Kemal Okuyan, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), gave a speech at May 1 demonstration in İstanbul. Noting that celebrating May 1 without a determination to change this social order is hypocrisy, Okuyan said, "Our path belongs to the march of the working class to political power since the 1850s."
"We are celebrating May 1, and yet what we are celebrating is not a festival but a determination of the working class to change this social order," he underlined.
Stressing that the right to change this social order and lead a revolution is a solemn and distinct right of the working class, Okuyan added: "We can never settle for the less!"
"WE ARE CELEBRATING MAY 1 BECAUSE THIS SOCIAL ORDER WILL CHANGE"
Okuyan continued his speech saying, " Celebrating May 1 without a determination to change this social order, the order of exploitation, is hypocrisy. We are not a hypocritical party. We celebrate May 1, and then advocate the continuation of this system. Is it possible? We celebrate May 1, and then advocate privatisation of education and health services. We celebrate May 1, and then not demand right to housing, labour, food, heating and public transportation. No way!"
"We will celebrate May 1 because this social order will change. The working class said this 150 years ago, and they are saying this now as well. Long live May 1," he said.
Okuyan noted "on May 1, 2018, the ones who say 'down with capitalism, long live socialism" are going to win in Turkey, Cuba, the US, Greece and India."
He also talked about the June 24 elections in his speech, saying that they will cast invalid ballots in presidential elections since "all those candidates are the ones who usurped the right of the working class to change this social order. We will never let them usurp this right." Okuyan called on the people to cast invalid ballots by stamping on all candidates in June 24 presidential elections, and to vote for independent candidates saying "This social order must change" in parliamentary elections.
Okuyan concluded his speech saying "Long live our struggle for the revolution, for socialism. Long live revolution, socialism and the Communist Party of Turkey."
