Turkey: 1,000 detained – Reaction unleashes a wave of Atrocities

Today morning the Turkish police raided the homes of Partizan readers, journalists of the newspaper Yeni Demokrasi and the Munzur Environmental Association and detained seven people and confiscated materials in Istanbul and Dersim. Around one thousand people have been detained already in nation-wide raids against different organizations. The reaction has mobilized over 13,000 personnel to conduct these raids. The Turkish Airforce twice bombarded Northern Iraq. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya according to the media declared that 928 people suspected of holding unlicensed firearms or being connected to firearms smuggling were arrested, while only 840 firearms were confiscated.

These atrocities are claimed to be retaliation for a suicide-attack against the Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs in Ankara, near the Turkish Grand National Assembly by the HPG/PKK, which slightly injured two police officers, while the vet from whom the car was confiscated was shot in the head. The suicide-bombing according to Gerîla TV should tramit a warning to the authorities.

Partizan published a statement on the matter:

We did not remain silent, we will not remain silent!

7 of our comrades were detained in the operation involving Partizan, Yeni Demokrasi Newspaper and Munzur Environmental Association in the morning. Dozens of operations have taken place in all corners of the country in recent days. Clearly, silence and disorganization are being imposed on the people. It is intended to be taken for granted that the dark days will not end. We are aware that the purpose of these operations, which are increasing and expanding in scope, is to prevent the awakening of the people against the poverty and ignorance into which they have been dragged, to isolate the revolutionary-democratic pioneers of the people and to continue their reign. We have always defended and will continue to defend that this goal will never be realized, that nothing belonging to the public can be usurped or hidden from them forever. They cannot intimidate our detained comrades today, just as they have not been able to intimidate them before. We will neither give up our flag nor our slogans and slogans. Our flags waving and our slogans spreading for the liberation of the people are now in the hands and tongues of our comrades. Long live the unbreakable will of our comrades and long live all kinds of struggles that keep the people’s hope for salvation alive…