Press Release 20 European Communist Youth Orga- the Revolution, is bringing hope to our nizations have gathered on the 103rd struggle. anniversary of the Great October Soci- Communist Youth Organizations alist Revolution at the “Online Meeting around Europe are struggling against of European Communist Youth Orga- anti-people policies that governments nizations to Share Experiences” and adopted after the outburst of the exchanged their experiences about the pandemic and denouncing all of the struggle of the youth during the CO- attacks that are being made with the VID-19 pandemic. excuse of the pandemic to aggravate Since the outbreak of the pandemic, exploitation. They reject the impas- working people all around the world se imposed to the working class and are envisaging numerous attacks aga- youth: Working under poor sanitary inst their rights. Their right to health- conditions or starving within the ranks care is getting vandalized by capitalist of the unemployed. They demand governments who are promoting pri- that the state budget is used for the vate health industry instead of public contemporary needs of the working healthcare. Their right to education people but not for saving or further is underestimated because of policies enriching the capitalist monopolies. that lack planning, work in favor of They call upon the youth to rise up private education as an economic sec- against the bourgeois efforts to put tor and dedicate insufficient funds for the burden of the economic capitalist public schools. Their rights to housing, crisis on the shoulders of the working culture, and sports are also facing class. similar attacks. These problems are On the anniversary of the October not new and are not initiated by the Revolution and in the middle of a COVID-19. As they had already reac- fierce pandemic, while competition hed a serious extent, the role that the among imperialists is getting deeper pandemic played has been to expose and deeper, the undersigned European them even more clearly. Communist Youth Organizations will While capitalist countries failed to de- strengthen their solidarity and stand liver the necessities for a humane and still in their determination that the healthy life to their people, the great only path to carry humanity away success of Cuba, a country under USA from today’s economic and health cri- blockage for almost 62 years since sis is socialism. 2 Signatures: 1. Young Socialists of the Socialist Workers’ Party of Croatia 2. United Democratic Youth Organisation, EDON 3. Communist Youth Union, KSM 4. Movement of Young Communists of France 5. Socialist German Workers Youth, SDAJ 6. Young Communist League of Britain 7. Communist Youth of Greece, KNE 8. Connolly Youth Movement, CYM 9. Front of Communist Youth, FGC 10. Communist Youth Movement, CJB 11. Portuguese Communist Youth, JCP 12. Union of Socialist Youth, UTS 13. Leninist Communist Youth Union of Russian Federation, LKSM RF 14. Revolutionary Communist Youth League (Bolsheviks), RKSMb 15. Young Communist League of Yugoslavia, SKOJ 16. SpainCollectives of Young Communists, CJC 17. Communist Youth Union of Spain, UJCE 18. Communist Youth of Catalonia, JCC 19. Communist Youth of Turkey, TKG 20. Communist Youth of Austria, KJÖ 3 Communist Youth of Turkey - TKG Especially after these eight months. Dear comrades, With the pandemic, world went th- rough a period, which can be sum- We would like to thank you for your marized as “unequal results of an participation and contributions. We are unequal system”. Since no one is able already pleased with the results of the to predict such crises, there is a clear meeting and learnt so much from all need of organization and preparation of the experiences. beforehand to overcome them. Un- We would like to begin with the cur- fortunately, unlike bourgeoisie, the rent situation in Turkey. As you know, working class was not sufficiently last week a deadly earthquake hap- organized and equipped to face the pened in İzmir, near the Aegean shore crisis. With the outbreak of the pan- of Turkey. Once again, we witnessed demic, on every land of the planet, the inability of capitalism to utilize its we witnessed a great attack against forces during a humanitarian crisis. A the working class. The ability to reach system which organizes itself only to healthcare services, the right to work preserve the interests of the bour- under safe conditions, those basic ri- geoisie fails to help people on every ghts have already become “privileges” example. Just after the earthquake, for the proletariat, but on the top of district organization of TKP and TKG that, capitalism added new blows to were the only forces who were able to the working people. In Turkey, like organize a solidarity campaign urgent- everywhere else, unemployment ra- ly and start to help people systema- ised rapidly. The AKP government tically. Compared with the state’s or immediately started to strengthen the municipality’s financial power, humble already-existing tendencies of inc- forces of TKG proved to be much more reasing the rates of exploitation and efficient. During an interview of big utilizing the extraordinary situation media channel, a neighborhood resi- as a means of legitimization for these dent put the word, “If the TKP wasn’t attacks against the working class. On here during this time, people would the one hand, workers were forced to have starved to death.” work under deteriorating conditions, crowded workplaces with inadequate Dear comrades, this is only a single COVID prevention measures. On the example to illustrate the situation other, they had to struggle against here. For us, it cannot be solely exp- decreasing wages and new legal-finan- lained as the success of TKG. This cial favors for employers. should also be assessed as the posi- tive reflection of communism in the Comrades, we believe the conditions eyes of the people. Despite the atta- of the youth cannot be separated from cks of the ruling ideology, the ideas the consequences of those attacks. and values of socialism are still right- The situation mentioned above affe- ful and legitimate. Solidarity, coopera- cted also youth, possibly even more tion, to help those in need, those va- harshly. One out of three university lues are associated with communists. graduates in Turkey cannot find a job, 4 and the rest feel lucky if they start elements for our future, for the re- to work for minimum wage. Youn- volution. While this day remarks the gsters who are working from their anniversary of the Great October home also face with obstacles, be- Revolution, we should not forget that cause the companies ceased to as- the way we pave consists a complex sume the responsibility of paying for process, with ups and downs. Despite the transportation and meals of the harsh conditions, we should seek the employees, cutting down various cost opportunities for a world freed of items of the workplace and transfer- exploitation and inequality. Just like ring these costs on the shoulders of 103 years ago, world is going throu- the workers who have to heat their gh a unique period. While conditions homes or spend electricity out of have changed to a large extend, we their own pockets. know that the basic contradiction preserves itself as it is. But we should also focus on the po- litical results of the situation. In our We would like to finish with some opinion, even though general picture examples of our works during this seems heavy and bitter, positive as- period, which we have done with the pects can be drawn from it. Firstly, mentioned motives. the legitimacy of capitalism has been After the announcement of pandemic, heavily damaged in the eyes of the TKG immediately utilized all of its youth and the people. In Turkey, force to use new methods that are curfews are held at the weekend suitable for new conditions. Correla- while workers still had to go work ted with TKP’s Health Organization’s on the workdays. Such absurdness advices, preventive measures to pro- cannot be explained as “measures tect our comrades and friends were for pandemic”. Secondly, the bour- urgently put into action. Following geois state revealed its essence with the closure of schools and universi- various examples. According to the ties, many students had to go back data announced by the Ministry of to their hometowns. We enrolled in Family, Labour and Social Services, weekly online educational activities the total amount of aid provided by and discussions to keep the commu- the Turkish government under the nication between members and frien- name of ‘‘unpaid leave’’, ‘‘short-time ds. The broadcasts of online Socialism work allowance’’ and ‘‘social relief’’ Classes helped TKG in meeting nume- is only above 11 billion Turkish liras, rous youngsters and in organizing the while the total amount of the stimu- enthusiasm towards TKG. Demands lation package for employers that for proper education and exams were the government announced was 522 prominent, as the education system billion Turkish liras. The big portion of of Turkey failed to cover the needs of governmental support was addressing students on a remote basis. In addi- companies and bosses. tion, with the beginning of new edu- Dear comrades, we believe those cation year, a petition campaign was two points also indicate important also launched with the demands such 5 as free access to internet services and raises in scholarships. Dear comrades, we have a long road ahead of us, which is full of struggles and challenges. But we believe toget- her, hand in hand, we shall overcome all of them. The world and the youth have once again seen that this system offers neither future nor living for us. With the light of our glorious past, with the experiences from the Great October Revolution, we have no dou- bt that we will create the world that workers dream and deserve.