The Party for Socialism and Liberation expresses its solidarity with the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) after they successfully defended reactionary attacks by a religious sect on October 4. Although the violent confrontation caused injuries on both sides, the TKP successfully repelled the attack.
The confrontation didn’t come as a surprise to the TKP, as they had previously distributed a newspaper denouncing religious sects. In Turkey, religious sects have played a historically reactionary role as the main anti-communist defense force on behalf of the capitalist class of Turkey throughout the Cold War. They were further emboldened by the U.S.-backed 1980 coup by the military. Under the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) rule, the sects have continued to expand their political, social, and cultural roles to combat all secular and progressive aspects of the society of Turkey.
In practice, the sects are, as the TKP says, “the street militia of the government.”
It was not only the recent headline in the TKP’s newspaper denouncing these religious sects that galvanized these forces, but the increasingly prominent role of the TKP throughout Turkey, particularly through their erection of “District Houses” in many working-class neighborhoods across the country. These houses are beacons of light against the darkness of AKP’s reactionary forces and are a direct confrontation to the AKP and its affiliates. As such, the latter view them as a direct threat.
We express our condolences to TKP members injured by the reactionaries. It is not surprising that they particularly targeted women members of the Party. We are heartened by the Party’s successful defense and their resolve to continue organizing District Houses in the face of this violent repression.
