Initiative against the NATO summit in Istanbul

Committees Against Occupation
25 février 2004

Initiative against the NATO summit in Istanbul

Committees Against Occupation - Turkey

We patriots having signatures below are against the NATO summit in June to be held in İstanbul. The AKP (Justice and Development Party) government should give up its enthusiasm about Turkey's hostage for this illegitimate summit, and should know that Bush and other imperialist leaders as well as the NATO generals will be definitely not welcomed by our people.

Here are the reasons for our signatures:

• During the summit, leaders of many imperialist countries, including the US President Bush, will come to our country. These people bear the political and human responsibility of the occupation still continuing in Iraq, and we do not want to see murderers in our country.
  
• During the summit, NATO's expansion process will be reviewed and significant decisions will be taken. Despite the fact that the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact dissolved more than ten years ago, NATO, apart from dissolving, is being further fortified. We do not want expansion of the bloody-handed organisation of the imperialist countries and execution in Turkey of regarding discussions.
  
• During the summit, establishment of another imperialist organisation, the European Army, will be considered as well. The European Army threatens the people of our country as it does many other peoples. Besides NATO, we do not want the European Army, too.
  
• During the summit, many squares, streets and roads in İstanbul will be closed to the residents of İstanbul, and the most fundamental liberties will be restricted with the pretext of ‘struggle against terrorism'. We do not want to be once more humiliated in our own country just for the comfort of the leaders of imperialist countries, the chief enemies of liberties.
  
• During the summit, how the resistance of labour organisations will be weakened and how broad masses will be pacified vis-à-vis the increasing assaults of the capitalist class will also be considered. NATO displays activities for the continuity of exploitation, for the subversion of billions of people who suffer poverty, unemployment and starvation to the existing world order. We do not want these activities to be planned in İstanbul.
  
• During the summit, the new strategy of the occupational forces will also be handled. The resistance, each day getting more and more powerful, has forced the US imperialism into new methods and policies. We do not want İstanbul to be the city in which these methods and policies will be detailed.
  
• During the summit, endeavours for Turkey's military deployment to Afghanistan will also be concluded. Turkey's military expedition to Iraq could not be accomplished due to reactions in the public opinion and objections of various political sections in Iraq. Now there is the agenda of military deployment of thousands of soldiers to Afghanistan, a country, again, occupied by the USA. We want neither military deployment nor a meeting with this agenda.
  
• During the summit, our country will be invaded by the agents of imperialist intelligence organisations, the primary one being the CIA. In the past, before and after such meetings, numerous operations were carried out with the guidance of foreign intelligence organisations, and many people were murdered or taken into custody. Intelligence agencies exploit such meetings for subversive actions. We do not want imperialist agents in our streets.

İSTANBUL IS CLOSING ITS DOORS TO NATO

COMMITTEES AGAINST OCCUPATION