Dear comrades and friends, I received this material (together with further info and very impressive pictures) that I felt should be passed on. Fraternally, George PROTESTS INCREASE AMID ECONOMIC CRISIS IN TURKEY For further information and the latest developments in Turkey please contact the Party of Labour (EMEP). E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hundreds of thousands of workers, public employees and small tradesmen have been staging protests against the ever deteriorating living conditions caused by the recent economic crisis. The latest protests took place last Saturday, 14 April 01, with the attendance of 500 thousand people across Turkey. On 11 April one hundred thousand people demonstrated in Ankara, the capital city, against the government and the IMF which brought the country into this situation. Police attacked the demonstrators when they wanted to march on to Parliament, arresting and injuring dozens of people. Protesters call the government to resign and chant the slogan "IMF get out, this country is ours!" The crisis is rooted in the economic reform programme that was crafted by the IMF and designed to privatise all public enterprises and implement even tighter austerity measures. When the government was stuck with the repayment of the domestic and foreign debts, it abandoned a controlled exchange-rate policy on Feb. 22, and allowed the lira to float, leading to its devaluation by 44 per cent against the dollar. Waged people's real income dropped by almost 50 per cent. Fuel prices were increased five times since the crisis began. The price of imported medicines has skyrocketed, and some suppliers are refusing to ship drugs to Turkey because of uncertain exchange rates, leading to severe shortages. Hundreds of thousands of workers have been made redundant, bringing the unemployment rate to over 20 per cent. The three-party coalition government has appointed a "super minister" to tackle with the crisis. He is trying to get the urgently needed $12 billion credit from the IMF to give a breathing space to the economy. His programme, therefore, involves a faster process of privatisation and even greater burdens on the working people. In the face of these developments, the Labour Platform, which was set up by many trade unions, democratic mass organisations, profession organisations and political parties on the side of the labour movement, has set up its own alternative Labour Programme which is designed to shift the burden of the crisis from the working people onto the big capital, and which promotes an independent Turkey whose economic development is based on its own dynamics rather than foreign capital and IMF imposed policies. Alongside the participants of the Labour Platform, many patriotic and pro-labour academicians contributed to this Programme which came out of an economic symposium in late March. THE PARTY OF LABOUR Tel: +90 212 588 43 32-38 Fax: 588 43 41 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] April 18, 2001 Mass Protests against IMF Policies in Turkey On 14 April hundreds of thousands of workers and labourers in Turkey organized protest demonstrations all around the country against the IMF policies that have led to the economic crises one after another (including the latest 22 February Crisis) and the collapse in the monetary system. After two weeks of protests from the tradesmen, four workers and public employees confederations (Turk-Is, DISK, KESK, HAK-IS) demanded the Labour Programme to be implemented. Two Programmes 14 April was also the 42nd day of Kemal Dervis, who has been 'imported' from the World Bank to manage the economy as a 'Super' Minister. Dervis held a press conference to make his programme public. This programme included privatization, cuts in social rights and so-called reforms in the banking system. However, the Labour Programme that was prepared by dozens of academicians and trade union leaders demands an independent economy (you will find a copy in the attachment). So Saturday's demonstrations were also an alternative declaration against Dervis's IMF crafted programme. In the largest city, Istanbul, 50 thousand workers and labourers gathered. In Izmir, 40 thousand. Demonstrations were banned in the capital city Ankara and in 19 other cities. Yet, despite the prohibition and the bad weather, 1000 people gathered in Ankara. Also in other "banned" provinces labourers refused to obey the ban and were still out on the streets to protest. In the Kurdish provinces, anger against the government was deep. In Gaziantep 60 thousand workers, labourers and small tradesmen protested. In Adana 20 thousand, Malatya 10 thousand, Adiyaman 10 thousand, Erzincan 5 thousand and in other Kurdish provinces varying numbers of people protested against IMF and the government. "IMF go home, government resign" In all demonstrations people demanded the goverment to resign, privatizations to be stopped, the plan of "zero rise" in salaries to be cancelled and life conditions to be improved. Another demand voiced in some of the Kurdish provinces was the abolishment of the martial law in the region. In Istanbul 500 journalists -mostly unemployed- joined the demonstrations. Some other cities by numbers: Mersin: 30 thousand; Antakya: 15 thousand; Eskisehir: 10 thousand; Bursa: 10 thousand; Afyon: 3 thousand; Manisa: 5 thousand; Adapazari: 5 thousand The number of the protestors all around the country reached 500 thousand. The Party of Labour (EMEP), that also had a great influence on the creation of the Labour Programme had a strong impact and participation in all demonstrations. The demonstrations and the programme have a vital importance for all the people. For the first time the people have their own programme, realising that the neoliberal economy is not the only alternative. Most trade union leaders also say that they want the Labour Programme to be implemented. Today, most labour organisations agree that the only way to stop the government is a general strike. This was the most frequently chanted slogan in the demonstrations. The approaching May Day will be another day of protest for the working class and labourers. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BUREAU _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list