade a mature attitude of discipline, organized numerous actions and demonstrations. In this process, the police forces carried out a heavy assault on our party headquarters in Ankara. All over Turkey, several party members have been injured and arrested. There have been some attempts of abduction of our party cadres. But the attempts of provocations against our party defeated.

3. Our emphasis on the role of the TKP does not aim to underestimate the spontaneous nature of the movement or contribution of the other political actors. On the contrary, the TKP stressed that this movement has an aspect that is beyond the impact of any political actor or any kind of political opportunism.

4. The call of the masses for the government to resign is an absolute truth of this movement. Although it is obvious that a leftist alternative cannot be built ‘right now’, this demand should be expressed loudly. This option for the working people can be generated only through benefitting from the energy that came out at this historical moment. The TKP will focus on this and expose the real meaning of alternatives like “the formation of a national government”, which will most likely be put forward to deceive the working masses into thinking that the crisis can be overcome that way.

5. Without a doubt, the holders of political power will try to calm the people down, institute control and even attempt to use the situation to their advantage. They can have temporary achievements. Even in that case the popular movement would not be wasted. The TKP is ready for a period of stubborn but intense struggle.

6. In order to act in concert, different branches of the socialist movement sharing similar goals and concerns need to evaluate the rise of this popular movement immediately. The TKP, without interrupting its daily missions and activities, is going to act responsibly regarding this issue and endeavor for the creation of a common ground in line with the urgent demands below.

7. In order to nullify the plans of the government to classify and divide the popular movement as legitimate and illegitimate, all forces need to avoid the steps that might cause damage to the legitimacy of the movement. It is the political power that attacks. The people should defend themselves as well as their rightful action but never fall into the provocation trap of the government.

8. While the masses are chanting the slogan “government, resign”, the negotiations limited to the future of the Taksim-Gezi Park are meaningless. The government pretends not to understand the fact that the old balances has been upset fundamentally and cannot be restored. Everybody knows that the popular movement is not the product of susceptibility towards the trees in the Gezi Park. The anger of the people is over the urban transformation projects, the terror of the market, open direct interventions in different lifestyles, the Americanism and the subordination to the US, the reactionary policies, the enmity towards the Syrian people. The AKP cannot deceive the people with a discourse of “we will plant more trees than the ones that we will chop down.”

9. While rolling up our sleeves in order to create an alternative of the working people, the movement needs to lean on certain concrete demands. These demands are valid in the in the case of the resignation of the government or of Erdogan:
a) The government must announce that the projects that involve the demolishment of the Gezi Park and of the Ataturk Cultural Center are terminated.
b) Those who were taken in custody during the resistance must be released and all charges against them must be dropped immediately.
c) All officials whose crimes against the people are proven by the reports of the commissions that are formed by the Union of Bar Associations and local bar associations must be relieved of their duties.
d) The attempts that hinder the right of the people to get true news on the developments must be stopped.
e) All prohibitions regarding meetings, demonstrations and marches must be repealed.
f) All de facto or de jure obstacles that lock the political participation of the people, including the 10 per cent election threshold and the anti-democratic articles of the ‘law on political parties’, must be abolished.
g) All initiatives that attempt to impose a monotype life style to all people must be stopped.

10. These urgent demands will in no case affect our right and duty to continue the opposition against the political power. The People's reaction to the government must be reinforced, and efforts must be concentrated to bring about a real alternative in the political scene.

11. The star and the crescent Turkish flag that was intended to be used to provide a shield for reactionary and chauvinist attacks against laborers, leftists, Kurdish people after the fascist military coup of September 12, 1980, has now been grasped by the People from the hands of fascism, and given to the honorable hands of Deniz Gezmiş and his comrades, as a flag in the hands of patriotic people.

12. The People's movement, ever since the beginning, has persistently let down the sinister strategy to play one community against another in Turkey. This attitude must carefully be maintained, leaving no room for chauvinism or vulgar nationalism.

13. Appealing to our Kurdish brothers and sisters, we had already declared that "There can be no peace agreement with AKP". There can be no deal with a political power to which its own People have turned their back, and the true face of which has been revealed. Kurdish politics must give up "cherishing hopes of proceeding further with AKP", and become a strong constituent of a united, patriotic and enlightened laborer People's movement.

14. Our citizens who have lost their lives through the hands of the police force of the political power, have sacrificed their lives in the name of a just and historical struggle. The People are never going to forget their names, and those who are responsible for their death will pay the price before law.

Central Committee
Communist Party of Turkey
4 June 2013