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Free The 10 Turkish Activists and All Political Prisoners In Europe!
Cebraspo, the/ Brazilian Centre of Solidarity with the People, joins to the progressive, democratic and revolutionary organisations, and people's rights defenders around the world to condemn the repression, injustice and the attacks against the activists of the Confederation of Turkish Workers in Europe (ATIK) and New Woman organization (Yeni Kadin). We condemn the arrest of 13 members of ATIK, that took place simultaneously in several countries European countries on April 15, 2015.
In a coordinated crackdown in different countries - in complete violation of international laws protecting the rights of political refugees - 13 activists were arrested at the same time. They include seven activists in Germany, four in Greece, one in Switzerland and another in France. All of those arrested were had spent years in captivity as political prisoners in Turkey. As a result of their political believes and activities all of those arrest in Europe had suffered intimidation, arrest, torture, long term imprisonment and isolation by the reactionary Turkish state. Understandably, all suffer from serious health issues caused by systematic torture and ill treatment by the Turkish authorities. Several of those arrested have participated, multiple times, in the heroic mass hunger strike protests of political prisoner resisting the imposition of F-type isolation prisons and the struggles against the inhuman condition and ill treatments of prisons in Turkish prisons.
So far, the arrested ATIK activists have not been charged for any specific action within the countries they have been living in, but they were attacked because of their belives and their political views. They are accused of being members of the Communist Party of Turkey / Marxist-Leninist (TKP / ML). Although , along with all other revolutionary organizations in Turkey, the TKP/ML is considered “illegal" by the Turkish government it is not listed as a proscribed organisation in Europe. These arrests are clearly based on the so-called anti-terror laws – that are systematically deployed by the imperialist powers and local reactionaries in Europe to fight the dissidents and progressives. Clearly this suppressive operation is part of a state sponsored offensive on freedom of expression and rights of assembly and is nothing but intimidation, repression and direct attack on the working class s and the national and international peoples movements.
ATIK, is a legal and independent mass democratic organisation, with an anti-imperialist and anti-fascist character. It defends the democratic rights and freedom of expression and supports all struggles of the working class and migrant workers. It is an organization whose member associations work with legal status in the countries where they exist.
Founded in the mid-1970s, the organization served, first under the name of ATIF (Federation of workers from Turkey in Germany), alongside other democratic organizations in Europe, always in defence of the rights of Turkish migrants who at the time were mostly living in Germany. In 1986, with associate federations operating in several countries in Europe ATIK was established as a confederation. ATIK adopted more extensive policies beyond the rights of Turkish migrant workers abroad adding new commitments to oppose the fascist military junta (that had come to power following a military coup d’etat, in September 1980) in Turkey and to render support and solidarity to workers and other oppressed peoples in Turkey. From it founding in 1986 till the present , ATIK has continued to play a significant role in supporting the struggles of political prisoners in Turkey and continues to extend its full support to political refugees and ex-political prisoners that escape the clutches of the fascist state in Turkey currently ruled by the reactionary and anti people AK Party.
Clearly, to classify activists of ATIK, and Yeni Kadin, as "terrorists" is total fallacy and an injustice. CEBRASPO, is in total agreement with the assessment of the 'International Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners' who stated that, while European reactionaries, in particular the German government, who commanded this repressive campaign, insist on proclaiming themselves as apostles of human rights and democracy, yet they disregard the statutory rights of political refugees and arrest the Turkish activists and absurdly continue to keep them in isolation and solitary confinement. Any direct communication with them has been stopped and all contact by their families, physical exercise outside the cell, access to books, magazines and newspapers are denied to them.
The intensification of the contradictions in Turkey, and in the rest of the region, has led the Turkish state in recent days, to intensify the scales of violent repression against the Turkish and Kurdish people in the streets of Istanbul, Ankara and other cities, arresting hundreds of people, particularly targeting the militant and revolutionary activists. As a NATO member State, the reactionary Turkish State has stepped up attacks on the borders of Turkey, thus serving the plans of US imperialism in this phase of deepening inter-imperialist contradictions in the Middle East. It is within this context, that the activists of ATIK living in Europe are captured and imprisoned without any charges with the direct involvement of the Turkish State that aims to ban any act of protest, any manifestation of dissent, and especially the development of the revolutionary struggle inside the country now, more than ever.
Some of ATIK prisoners have serious health problems caused by torture in Turkish prisons and the 'treatment' given to them in the prisons of Europe is nothing but cruel torture. The German government, spear heading this process, has not yet explained what are the formal charges against the arrested activists, and tries to incriminate them as "terrorists"- A charge that is not only rejected by ATIK and progressive political forces in Turkey but by most progressive internationally.
It is become known that it is unlikely that these cases will be brought before a court sooner than February 2016, i.e., 10 months after the unjust arrest and imprisonment! It is this most urgent task of all progressive and democratic forces to join together and render every assistance and support to bring an end all isolation of the revolutionary prisoners and the ATIK democrats in Europe, and demand their immediate and unconditional release!
SUPPORT AND EXTEND SOLIDARITY WITH THE PRISONERS OF ATIK!
END THE ISOLATION! RELEASE ALL ATIK PRISONERS , NOW !
ATIK IS NOT ALONE!
CEBRASPO
Brazil, August / 2015