EUROPE'S RULERS are up in arms that the 21 per cent vote for Turkey's Welfare Party, Refat, has given the country's most popular party the chance to try to draw together a ruling coalition.
The Western rulers falsely accuse the Welfare Party of being fundamentalist. In fact the Wel. fare Party does not stand lar tradition, but alms to use Turkey's Muslim heritage against the centre-right politi. cians responsible for the country's Inflation and high unemployment.
Tansu Çiller's EU. and US. backed True Path party had deepened the genocidal war against the Kurdish nation, provoked a mass strike wave with deep austerity measures, and led Turkey into customs union with the European Union.
Turkey's high taxes on imports were a major source of funding for social welfare provision. By failing to replace Import taxes with more progressive forms of taxation — such as taxes on very high incomes or on profits — Turkey's customs union is a reactionary cover for steep cuts in state spending. A significant number of workers who rejected its Islamicist stance voted for the Welfare Party rather than for the identical rightist parties Welfare Party candidates almed to root themselves in their communities: campaigning against corruption, for clean Flanked by Kahl and Major, TansuÇiller takes an odoring loak ot the NATO headquarters: Welfore Party threatens withdrawal streets, cheap bread, tram lines and the closure of brothels. They branded the centre-right parties which backed the customs union as "supported by big banks, big inter. ests." Financed by Saudi Arabia's rulers, the Wolfare Party is not an ally of lurkIsh workers and peasants. Yet a significant number of working people who reject its Islamicist stance voted for it rather than for the rightist parties.
Its high vote reflects how, in the absence of a consistent workers' party, the oppressed and exploited will take up any tool to hand in the fight against Can cause austerly.
The Turkish bosses may attempt to prevent the Welfare Party from forming a coalition - possibly by military means. Working people around the world should oppose any such space for political discussion and struggle.