A SITUATION of economic chaos hangs over Turkey. country's debts mount daily, and have now reached $25m. Between 1975 and 1979 inflation increased by 319 per cent. The pound has been devalued three times since 1978.
The peasantry, three-quarters of the population, and the working class have been hardest hit by the economic crisis.
For several years Turkey has been the scene of violent class struggles. but in spite fascist terror, the workers' movement again in October 1979.
government in. 1978-79.
well as a police organisation.
Turkish sapport to the Ecerit government.
has shown great combativity.
The The ruling subservient to Ecevit and Turkish have failed in this objective.
who •make up stability through control working class LOUISIL. backed these economic measures. repression and The Ecevit ECEVIT (left) and DEMIREL (right). Chaos hangs over Turkey WHO'S WHO IN TURKEY Justice Party: reactionary party of the current prime minister, Suleiman Demirel. It was pushed from office in 1971, but returned in 1975-78, and People's Republican Party: created under Mustapha Kemal, it is led by Bulent Ecevit and is linked to the Socialist International. It formed the Party of Nationalist Action ('The grey wolves'): fascist organisation led by Alpaslan Turkes, who was prime minister in the previous Demirel government. In the partial senatorial elections of last October it gained 6.7 per cent of the votes. They have large finances and control a Union as Turkish Workers Party: small reformist party.
Communist Party: clandestine. For a long lime it has adrocated a 'democratic, national front' with the PRP. It gave critical Age 10 class, which American and west German imperialism, has attempted Demirel governments In 1978 the People's Republican Party of Bulent Ecevit formed the TESTOR over the and holding down The Turkish bourgeoisie COHE pound. measures and prepared to pay dearly in long-term Party government began negotiations with the International Party Sunnite sector ments', per DITERRANEAN SEA Monetary Fund which culminated in *economic stabilisation' gramme accompanied by a 43.0 per devaluation in the Turkish Political violence rose siderably, much of it initiated by the . of Nationalist Action which had, been part preceding coalition government.
This extreme right-wing organisation, whose leader, Colonel Turkes, does not hide his admiration for Hitler, had made a breakthrough in the 1977 elections when it gained important base among The militias or the of Nationalist Action then stepped up their assaults and assassnators. proTHE position : parlicularly con- which only achieved unity after the First World War.
COURIE was divided Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Kurds. There 19-8 mainly concentrited republic. 1923, heavily oppressed.
consciousness among the minority grown, Haut organisations have Kurdish struggle strengthened these developments.
Independent gained The ruling class increased repression.
The stale of emergency in 1979 brought the under attack. Hundreds of people wer arrested and accused of separatism and terrorism.
the IMF, the Economic Development, and Bank, and negotiations with these organisations Party, for the postponement of Turkey's debts.
In order to solve the crisis, government undertook a policy brutal confrontation working class. An 'anti-terrorist' law passed, supported WON deputies of the People's Republican Party.
Repression became
Left-wing teachers hunted; the Progressive Policemen was banned; and leaders of the steel, other workers' and bank workers' unions were arrested. The DISK newspaper, Politika, was banned.
The fascists assassinations without fear of arrest. The workers' remains strong, fightback against Demirel's policies private began in There 4,000 arrests people were killed when school and university students went on strike The strike of 20,000 tobacco workers. again murder of one of their representatives and the stubborn resistance of the textile workers in Izmir show that Demirel has not yet fulfilled his aim of breaking the popular struggles. After the Izmir minorities Turkey's Prior to that the Turks, million Kurds, South-east they have been years national SAUTOISI and cultural, The and political deve woed Iran has wanner in recent elections. European has responded with ruptcy.
Kurdish provinces being Organisation for Co-operation and of domination.
with the World Demirel opened Middle East.
the of standards, the further massacres.
systematic. were witchAssociation building continued their combativity however. Their December, the anniversary Kahramanmaras massacres.
and six Istanbul following the done?'), supporters clashes in when people were killed, the army general staff declared that they would restore the authority of the state 'one way or another'.
strategic position NATO's southern flank accounts for the concern of the imperialists about developments in the area.
A month ago France's council of ministers declared that Turkey was 'an ally whose stability is essential to the region's equilibrium', and it paid tribute to the 'courageous efforts of the Turkish government in the face of the difficulties they encounter'.
West German finance minister has stated: 'We cannot let Turkey disintegrate economically and lose its canacitv to resist Russian attacks.' He will be touring the West capitals to raise $2.5 billions to save Turkey from bankThe OECD's secretary general is proposing to postpone repayment of the Turkish debt.
At the same time, attempts are made to strengthen and modernise Turkish military potential.
For the Turkish ruling class it is a race to re-stablish stable mechanism.
For restoration of order in the country would help secure a strong NATO bastion in the midst of an agitated For the working class in Turkey the success of these measures would mean even deeper cuts in their living , widescale unemployment and a critical weakening their quite apart from journal Turkish of the Fourth International. Available from The Other Bookshop, 328 Upper St London Ni. 40p plus 20p pop
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CHRISTIAN PIQUET reports on the repression and the resistance.
MERSIN_ CYPRUS Kurds in the firing line
ADANA GAZIANTEP IŞKENDERL. 8Y February,