FREEDOM TO GRUP YORUM AND MUSTAFE KOCHAKU!

To the President of the Republic of Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdogan

To the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Turkey

To the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Turkey



APPEAL

Executive Committee and Political Council

Single international anti-imperialist

anti-fascist front (EMAAF)



On the support of the Turkish revolutionary music group Grup Yorum and the communist Mustafa Kochak



For many years, the persecution of communists, as well as democratic and progressive figures: human rights activists, lawyers, artists, musicians, students, workers, who oppose the oppression of world imperialism, against the reactionary policies of the Turkish government, in defense of democratic rights and freedom of the people of Turkey.

One of the irreconcilable fighters against imperialism and reactionary policies of the Turkish government is the revolutionary music group Grup Yorum, created in 1985 after the fascist coup on September 12, 1980.

Grup Yorum is the voice of the oppressed people of Turkey and other oppressed peoples of the world. For 35 years, Grup Yorum has been singing about the disasters and sufferings of peoples, about their oppression and exploitation, about the aggression of world, primarily American, imperialism against the peoples of the world, about the struggle of peoples for their freedom and independence, about the struggle against fascism for socialism.

Grup Yorum constantly takes part in protests and rallies organized by workers, peasants, students and high school students across the country. The group travels around the country, performing songs for the people, drawing strength and creative spirit from the people.

Throughout the 35 years of their work, members of Grup Yorum have been persecuted for singing the truth about the life of ordinary people. During this time, 400 members of Grup Yorum were arrested, many musicians were tortured, more than 400 lawsuits were brought against them, 170 concerts of Grup Yorum were banned in Turkey.

Since the declaration of the state of emergency in Turkey in the summer of 2016, the repression of the Turkish government against Grup Yorum has intensified. All Grup Yorum concerts in Turkey were banned, musicians were arrested, charges were brought against them without evidence, police regularly raided their Idil cultural center in Istanbul, during which musical instruments were broken and books were torn.

In February 2018, 6 members of Grup Yorum were put on the wanted list, and remuneration in the amount of 300,000 Turkish liras (about $ 48,000) was announced for their heads.

In the summer of 2019, three imprisoned Grup Yorum musicians, Helin Bölek, Ibrahim Goekcek and Bahar Kurt, went on an indefinite hunger strike to protest the persecution of Grup Yorum and unfair trials of the musicians. In November 2019, Helin Bölek and Bahar Kurt were released after the trial, but continued their hunger strike (Bahar Kurt recently suspended her hunger strike). In February, for health reasons, Ibrahim Goekcek was released, who also continued to head free.

Helin Bölek and Ibrahim Goekcek have been starving for more than 250 days. Now they are on a hunger strike to death, which means that either their demands will be accepted or they will die. Musicians demand the release of all members of Grup Yorum who are still in prison, and the termination of cases against them, the termination of police raids on the Idil Cultural Center, the exclusion of 6 members of Grup Yorum from the wanted list, and the lifting of all bans on Grup Yorum concerts in Turkey.

Another fighter against fascism and imperialism is the Turkish communist Mustafa Kochak, who was unfairly accused of providing weapons to attack prosecutor Mehmed Selim in 2015 and illegally sentenced to life imprisonment. The verdict was issued on the basis of false testimony of a police informant; no other evidence was brought against Mustafa Kochak's guilt.

In protest against an illegal court and an unfair sentence, as well as against specialized courts conducting political trials, against torture used by the police, against laws encouraging police informants, Mustafa Kochak began a hunger strike on July 3, 2019, which he subsequently went on a hunger strike until of death. Mustafa Kochak has been on hunger strike for more than 240 days.

Hunger strike is one of the important and sometimes inevitable means of combating repressive state policy in Turkey. But this tool is often very expensive for those who use it.

The health status of Helin Bölek, Ibrahim Goekcek and Mustafa Kochak is very serious and worsens every hour.

Executive Committee and Political Council of the United International Anti-Imperialist Anti-Fascist Front

- express solidarity with the people of Turkey fighting against fascism and imperialism;

- recognize the claims of Helin Bölek, Ibrahim Goekcek and Mustafa Kochak

- and consider that these requirements should be immediately satisfied
Turkish authorities.

FREEDOM GRUP YORUM AND MUSTAFE KOCHAKU!

            A.E. Gigova, Chairman of the Executive Board of the EMAAF

              B. B. Zelikov, Chairman of the Political Council of the EMAAF

N.V. Sablina, member of the Political Council of the EMAAF



EMAAF Headquarters,

Varna city (Bulgaria),

02/29/2020