DEVRİMCİ HALK KURTULUŞ CEPHESİ
Date: December 13, 2000 Statement: 133
THE FASCIST AUTHORITIES’ ATTACKS AND PROVOCATIONS CANNOT BREAK THE DEATH FAST RESISTANCE
On December 11, 2000, the Prime Minister of Turkey, ECEVIT, gave the order to attack. The MHP (Nationalist Movement Party – “Grey Wolves”) were used as a strike force in these attacks. All governing parties took a share in this plan of attack. On the one side, Ecevit’s government was giving the impression to public opinion, both domestic and international, that they were sensitive and wanted a solution, while on the other it gave the order to launch an assault. On December 11, Ecevit’s real face was revealed.
Ecevit threatened everyone who supported the Death Fast resistance – people, the press, everyone. He said, “While public opinion remains interested in this Death Fast resistance, it will not come to an end.” The meaning of this is that “nobody should engage in democratic opposition and nobody should react to anything, and no media organs should write or say anything about the Death Fast.” This reality must not be expressed, and any massacre and torture can take place in complete silence. People could be put in the ‘F’ Type prisons, be tortured there, have their minds destroyed and nobody would know about it. The press would have no power and they would be in the habit of taking orders from the murderous authorities and engaging in counter-propaganda in the interests of the system. The people would be starved of information except for a series of lies concocted about the Death Fast resisters.
But the reality was a death-bed. Those who were marching towards death were also speaking. No demagogy and lies can be more effective than this march towards death. The resisters exposed the real face of the authorities with their power. This state which places no value on people or the country is helpless, fearful and mendacious. It was trying to smear the Death Fast resisters. The state was saying to the Death Fast resisters: “Don’t pity yourselves.” But none of the Death Fast resisters listened to the state’s call. They have no beliefs and values to die for, unlike the Death Fast resisters. The Death Fast resisters want nothing for themselves. They only want a democratic and independent country. They were not engaging in demagogy and they were not telling lies. They never engaged in blackmail. In every statement on their deathbeds, they repeated, “WE WILL DIE BUT WE WILL NOT SURRENDER TO FASCISM.” There is no other light, power or reality in the world than this.
That is why Ecevit and the lies recorded by his fascist partners in government lost credibility, not in days but even within hours. Those who are accustomed to telling lies and demagogy call what they do “psychological warfare”, and their litany of lies is endless. They deceitfully called upon the Death Fast resisters’ families, talking endlessly of the value of life and humanitarianism and claiming they weredefending the lives of the prisoners. Themselves stupid and illiterate, they tried to make other people the same. It was as though these prisoners’ families did not live in this country, as if the authorities had not massacred thousands of people – old and young, men women and children – without discrimination. They massacred, made people disappear, tortured, detained and then again massacred those that they had put in prison. Turkey was steeped in blood. The prisons in Turkey were filled to the brim with revolutionaries. And now, these same people were appealing to the mothers and fathers of prisoners.
Those making such calls, whether in government or opposition, have massacred and tortured us. They are murderers and torturers, and everything is clearly visible. The families of the resisters knew very well that this was the naked reality. They couldn’t bribe, they couldn’t deceive any of the families. The attacks on the Death Fast started on December 12, taking a form just like those before the September 12, 1980 coup, during the Nationalist Front government. Ecevit, together with the MHP fascists, to break the Death Fast resistance attacked the families and relatives and other forces of the people supporting them. During this attack, the police and the MHP organised in the ranks of the police were the
real architect of the attacks.
It was just like the Nationalist Front times, when the fascists attacked the people together with the police. Together they destroyed the buildings and offices of the parties which are on the side of the people. These official and civilian fascist attacks went on for hours in full view of the world’s media. And here the government had the same role as in the Nationalist Front before September 12. Fascist attacks and massacres were not limited to this. Outside Turkey, in many European countries there are actions to support the Death Fasters and hunger strikes are taking place in tents; the MHP fascists abroad have attacked them. In Holland, as a result of the fascist attacks one of our supporters, Cafer Dereli, was slain.
All these attacks were on the same day, at the same time, on the order of the same fascist centres. The directives of Ecevit were carried out through these attacks. In these attacks on December 12, Ecevit wanted to divert “public opinion” from what was happening. The fascists who collaborate with imperialism have no conception of what it means to lay down and die in order to obtain rights and freedom. In these attacks the fascists want to HALT THE GROWTH OF THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION WHICH IS GROWING IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
The mass of the people resisted the attacks with the same determination shown by the prisoners who had lain down to die. Neither the government’s water cannons, nor the Rapid Reaction police pulling guns from their waistbands and waving them in the air, shouting, “When will we get to use these? When we die?”, nor the ignorant lumpens and derelicts of the MHP can break the people’s resistance. This fascist government has nothing to give the people and has no ability to form arguments that can convince the people, and it is in fear because of the people’s movement which is growing every day. During this attack, the first aim was to break the resistance of the Death Fasters, who are going on with the same determination as before.
The government, which derives its power from imperialism and its own massacres, wants to spread a wave of terror, and then silently put the prisoners in the ‘F’ Type prisons, but the strength of the resistance frustrated their calculations. Hundreds of our people have lain down to die. Dozens of revolutionaries have been killed in the prisons. But that did not make the prisoners surrender. And now there is an example of struggle such as the world has never seen before. In 1984, our prisoners gave four martyrs while resisting the violence of the 1980 military junta. In 1996, giving 12 martyrs, the
prisoners created the same legend of resistance. By overwhelming the enemy’s lies and demagogy, they have caused almost every section of the people to mock the things the government comes out with. The prisoners in the Death Fast resistance of the year 2000 have a rich inheritance of not being defeated no matter what forces were assembled against them, and of giving without counting the cost. They have created a tradition, the like of which has not been seen in world history. They have exhibited strength of conviction and resolve, the like of which has not been seen in world history.
HUNDREDS OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN HAVE LAIN DOWN TO DIE ON THE DEATH FAST.
The authorities have failed to learn a lesson from history. The government officials in question, who only pay heed to imperialism, reckoned they could break the resistance with threats and demagogy. For years they have been unrestrained in carrying out massacres, torture and disappearances, and they supposed that in this way they could frighten people into not supporting the prisoners.
While the authorities dreamed that “we have destroyed the revolutionaries, henceforth the programmes of imperialism can be implemented without much trouble, we can be a strike force of imperialism in the area”, those who lay down to die showed that they would not leave this country to be taken over by imperialism and would resist oppression against the people, and resist for a decent life for the people. Those who have lain down to die have lain down to die in all four corners of the country. All those who live in this land and love their people and country, take a look at the map of Turkey:
PRISONERS IN JAILS IN ALL FOUR CORNERS OF TURKEY HAVE LAIN DOWN TO DIE.
Previously no-one believed it. Despite experiences and the lessons of history, they thought people could be killed silently. When that proved insufficient, they tried to destroy them with threats and blackmail.
The people have slowly begun to build a barricade around those who have lain down to die in all four corners of Turkey. This barricade has grown bigger with each passing day and new barricades have been joined to it. And now this is the real fear of the authorities.
In Turkey, the people have not been destroyed. The authorities could not take and put into practice the decisions they wanted. The people have come out in support of the prisoners. If the prisoners are putting their lives in the balance, we too are being beaten with clubs, detained and arrested. Our intellectuals and artists have given support. The tired, the frightened, those afraid of torture, bullets and prison who were surrendering have started to regain their courage. The people’s support for the prisoners is growing.
A DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION MOVEMENT HAS BEGUN TO BE CREATED AROUND THOSE WHO HAVE LAIN DOWN TO DIE.
No revolutionary, no opponent of the system, nobody who wants democracy and justice can remain indifferent to the demands of those who have lain down to die or are resolved to do so in their turn. And this is exactly the point at which the authorities have deployed the fascist MHP in their plan of attack. But these attacks too have not achieved their aim. The fascist authorities did not defeat or intimidate anyone with this attack, they did not shake the determination of those who have lain down to die. Quite on the contrary: the authorities’ fascist face and concept of how to rule has been exposed, their lies and demagogy have been laid bare for all to see.
The “Grey Wolves” hand signals, the chants of “Allah Allah” by police and fascists when they are attacking the people have been shown in all their clarity to the entire world. The authorities have completely given way to the fascist MHP.
Whatever the internal contradictions in the government, it is putting in practice MHP policies and is under MHP direction. The fascist MHP’s open cooperation with the police in attacking the people and the authorities’ approval of this shows how much they feel they need MHP policies. It is legitimate to resist and raise higher the struggle against this fascist policy in every area. The demands of those who have lain down to die are the demands of the people. Their struggle is for what is right and for freedom.
Those who carry out provocations and attacks will not cause those who have lain down to die to abandon their resistance, nor will they be able to stop the people from struggling for justice and freedom. We warn the fascist gangs! If you continue to attack the people and the people’s resistance, reverting to the role you played before the September 12, 1980 military coup, you will be responsible for giving rise to a battle which will spread throughout the land.
Before September 12, you were set in motion by the orders of the CIA and the contra-guerrillas. You were used. This is why you committed thousands of murders. Now the same forces are using you again. If you continue it is quite natural that the people will defend themselves. Never forget how the September 12 generals used you and then threw you in prison when you had ceased to be useful.
We warn the authorities. Abandon your attacks and provocations. Accept the prisoners’ demands before another hour passes. Deaths are just round the corner. Those who have lain down to die are continuing to speak.
YOU CAN BE CERTAIN THAT THE VOICES OF THOSE WHO HAVE LAIN DOWN TO DIE WILL BECOME EVEN LOUDER.
Be certain that those hundreds who have lain down to die, both inside and outside the prisons, will not withdraw.
EVERYWHERE LET US RESIST THE ATTACKS OF THE FASCIST AUTHORITIES!
LET US RAISE THE STRUGGLE HIGHER WITH OUR DEATH FAST FIGHTERS!
HEROES WILL NOT DIE AND THE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!
