From TKP After May Day: 

Thanks to Workers, Denouncing the Ministry’s Attitude and Criticism towards Unions

https://www.tkp.org.tr/en/agenda/from-tkp-after-may-day-thanks-to-workers-denouncing-the-ministrys-acts-and-criticism-towards-unions/

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued three consecutive statements following May Day. In the first statement, the Party thanked TKP members, the friends of TKP, and workers who participated in May Day marches across Turkey, emphasizing the target of a socialist revolution. Another statement highlighted the arbitrariness of the government. The final statement expressed criticism towards the stance of the union confederations and democratic mass organizations—DİSK, KESK, TMMOB, and TTB—that formed the organizing committee of the May Day rallies.

Our message to TKP members, friends and workers after May Day

We congratulate all TKP members, friends, and workers who took their place in May Day rallies yesterday all around the country.

In these days of deep poverty, reactionary darkness and increasing inequalities, we thank all the workers who joined the ranks of TKP, saying, “We do not kneel to capitalists or tyrants!”

This dark picture is the product of a system of exploitation—with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), sects, holdings and imperialist countries all playing their part.

For years, both the government and the opposition have spoken in unison, constantly telling us that we are condemned to this system. The AKP government expects us to bow down to the unlivable state of our beautiful country. Meanwhile, the main opposition parties do nothing but saving AKP every time. Together they are dragging the people into deep despair. This is how they dimmed the light of the country.

Yet, these recent days and May Day have once again shown that there are those who do not bow down.

On May Day, workers, laborers, students and intellectuals marching for equality and a secular, independent Turkey with no exploitation represent hope.

We love this country and trust in our working people.

We invite all our friends who marched with TKP, helping grow and strengthen our Party, adding their hearts and voices to ours, to join TKP.

We will build a socialist system where exploitation is eliminated, and everyone lives equally.

Our message to the Ministry of Internal Affairs after May Day

Our Party notified the İstanbul Governorate in January of our intention to organise a rally in Kartal Square for May Day 2025. However, for political reasons, we later decided to withdraw from organising a separate May Day rally, and instead chose to join the rally organized by Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), the Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK), the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) in Kadıköy—a decision which we followed through.

This decision does not negate the consequences of the arbitrary stance taken by the Ministry and the Governorate regarding the area for which our party had submitted its rally notification.

The İstanbul Governorate remained silent when the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions’ (Türk-İş, a pro-government confederation) announced it would organize its May Day rally in Kartal Square without submitting any official notification—because Türk-İş had already arranged the matter with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

We remind the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Ali Yerlikaya, that the law clearly states “no rally may be held in a location once another organization has submitted the initial official notification for that area.”

TKP did not request “an area for a rally” from the İstanbul Governorate. Instead, TKP submitted a formal notification, along with the necessary documents, stating its intention to hold a rally in Kartal. The Governorate could not declare, “We ban the rally,” because another organization was already preparing a rally in the same area!

If TKP had not previously decided to join the rally in Kadıköy, the responsibility for any incidents that might have occurred in Kartal would have fallen on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Türk-İş leadership that leans on the government.

We know that under the AKP government, arbitrariness has become the norm within institutions. This May Day has further shown that there is no longer any institutional seriousness to be taken into account. The “official” letter conveyed by the İstanbul Governorate to TKP stands as a document illustrating how the AKP government rules the country.

Our message to the administration of DİSK and KESK after May Day

Following the events of March 19 (mass protests following the arrest of the Mayor of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality), to preserve the emerging culture of unity and collective action that garnered significant public support, we decided to withdraw from our previously planned separate May Day rally. Instead, we chose to join the May Day rally organised by DİSK, KESK, TMMOB and TTB.

The sincere approach of the organizing committee and DİSK Administration, assuring diligence on matters of concern to us, facilitated this decision. Consequently, our Party mobilized a large, disciplined, enthusiastic and determined masses to May Day events across various regions of Turkey.

However, the issues that concern us in the past were once again prevalent this year. Main bourgeois opposition party CHP and Kurdish nationalist party DEM leaders took the stage in Kadıköy. Messages from  İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and former People’s Democratic Party (HDP) leader Selahattin Demirtaş were read aloud. In some cities, CHP buses were used as platforms. As in previous years, the rally started before all organizations had entered the area.

Under these circumstances, DİSK, KESK, TMMOB, and TTB should now give up their claim to organize May Day events. The leaders of CHP and DEM, who think they can do whatever they want during the rallies, should also take on the legal and political responsibility for those events, and should stop further undermining the unions and mass organizations.

TKP will no longer mobilize its members and friends for these rallies that have been turned into showcases by the bourgeois parties. We will not call upon workers to join in such events. Instead, we will honor May Day, the day of unity, struggle and solidarity of the working class, in a manner that reflects its true significance.