Three days ago the Turkish police raided the Bogazici University in Istanbul. After Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech, that he wouldn’t accept communists at the University they arrived on campus around 06:00 in the morning with several units. They detained several students and took a total of seven students in custody, accusing three of them of being part in the “Community of the Marxist Idea”. It is stated that the police has a detention list covering eight more people.
Only one day later the “Turkish Language and Literature Department” published a statement supporting those students who were taken into custody. In the statement they claimed that: “The expression of a different idea of the political conjuncture is hindered by "reasonable and informed citizens”[which refers to police informers] because it is quickly criminalized by the state.” They also condemned the violation of the freedom of speech and the repression against political opposition in general. Furthermore, they expressed their optimism that their friends will be set free soon.
This approach against the students, determined by the attempt of daunting those who rise up against the old order, represents the way the reaction always tries to break the revolutionaries, especially in Turkey where everyone – even democratic organizations – opposing Erdogan or the AKP is getting accused of terrorism. But it won’t work and won’t break the will for revolution. Despite what the reactionary press says, the revolutionaries will carry out their tasks for the new democratic revolution against semi-feudalism and semi-colonialism in Turkey. The ongoing struggle, for example, is shown by guerrillas that have attacked a tank battalion in Şırnak in the same week the raid at the University happened. They attacked with rocket launchers and heavy weapons and injured six soldiers of the reactionary Turkish forces.
