Erkan Baş: We can topple this government by resisting

Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) Chairman Erkan Baş attended the opening of his party's district headquarters in Arhavi, Artvin, today. Following the opening, Baş traveled to Hopa to meet with the people of Hopa.

“WE WANT TO LIVE LIKE HUMAN BEINGS”

Workers' Party of Turkey Chairman Erkan Baş said the following in Arhavi:

We entered an election on May 14. We explained the same things before May 14 as well. Everywhere I went, everyone said, 'Chairman, you are right, you are justified, I wish everyone was like you.' I always listened to this. However, they said, 'We need to vote strategically. I swear you are right. But this election is not that election.' So what happened, friends? Let me give you an example.

In Eskişehir, we nominated a motorcycle courier worker as our first-place candidate. They said, 'Beware, vote strategically. Vote for the İYİ Party here. Vote so that the opposition does not lose votes and vote strategically.' We couldn't explain it, we failed. The citizen went and cast their vote for that İYİ Party. What happened afterwards? That İYİ Party candidate became a member of parliament. But our friend who lives by their labor and sweat could not.

That deputy resigned from the İYİ Party a month later and joined the AKP. Now they have become the AKP's mayoral candidate for Eskişehir. There you go, strategic voting. Friends, are we condemned to this game? Are we forced into this game?

"LET US DO WHAT WE KNOW IS RIGHT"

They sit at the headquarters in Ankara and determine the mayors. Why, brother? Can't the people of Arhavi determine the mayoral candidate? Can't the people of Hopa or Hatay? They say, 'Our political structure is like this, and whatever our chairman says, that's it.' Friends, why do we oppose one-man politics?

Friends, if there is a one-man system in every party, why did we say no to one-man politics? To me, it is important which municipality is won by whom when we wake up on the morning of March 31. But most importantly, can we establish a union of socialist municipalities in Turkey or not? There have been municipalities in Turkey for years.

Are there any exemplary municipalities other than those of socialists? This means there is intellect behind this work, and there is the involvement of an organized public. Then let us do what we know is right.

"WE ARE HERE TO TOPPLE THE GOVERNMENT BY RESISTING"

When a government weakens and heads toward defeat, everyone turns against it. But for us, in the person of Metin Lokumcu, Hopa is one of the symbols of stubbornness, will, not surrendering, and not bowing down, even at a time when this government thinks it is at its strongest.

Heartfelt greetings to the students of Metin Lokumcu and the companions of Kazım Koyuncu. Let everyone know that the main reason for our presence in Hopa is to grow the resistance and solidarity against this government's anti-people, anti-labor, anti-woman, and country-capturing mentality, in the person of these comrades, throughout all of Turkey.

And if we want to, we do not surrender; if we want to, we can resist, and we are here to topple this government by resisting. I promise you as the Workers' Party of Turkey. We will determine our mayoral candidate and our municipal council member candidates everywhere in Turkey and here in Hopa, together with our Hopa District Organization and our people.

Secondly, you say this municipal council is dysfunctional, but I am sorry, you can trust us. At a time when the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was at its most dysfunctional in history, we took our place in parliament with two deputies, and you are the judge of what we were able to do as the people's deputies in that parliament. We invite you to the struggle to get rid of the rent-seeking, anti-people municipalism mentality spread by this government.

Victory is not won the easy way. But we will come side by side, and if we combine our minds and hearts, we will believe that we can succeed. I specifically ask from Hopa, let us do this all together to be an example to Turkey, to the companions of Kazım Koyuncu and the students and siblings of Metin Hoca.

News Source: 12punto