TKP protests ÇEDES practices in schools

In İzmir, students at Seferihisar Doğanbey Middle School were taken to morning prayers at the beginning of this month as part of the "I Protect My Environment and Values" (ÇEDES) project.

Under the leadership of the Doğanbey Middle School administration, students were taken to the Payamlı Mosque for morning prayers on January 5.

TKP STAGES PROTEST

The TKP İzmir Provincial Organization held a protest in the district today against the incident. After distributing leaflets to citizens during the protest, a banner was unfurled reading, "We will not hand our children over to sects. Cancel ÇEDES!"

The TKP Seferihisar District Organization issued a press statement during the protest.

The statement emphasized that the AKP government continues to attack the values of the Republic, pointing out that individuals working in religious services—such as imams, muezzins, and preachers—are being assigned to schools under the title of "spiritual counselors" in the district.

The statement, which noted that children are being handed over to sects under the guise of educational activities, declared, "This is, first and foremost, contrary to secularism. It is unconstitutional. It is an attack on the values of the Republic."

The statement highlighted that ÇEDES means "opening the doors of schools to sects" and emphasized that this will not be permitted.

"THEY ARE COLLECTING MONEY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNDER THE NAME OF REGISTRATION FEES"

The statement noted that schools are being left without budgets and that school needs are being met by parents, continuing as follows:

"School administrations and parents are being pitted against each other. Despite it being unconstitutional, they are collecting money in public schools under the name of 'registration fees.' They are extorting money.

Where do you think the budgets that are not spent on secular education in good conditions and on a scientific basis are being used?

While the share of the education budget received by the General Directorate of Religious Instruction was 9.3 billion in 2019, this share has risen to 20.6 billion liras in 2022. The budget that should be spent on children receiving a scientific and secular education is being transferred to associations and institutions linked to sects through protocols."

"THEY ARE BEING FORCED INTO THE HANDS OF SECTS"

The statement pointed out that the burden of the crisis is being placed on the working people, emphasizing that the public is being forced into these sects as they become impoverished.

The statement provided information that, according to official ministry data, approximately 2.5 million school-age children, 866 thousand of whom are girls, are deprived of schooling, and stated that a large portion of those who can attend school go to school hungry, with developmental delays observed in children.

"LET US STAND AGAINST SECTS AND BIGOTS PREYING ON OUR CHILDREN"

The statement noted that those who ignore these problems are attempting to appoint imams to schools, and continued:

"We must raise this struggle together so that they do not darken the future of our children. Come, you too support this struggle. Let us stand against sects and bigots preying on our children through ÇEDES and similar projects.

We are calling out from here!

We will protect our children from sects and bigots.

We will not hand over even a single one of our children to this darkness!

We do not want ÇEDES in Seferihisar!

We will not allow darkness in Seferihisar!

As long as we organize. No force can defeat an organized people!"