People's Assembly of Turkey elects its representatives in Istanbul and Izmir

The People's Assembly of Turkey (THTM) continued its meetings to elect Assembly representatives in Istanbul and Izmir, following the first mass preparatory meeting held on the Asian side of Istanbul last week.

Together with a group of founding members and the representatives to be elected at meetings across the country, the THTM will begin its work by holding its first meeting in Ankara on January 7.

ISTANBUL EUROPEAN SIDE REPRESENTATIVES DETERMINED

At the meeting held in Şişli, the speeches of the representative candidates in particular were listened to with great enthusiasm in the hall. THTM has determined 29 more of its representatives.

KEMAL OKUYAN: WE ARE UNCONDITIONALLY ANTI-IMPERIALIST

The first speech was delivered by TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan. Stating that the answer to the question "What happened that this republic has come to this state today?" is very important, Okuyan noted that what has led citizens to struggle with deep darkness in the centennial year is related to the existence of an exploiting class that has seized all of Turkey's resources and therefore wants to completely get rid of the values of the Republic.

Okuyan said, "We must reject the imperialist system, which means the hegemony of international monopolies in the world, with its NATO, EU, USA, and all its institutions. We must reject the policies that are an extension of this."

Expressing that Turkish politics has been polluted by funding, the idea that democracy and freedom will come from the West, and parties that criticize NATO when it suits them and act pro-NATO when it suits them, Okuyan said, "We are unconditionally anti-imperialist."

ZÜLAL KALKANDELEN TOOK THE STAGE

Following Kemal Okuyan, journalist and author Zülal Kalkandelen took the stage.

Stating that she welcomed this meeting with great excitement, Kalkandelen said, "While forming this assembly, it is important what we put into the mortar of our progressive thought. The main ingredients of this mortar are the secular, public-oriented, anti-imperialist, enlightenment foundations of the 1923 revolution and the perspective of socialism." Recalling Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's words, "Let the whole world know that for me there is only one partisanship. Partisanship for the Republic, partisanship for intellectual and social revolution...", Kalkandelen said that the 1923 Revolution was fundamentally a struggle for independence and modernization.

CANAN KAYA: IF WE WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING, WE MUST COME TOGETHER

The next speaker, journalist Canan Kaya, began her words by stating that she was very proud to be in the THTM.

She said that many people in this country want things to change but either do not know how it will happen or have lost their faith, and that what has been experienced in the last 22 years is the reason for this: "But I believe that the darkness we are in is not the product of a single party or a single person. There have always been certain segments, especially capital, that supported them. Sometimes the followers of Fethullah, sometimes the liberals..."

Pointing out that the opposition is also responsible for the neutralization of the parliament, Kaya said, "With this picture before us, do you think the people are wrong in not believing that things will change? I am not saying this is good; I am trying to explain why the THTM is needed. If we want to change something, we must come together."

ORHAN AYDIN: LET US STAND UP FOR A SOCIALIST TURKEY

After Kaya, theater artist Orhan Aydın, one of the founding members of the THTM, took the stage. Stating that they frequently come to the Cemil Candaş Culture Center hall and perform plays, Aydın said, "The artistic activities held here have a value, of course, as in every hall. But I think the friends who set out with the idea of an assembly here today have a goal beyond our utopias: To organize for the struggle to change."

"When this call text reached me a month and a half ago, I was as excited as I am now, and when we reviewed the situation the country and the world are going through, I said 'it's the right time'," said Aydın, expressing that he saw this reality once again at the meeting.

Touching on why he, as an artist who is a member of the TKP, is in the THTM, Aydın said, "I am no longer tolerant. I am calling for standing up. Let us stand up for the country to be an egalitarian, independent, secular country. Let us stand up for justice, equality, and freedom. Let us stand up for a socialist Turkey."

MUSTAFA KEMAL ERDEMOL TOOK THE FLOOR

Journalist Mustafa Kemal Erdemol also used the expression "But, it seems the time is exactly now" regarding the question of "Why hasn't there been such an assembly before," noting that there are many reasons for it.

Erdemol said, "Why? This assembly could have been established in a system where the economy is terrible, foreign policy has gone bankrupt, it has the fastest-polluting media in the world, and industrial football is always bad but has raised very greedy footballers. The time is exactly now."

Erdemol emphasized that the two most important features of the THTM are that it is alternative and interventionist: "Of course, we must have a plan to defend the values of the Republic, especially secularism, as class values and to take them even further."

Expressing that he is very happy to be a part of the THTM, Erdemol said, "I am a Marxist journalist. That's why I think this is where I should be. I declare that I am ready to perform any duty that falls to me, any duty that will be given to me."

REPRESENTATIVES ELECTED IN IZMIR

In the first session, Turkey Communist Party (TKP) Central Committee member Savaş Sarı, Kemalist Direction Movement Founding President Ahmet Ayçiçek, and author and poet Tuğrul Keskin gave speeches.

After completing their speeches, candidates who wanted to be elected as representatives submitted their applications to the Council. In the second session, after all candidates made their speeches from the podium, 24 people from Izmir were determined as representatives for the THTM.

The first speech of the meeting was delivered by TKP CC member Savaş Sarı.

Reminding the audience of the THTM's principles such as secularism, independence, and sovereignty, Sarı said, "Isn't this a step taken very late? Of course, we are late in terms of saving this country from looters. But the fact that we are late does not mean that this step we have taken is worthless and unimportant." Emphasizing that coming together around the principles announced by the THTM increases the value of the step taken, Sarı underlined that the will in question carries even more importance especially after the elections held on May 14 and 28.

"THTM WILL NOT HESITATE, WILL NOT COMPROMISE ON ITS TRUTHS"

Emphasizing that the THTM is built on principles, Sarı said:

"They told us; 'The AKP plays the game according to how it is set up, we should also play the game according to how it is set up'. Isn't that how the Nation Alliances, the Table of Six were formed? Wasn't help sought from such holdings? Weren't they begging for money at the doors of imperialists?

The issue is not being daring and ambitious, not trusting our truths. That is why we say that the THTM will not hesitate, it will not compromise on its truths."

Stating that they need to weave the two things that should be in this country stitch by stitch, Sarı concluded his words with the expressions, "One, we love this country and this land is ours. We must strengthen this belief. Second, we are the people. We trust ourselves and we will make this people an organized force. We will establish a country where there is no exploitation during the day and no going to bed hungry at night with our Assembly."

After Sarı, the Founding President of the Kemalist Direction Movement, Ahmet Ayçiçek, took the stage.

AHMET AYÇİÇEK: THE PROCESS WE ARE IN IMPOSES A HISTORICAL RESPONSIBILITY ON US

Starting his speech by touching on the exploitation order, Ayçiçek said, "If a worker in the country today cannot even pay their rent despite working from morning to night for a month, and if sects can show off by forming convoys with their luxury cars, this is the exploitation order."

Expressing that the period we are in brings some responsibilities with it, Ayçiçek said, "The process we are in imposes a historical responsibility on us. This responsibility imposes a duty on socialists and Kemalists, that is, the progressives of the country."

After Ayçiçek, author and poet Tuğrul Keskin gave a speech.

"THIS WAY OUT WILL BE FOUND"

Emphasizing that organizing is the only solution, Keskin said:

"The solution is organization. To organize and to destroy this vile order. To crown the 100-year-old republic with socialism. That is why I am among you today.

This is the case for both conservative right-wing politics and structures that claim to be on the left. Millions of hungry, unemployed people are waiting for a solution. Both conservative right-wing politics and structures that claim to be on the left use the same political elements as each other. It is very clear that nothing will come of this.

It is very important for many intellectuals, artists, and proletarians to come together and produce politics. If we can explain it to the people properly, the people will walk with us. Because the broad masses have no other choice left and are waiting for a solution. And this way out will be found."

At the end of his speech, Keskin recited a section from his poem titled "My Country" and made a call for the THTM.

After the speeches, the first session ended. Following the first session, candidates who wanted to be elected as representatives submitted their applications to the Meeting Council. In the second session, all candidates made their speeches from the podium. Then, 24 people from Izmir were determined as representatives for the THTM.

News Source: 12punto