Solidarity with the Revolutionary Socialists in Turkey

Written by: ICOR on 12 March 2026

(Source: Instagram youngstruggle_europe )

The International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organisations (ICOR) has taken up the case of the latest victims of repression inside Turkey. We reprint a call from ICOR for solidarity with the arrested activists - eds

On February 3, 2025, the Turkish state carried out a large-scale wave of arrests targeting numerous revolutionary forces. Among those arrested were representatives of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), the Limter-Is Port Workers’ Union, the Central Workers’ Movement (BIH), the Beksav Cultural Center, the environmental organization Polen Ekoloji, the youth organization SGDF, and journalists from the ETHA news agency. A total of 82 people were taken into custody. This state attack is yet another attempt to silence antifascist and revolutionary forces in Turkey and suppress resistance against the fascist regime under the AKP and MHP.

What is particularly striking is the fact that while the state is negotiating with Abdullah Öcalan for the disarmament of the Kurdish movement, with no substantial progress made in the national question or democratic reforms, the repression against antifascist forces, even the bourgeois opposition, continues to escalate. A particularly notable example is the persecution of Istanbul's opposition CHP mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, whose arrest in March 2025 led to large scale mass mobilizations.

The repression against the ESP, which has positioned itself critically towards the current political process and is actively mobilizing against the NATO summit in Ankara in July 2025, is meant to serve as a warning to any antifascist and anti-imperialist forces in the country. Despite the repressive measures, the comrades of the ESP have shown their militant stance and moral strength in court as they resisted fascist pressures.

These arrests and persecutions are just the beginning of a series of repressive measures that will be taken against all antifascist forces and political resistance in the country. A new generation of fascist jurists is already in office, with the new Minister of Justice, Akin Gürlek, acting strictly according to political orders and already planning significant restrictions on the rights of lawyers.

While the AKP once faced the threat of being banned as a party and vehemently opposed such repression at times, it now seeks to de facto eliminate any parties that oppose the fascism.

Worldwide, repression against revolutionary and antifascist forces is growing, accompanied by the rise of fascism and the threat of imperialist wars. Reports of similar repressive measures are emerging from countries such as Cameroon, India, and Nepal. In light of this international development, international solidarity becomes even more important. The experiences of resistance and international solidarity are invaluable, and we must build upon them.

In this critical situation, ICOR is calling for a comprehensive solidarity campaign for the revolutionary socialists in Turkey.

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