ATIK | Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe | AHM-ATIK News Center
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TİK GENERAL COUNCIL | 01-01-2014 | WE WELCOME THE NEW YEAR WITH THE SPIRIT OF GEZI RESİSTANCE!
2014 Shall be ours! 2014 shall be full of struggle and hope for the workers and the oppressed!
Since the early days of year 2000 we have witnessed uprisings which are increasing in terms of numbers and amplitude which has spread to a lot of countries around the world, now including Turkey.
After the falling of social-imperialist block, serious attacks began on the social, democratic and the economic rights of the working and toiling masses in Europe we live in today. These rights had been earned at high prices by the struggle of the working class. Ruling class is aware of the fact that the only way to implement these policies is the disruption of unity between migrants and the native workers. Therefore they are trying to disrupt the unity of the migrant and native workers, the unity that arises from production. They are trying to prevent rebellions by blaming the migrants for unemployment and inflation which they have caused themselves.
120 million people live in poverty in Europe. 43 million people are either fed by soup kitchens or donations made. Unemployment is said to be 12% but in fact it is twice as much. There are millions of people who cannot pay their rents and find it difficult to feed their families. During crises the state bailouts banks and money lords, and as for the workers and toilers they declare more and more austerity packages and take away their basic rights. The money that is spent to bailout banks and money lords is nothing but our taxes.
As in the other continents of the world, also in Europe which is referred to as the “cradle of civilisation” primitivism is at large in terms of women and their rights. Every 1 in 3 women are facing domestic violence, they are not paid equal with men, they are the first ones to be fire, their domestic work is not recognised and they face gender discrimination.
Amongst young people in Europe, especially migrant youth, the use of drugs is on the rise caused by the implementation of economic policies which results in young people to fear for their future. The system is aware of the fact that a political youth poses a great danger for the system and therefore they close their eyes to drug lords who poison our youth. Tax offices who hunt down workers and small business are acting three monkeys when it comes to drug lords. The police force are unable to locate few drug dealers even in the smallest towns however, they use all their forces to crack down revolutionaries and the contrary.
We are witnessing a so called peace process in Turkey at this very moment. The state of Kurdish national movement and other regional developments has forced the fascist Turkish state and its government AKP to performs dirty tricks that we have seen so many times in the past. It has been almost one year since the process began but in terms of education in mother tongue, democratisation or status of Kurdish people no real progress is made. We are calling our brothers and sister to continue the struggle, from where they left.
We shall say that 2013 was only the beginning, and 2014 shall be the year where we take it to streets to fight for our future, for our children and fight against unjust wars, violation of rights and greed.
Salute to all who stand and fight exploitation and the oppression.
22nd ATİK General Council