On May 29, during a demonstration in Ankara, members of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP) attacked members of the newly formed organisation SOLDER-GENÇ (in which members of ISp in Turkey take part). After trying to intimidate the youth comrades of SOLDER-GENÇ, they resorted to physical violence, destroying and stealing their insignia (the tradition of the movement in Turkey is that all organisations bring their insignia at the marches).
This unacceptable incident took place during a commemoration event, at the Middle East Technical University (METU), entitled “We are defending the REVOLUTION.”
You can read more about the incident in the SOLDER-GENÇ statement here
Read the ISp statement below:
We have learned with great sadness and anger about the attack by members of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) on SOLDER-GENÇ members. Moreover, we interpret TİP’s failure to issue any apology or statement on this matter so far, as an endorsement of this action.
We stand firmly against violence within left organizations. The Left should be supporting each other against all capitalist attacks, not engaging in violence against one another. Political differences within the Left certainly exist, but they should be openly discussed publicly, in front of the movement. Criticism and debates should be welcomed, but intimidation and physical violence cannot be accepted.
Those who see themselves as above or in competition with the rest of the Left, who believe that they are the only representatives of the working class, and who use violence to intimidate others will never succeed. Our history is filled with examples of this.
We are committed to the struggle to stop this destructive culture from spreading within the international socialist movement. We shouldn’t forget that unity and solidarity are the foundations of our revolutionary struggle and the only way forward for socialist revolution.
We call on everyone to unite against this attack and strengthen revolutionary solidarity. We call on left organisations, parties and currents to take a stand against violence within the Left, the unions and the movements.
We call on the leadership of TIP to condemn this attack and stop using such methods.
