Forty peasants from Ortasu (Roboski) in the Uludere region,  between the ages of 15 to 20 who were returning to their village from where they had been working were brutally killed by F-16 war-craft bombings. According to the statement of the wounded peasants who survived the bombings,  “When we came back the jets started bombing us. A bitter smell was in the air during the bombing. Suddenly people started to burn and were killed. 5-6 people hid between the rocks to escape the bombing. The airplanes have also bombed there. They all died there at the rocks”. As a result of the bombings large number of burned and mutilated corpses of many people were taken to the county.

The policy of destruction and denial against the Kurdish nation since the founding of the Turkish Republic State is continuing with massacres and mass arrests. Racism is being instigated in all layers of society by imposing the mentality of any Kurdish in movement is ‘guilty’. Within the last month, lawyers and journalists have been arrested, detention periods have been prolonged, their homes and offices have been raided, extrajudicial executions, mass killings have taken place. These are a continuation of the atrocities of the nineties in a different form.

Turkey that has a history filled with massacres has added a new one to its history. The Turkish state killing, massacring forty very young people at Şirnak Uludere, will opt to deny this massacre in all its forms, they have already started making various statements.

As ATİK we strongly condemn this open massacre and the atrocities which took place in Roboski and extend our condolences to the families of those killed.   We will not allow this massacre to be covered up, by widely exposing this crime against humanity and its atrocities by the Turkish state, we declare that we will carry our reaction against this massacre out on to the streets in all areas.

We Strongly Condemn the Uludere, Roboski Massacre!

Long Live The Self Determination Right of the Kurdish Nation!

ATÖF being at the beginning of many firsts in Europe, was the first democratic mass organisation established by students from Turkey. ATÖF continued to grow as a democratic federation expanding its focus from students issues to workers issues, a federation which was able to organise them and thus expanding it’s body over the German borders to other countries and transformed it into the mass organisation ATIF.

When ATIF was founded, it operated as the single and most strongest mass organisation with thousands of members and supporters in Germany and upto 1986 practically operated with its activities as a confederation. ATIF, who has supporters outside of Germany in countries such as France, Switserland, Australia, Austria, Holland and UK, has gained considerable experiences as a federation by achieving significant successes that cannot be underestimated.  Hence, as a need of this expanding body, ATIK was founded on 19th December 1986 in Germany in Franfurt with the participation of delegates from many different countries in Europe at it’s first Congress and was announced to the public.

ATIK, has essentially formed itself as a democratic mass organisation, resulting from the acccumulation of experience gained, on three main programs; firstly; to struggle for the ecomomic, democratic demands and  rights of workers from Turkey in Europe. Secondly; to advance on an anti-imperialist path and thirdly; to move in the international arena with the spirit of solidarity. ATIK has never deviated from this and has sustained and carried its legacy, spirit and excitement to contemprary times.

ATIK, maintaining a reputable line in the anti-imperialist struggle, has been able to ongoingly inform the masses on the roots of repression and suppression regardless where it originates from. ATIK has continously kept its international spirit; where ever in the world, it has defended, propagated the rights of suppressed peoples and the toiling masses with great solidarity. With pamflets and mass activities, it has brought many massacres, workers struggles, students movements and national liberation struggles of oppressed peoples to the attention of the European public opionion. By supporting the social liberation struggle in Turkey, the struggle for rights of student and oppressed peoples and opposing the assimilatory state oppression on the Kurdish nation, the repression and masscres towards the Alevites, ATIK has been carried to present times as a respected and trusted mass organisation.

With the new program adapted during the last congress ATIK has also expanded it’s field of activities. The new program which is based on the acceptance of the reality that the migrants from Turkey will be staying permanently in Europe, has brought about important changes in the activity areas. ATIK has been courageous in every step taken and has not shyed away from truth and reality. With 25 years of struggle experience and learning, there are no barriers for ATIK to achieve even greater successes. Congratulations to the community that possessed the skills and talents to carry forward the experiences and learning of 25 years.

We congratulate all our friends who have contributed to ATIK being carried into these 25 years.

UNITY-STRUGGLE-VICTORY

LONG LIVE ATIK,  NEW WOMEN, NEW DEMOCRATIC YOUTH

This convention, defined the migrant rights and the minimum international status and regulation in compliance with the framework of universal declaration of human rights. Since it was signed there was a justified criticism towards the convention which stressed that ‘it does not adequately reflect the personal and humanitarian rights of migrants and instead it is designed to uphold the interests of states’. Nevertheless, not signing the agreement and preventing the entry into force as an international standard is a scandal in itself as being industrialised countries with hundreds of thousands of migration each year.

Today, according to the 2011 figures of the UN 213.6 million migrants live outside the country they were born in and the social issues brought by migration is growing vastly. And the 2/3’s of migrants consist of women and children. The undocumented, asylum seekers, refugees, citizens and those immigrants born in the country they migrated are not included in these figures.

Given an objective point of migration; it is the search of a relatively honourable life of those people whose lives have been restricted by capitalism and its derivatives. Migration is shaped and directed in accordance with the periodic interest of the states and by the capital of the barons in the host and sending countries. Migration, is at the same time is a shift in favour of bosses from ‘high waged toil‘ to the disadvantage of workers to ‘low waged toil‘. Migration is a sociological and social issue with international and intercultural dimension as being a mobilised toil and mass human movement.

Migration is sometimes an adventure, sometimes a drama, or sometimes it is a social tragedy. Each year, thousands of asylum seekers in the process of migration lose their lives in this adventure on the high seas, borders, or to be deported or murdered in the cells.

Although migration is categorised as ‘voluntary’ or ‘forced’, we cannot talk about volunteering in the case where human living conditions and spaces have been narrowed. In today’s world, the main elements which restrict the living conditions and space of people are the monopolist capitalism and semi-colonialism. Who would voluntarily leave the country they were born, grew up and were living happily if there weren’t injustices, iniquities, and inequalities due to wars, plunder, oppression and exploitation in the sending countries? Thus, when struggling with the issues of migration, the struggle should be against the conditions which form the basis of migration not ‘against migrants’ as the rulers do. Only when the injustice inequality and impossibility conditions which form the basis of migration disappear, the damage which is caused by mass migration to the people can be disposed. Migration a humanitarian imperative and not is not voluntary when people have to migrate in order to seek more prosperous, more just and a relatively more free living conditions. However, forcing people to migrate via direct or indirect methods and making trillions through this process is inhumane.

Once again, on the International Migrants Day, we declare that we will continue our struggle against those who deny, undermine and usurp the rights and freedom of migrants. Let’s join the struggle to create a more liveable world with the struggle to win, protect and advance the migrant rights. Let’s not give up on unification and merging the national/social liberation struggles of workers and toilers, regardless of their national, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Because, the liberation struggles of oppressed nations and exploited world people’s are not separate from the equality and political participation struggle of migrants. Women’s emancipation struggle and migrants struggle for equality and political participation have the same common interests. Youths struggle for freedom and migrants struggle for relatively more dignified lives has much to learn from each other. Let’s shout the slogan ‘migrants rights are also human rights’ together in advancing the struggle to create a sharing, cooperative, egalitarian and emancipatory world.

During this period where neo-fascist, chauvinist and racist bourgeois policies under state auspice is growing via ‘deep and dirty relations’ and the aggression towards migrants openly turn into massacres, we must speak of international unity of workers and toilers more and claim the principle of people’s brotherhood. Let’s defend ultimate peace and justified wars against the unjust wars.

Down with imperialism, fascism, chauvinism and all kinds of reaction!

Long live international solidarity!

ATIK-Migrantrights – DOC

ATIK-Migrantrights – PDF

ATIK | 02 – 11 – 2011 | Around the world millions of Kurds are watching the Kurdish satellite TV channel ROJ TV. ROJ TV is not only the biggest Kurdish TV station but also the one with the highest viewing rates among all TV channels in Turkey.

Despite this and maybe rather because of this the Turkish Government keeps putting pressure on the Danish government for closing down ROJ TV under the pretext of ‘struggling against terrorism’.

However it’s clear that the Turkish Government’s efforts are associated with the oppression of the Kurdish language which de facto is still forbidden as ROJ TV is broadcasting its news and cultural programmes in this particular language.

At the same time, the pressure on Denmark as licenser demonstrates Turkey’s dismissive attitude towards the freedom of press as it tries to close down a critical media coverage.

ROJ TV is our free voice and ROJ TV is enlightens our view on the world and on what is going on in Kurdistan.

ATIK | 11 – 05 – 2011 | Dear Friends,

As the Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe (ATIK) we salute you, our migrant brothers and sisters who have started and still continue on May 1st a occupation- action in front of the Massa Cathedral on May 1st against racist laws and oppression and we declare our support to all of you.The states which constitute the European Union, have in the previous years, brought out a series of new laws in to control the migrant movements in the world. The state-members of the imperialist EU, continously make new evaluations towards migrants. According to these evaluations all the new legal regulations that are made do not serve the interests and benefits of the migrants, but they only serve the profits of the imperialist state namely the capital. These new laws of the imperialist-capitalist system openly demonstrate that the fundamental rights of the migrants will be denied.

The question of migration, wether of the European states, wether in the international arena, has become a topic that degrees to be a growing current political issue. The European states are the most migrant recieving countries and under the pretext of “preventing migration” every day mor new racist and suppressive laws are released. For this reason, our brothers and sisters who face these suppressive and racist laws wage a justified struggle for which we believe is just and legal and we want you to know that we stand by you.

On this behalf, to get the democratic demands of the migrants accepted; the importance of the solidarity of the anti-imperialist migrant organizations is important, we invite progressive institutions, anti-fascist organizations and political parties to move together on the right place at the right time together. We forward our international solidarity salutes and wish you a great success in your struggle.

*No to Segregative and Racsist Laws!

*Down with Imperialism and all Reaction!

21st ATİK General Council

ATIK_Italian_Migrants – DOC

ATIK_Italian_Migrants – PDF

Operation Green Hunt differs from other wars the governments wage against peoples (in Palestine, Kurdistan, Colombia, etc.) because of it size. The troops are more than those in Afghanistan war (from 150.000 to 200.000 troops already massed). It runs over a land as big as France and Germany together, where one hundred millions of natives live. It aims to devastate this land, today covered by forests and considered the green hearth of Asia, giving it to big foreign and national companies for industrial projects, and to expel the people by force. As the size of the Operation, it is an extermination war.

Little is known about this war because of government censorship and because the Operation is still going on by low intensity. The government hesitates to launch the war with all troops and weapons prepared because of the resistance of indigenous people, owner of the land according to the Constitution, never defeated all along history and military organized, and because of the opposition growing in India and all over the world of all the people struggling for human and civil rights, for people’s rights, against globalization, against the devastation of environment, for peace.

Let’s build also  in Italy a solidarity movement with Indian people resisting against war.

The well known Indian writer Arundathi Roy is in the forefront in the struggle against Operation Green Hunt. In the last year she went in the areas the government is attacking, and when she came back she wrote a report. The Publishing House Rapporti Sociali of Milan translated it and made a book, including an interview to G.N. Saibaba, professor in New Dehli University who carries out with Arundathi Roy and a growing range of intellectuals, professionals, scientists and civil society members the struggle to prevent India from selling, its people from being slaughtered, its forests from being devastated. The book is a precious instrument for knowing the situation, and will be presented at the initiative.

All social and political organizations and all people interested in building a campaign of information, denounce and solidarity with Indian people are invited.

Friday 24 September 2010 h 21

Workers’ Circle Porta al Prato

via delle Porte Nuove 33, Florence

Stop Green Hunt Committee

Florence, via dei Conciatori 4 rosso, in the Social Rights House

e-mail stopgreenhunt@libero.it

tel. 3351246551 – 3314381531 – sip Firenze 14.09.10

As well as engaging law enforcement authorities against those workers and toilers whom raised their voices on the streets to stop to these unjust policies and proceedings, they also wanted to suppress the resistance via union bureaucracy. This aggression with class and national characteristics has spread to a wider friction of the opposition. Moreover, of course, revolutionaries are the most effected ones.

Whilst the debates on ‘democratic initiative’ continue, the attacks against revolutionary- democrat- Kurdish patriot individuals or organisations have toughened and are evolving into a serious dimension. Recently the operations on various opposition powers has increased with accusations that are at times are very ironic and could said to be funny. These organisations are on legitimate and just grounds, and they are struggling to create the best possible future that complies with the realities of the country. However, complying with its fascist nature, the Turkish Republic continues its existence through hindering these struggles and using oppression and aggression to suppress the existing dynamics.

The recent seizure of İşçi-Köylü (Workers-Peasants) and Yeni Demokrat Gençlik (New Democrat Youth) newspapers, detaining Alınteri (Toil) and Devrimci Proletarya (Revolutionary Proletariat) readers without a proper reason are just the most recent examples of state oppression and aggression against revolutionaries and democrats.

During the same period the state carried out tens of detainment and arrests, once again showing its fascist face; another one of these attacks were carried out on the 29th June.

On 29th June, one from Istanbul and seven from Mersin, eight New Democrat Youth activists in total detained after an operation in the early hours of the morning without any proper allegations. The proceedings during the ‘operation’ were as unlawful as the so-called reasons for the operation. The Law enforcement authorities have raided several houses and the bureau of Umut Publishing in Mersin with long-barrelled guns and ski masks. They threw the activists on the floor putting a gun on their heads to arrest them without feeling the need to explain their actions.

The materials and documents found in the raided houses and Umut Publishing bureau, which are shown as evidence, are legal press publications that can be accessed by all from many outlets, books with revenue stamps and the taxes paid for, placards and banners used in May Day’s, legal press releases and meetings.

The state must acknowledge that as ATIK- New Democratic Youth we are growing our fury against those whom try to silence the progressive dynamics of resisting peoples of the world. We will continue with our revolutionary stance against the continuing suppression, detainments, arrests, and destruction and denial policies. We announce to all reactionary ruling powers that every action taken against the revolutionary activities increase our fury, enforce us to hold on tighter to our struggle and grow the fire of revolt. Hence we strongly condemn the current situation which we know will not be the last; we are protesting these proceedings and demand the immediate release of all detainees.

• Immediate release to all New Democrat Youth Activists!
• Oppression cannot deter us!
• Down with fascism, long live our struggle!

New Democratic Youth – YDG
August 2010

The banning of the Kurdish party, the Party of Democratic Society; the broadcasted imprisonment of the elected local representatives of Kurds; cases opened against Kurdish elementary school students on charges of “adherence to terrorist organization”; the implacable persecution of Kurdish magazines and papers; the spreading of a mentality which treats each and every Kurd as a “potential terrorist”… are alarming signs which signify that the country is heading towards a new –and graver, we fear, than those lived before- hell…

And these signs show that the target is not the PKK –as claimed on every occasion by those who govern- but the rights of Kurds to exist as they are: Kurds… The last of these signs is the charge brought by the attorney general of Istanbul against Dr. Ismail Besikci, on the account of “PKK propaganda”, for his article entitled “The rights of the nations to self-determination and the Kurds” published in the magazine of the Association of Contemporary Lawyers….

The attorney general of Istanbul claims that “Ismail Hoca” (as he is popularly known within the progressist circles) is “propagating the PKK cause” in his following lines: “The Kurds have been fighting for freedom, for a free land for the last 200 years; and they are paying the price… Syria, Iran and Turkey are dominating over the Kurds with an iron hand… The states that dominate over the Kurds were always able to unite their political, ideological, diplomatic and military powers against them. It is obvious that this common control does not create justice but is a constant violation of it. In these conditions, resistance against opression is a legitimate right…”

The absurdity of accusing someone whose open and acute criticism against the leadership of the PKK on charges of “PKK propaganda” aside, the fact that such a case has been opened, demonstrates concretely the threat against the freedom and expression of thought in Turkey. What the attorney general demands to be penalized is not “PKK propaganda” but the freedom of thought and expression; and this demonstrates clearly, once again, how willing the ruling class is to violate the limited frame of rights and liberties it has agreed to accept. 

We, the signers of this petition are certain that it is not possible to lock up the brilliant mind and pen of Dr. Besikci under menaces of imprisonment. He already has spent 17 years of his life in prison, and will willingly venture another 17,  for the sake of telling what he holds to be the truth.

Our rebellion is against the calcified reflexes of this regime, whose immediate reaction is to imprison those who do not agree with its dogmas, those divergent voices, whenever it feels itself in trouble… Against the unceasing recounting of the same horror tales by the rulers, while the “prisoners of consciousness” have reached the fifth generation in this country… Against the incompetent despotism of the   non-discussion of every alternative proposition for the accumulated problems of this country…

For this reason, we announce that we proudfully espouse each and every word, each and every sentence of Dr. Beşikçi for which he is being tried, and that we will be with him and with the barrister Zeycan Balcı Şimşek, the editor of the magazine,  for their first hearing on July 28th, 2010, on 09.10 a.m. in the 11th High Criminal Court of İstanbul,  and throughout the following hearings.

The Ankara Initiative for the Freedom of Thought

Fikret Başkaya, Sibel Özbudun, Temel Demirer, Sait Çetinoğlu, Mahmut Konuk, Mustafa Kahya, Fatime Akalın, Pınar Ömeroğlu, Serdar Koçman, Ragıp Zarakolu, Attila Tuygan, Ayşe Günaysu, Cemil Gündoğan, Faruk Arhan, Altan Açıkdilli, Bawer Çakır, Necati Abay, Leman Yurtsever,Baskın Oran, Recep Maraşlı, Emrah Cilasun, Ulvi Bacıoğlu, Mehmet Özer,

During this past time no formal charges have been placed. She has been imprisoned arbitrarily. Her first hearing date has been allocated for 26^th August 2010, nearly a year after her arrest, which ‘coincidently’ coincide with the judiciary recess.

The clear intention in this is to silence and counteract the opposition press and its activities. Shadow the legitimacy and the rightfulness of the opposition (socialist) press and its workers whom take on the duty to show and expose the real face of the system to the people; to isolate the oppressed workers and toilers in order to prevent the exposure of the realities of the system to the wider masses.

We, the undersigned, are the supporters of  SUZAN ZENGIN and urge her immediate release!

ATIK
Ministry for Justice in Turkey, E mail: info@adalet.gov.tr, Fax:0090/ 312 419 33 70, Phone: 0090/ 312 417 77 70

Petition Download

ATIK

On the aid fleet were doctors and peace activists. Also representatives of left parties like die Linke from Germany, Holocaust victim Epstein and other peace award novelist‘s were present too.   Purpose and aim of the ‘aid fleet’ was to bring aids like food and medicine to Palestine mainly Gaza.

Israel’s main speaker Dov Weinglass openly stated that “….the Palestinians need a diet, our intention is not to let them starve”.

Until this hour there is no concrete number of death and injured persons. It is said that the aid fleet had already hoisted a white peace flag even before the raid but still Israel troops raid the fleet and brutally killed and beat on people. The aid convoy included 6 ships.

There is nothing that can justify the massacre against these aid workers by the Israel state troops. This once more shows the brutality of the US backed Israel policies which has a long history.

All over the world protest waves show the anger of many people and countries. Also in the course of this attack reactionary governments like Iran and Turkey use this attack by Israel in order to put forward their own policies. It should not be forgotten that the Turkish state even though he condemns the recent attack is not a friend of the Palestinian people. It has common agreements and military mutual pacts with Israel and inside the country has arrested and tortured progressive and revolutionary demonstrators that were speaking out against the Israeli aggression.

Turkey has stated that for now it is withdrawing from the mutual military pact of training Israeli soldiers it has already done so in October 2009 but restarted in March 2010 further it stated that it will expel the Israel ambassador if necessary. Since the morning hours thousands of people are on the streets protesting and are in front of the Israel embassy.

This attack which resulted in 19 persons dead and many people injured is an illegitimate, unjust action and is dissident to international humanitarian law.

 We as ATIK International Relation Committee call upon the international democratic public to unite against this attack by the Israel state. At the same time we demand an end to the occupation in Palestine and a end to the economic blockade especially in Gaza.

Long Live International Solidarity!

The Palestinian People Are Not Alone!

We Condemn the Murderer Against the Peace Activists!

ATIK-International Relation Committee

June 1^st, 2010