Politics Service
The first phase of the marches launched nationwide by the LEFT Party in September was completed with the Labour, Nature and Freedom rally held in the Kemalpaşa district of Artvin.
The march, which began at the Halvaşi bridge with hundreds of people participating, continued with speeches made in Kemalpaşa square.
Throughout the march, slogans such as ‘This country and its people are not for sale’ and ‘There is no other way, this reign will end’ were chanted, while workers dismissed from their jobs at the Şavşat Municipality marched with their own banners. Ali Şükrü Kibar, brother of Reşit Kibar, who was killed while defending nature, also spoke at the march.
The marches launched by the LEFT Party in Zonguldak and Trabzon in September, ahead of its congress on 5 October, ended in Artvin Kemalpaşa. The rally held after the march emphasised ‘Labour, Nature and Freedom’. The marches took place in Zonguldak, Trabzon Tonya, Ankara, İstanbul, Kırklareli and Manisa.
The rally, attended by LEFT Party Executive Committee Member Alper Taş, began with a speech by District Chairman Müslüm Akbıyık. In his speech, Akbıyık said, “We are going through the darkest period in the history of the Republic. The one-man regime is dragging our country into collapse. The parliamentary system is being rendered ineffective. The judiciary is practically under the thumb of the regime. Democracy is being turned into a sham. The people are fighting for survival against corruption, unemployment and injustice. Tea, our source of livelihood, is being abandoned in the name of protecting capital companies.”
In his speech, Akbıyık commemorated Metin Lokumcu and Reşit Kibar, who were killed while defending their living spaces, saying, “We will no longer remain silent! Our living spaces are not for sale. We will protect our nature and our future.”
FOUR RALLIES IN THE BLACK SEA REGION
Alper Taş, member of the LEFT Party’s Central Executive Committee, recalled the marches held at different points in the Black Sea region throughout the summer, saying, “We were in Şavşat on 23 July, in Beşikdüzü on 31 July, in Tonya on 13 September, and today, 1 October, we are in Kemalpaşa. I would like to mention the names of two people in particular, who are not with us now but whom we hold deep in our hearts. Because we have lost many friends. The poet says, “Count us with your dead”. With our dead… I cannot name them all. But here, greetings to Alaattin Demirci, greetings to Metin Lokumcu. Rest in peace, sleep in peace, friends,” he said.
“There were those who gathered in these squares before us,” he said, referring to Turkey’s revolutionary struggle history. “We are on land that began in the 60s, peaked in the 70s, and was suppressed by the 12 September military junta in the 80s, but still did not surrender, still stood firm, and still has not given up resisting this 23-year AKP regime and has not surrendered,” said Taş, adding:
“There are those who came before us on this land. There is a path that has been walked. We salute all our revolutionary comrades here, everywhere and in every square, especially in Artvin, who chose to resist rather than surrender to the 12 September junta when it came, and who took up the line of resistance in the mountains and hills.”
“They did not sacrifice their lives for positions, property, or possessions,” said Taş, continuing his speech: “We strive to repeat this everywhere. Because we do not forget them. We do not forget their ideas and dreams. On our journey towards a country of freedom and solidarity through revolutionary means, I greet all my comrades in the Left Party and all party members with love and respect.”
‘WE WILL WIN BY RESISTING’
Speaking at the rally, Ayça Demirci, a worker at Şavşat Municipality, stated that they had been resisting for 42 days, saying, “All institutions are in the hands of the AK Party. They have turned all institutions into fortresses. We cannot move anywhere. We know we will win our case. We will win by resisting.”
Ali Şükrü Kibar, brother of Reşit Kibar, also stated that the struggle in Cankurtaran has been ongoing for over 15 years. Kibar called for a united struggle, saying:
“Today, we say ‘labour, nature, life’. My brother was the strongest, most supportive person in the village, the one who stood up for these living spaces, the biggest supporter of the youth. We cannot say “we have won”, but we have not lost either, because we will not lose. We will fight, we will resist, not with their methods of fighting, but with the unity here in this square. There are different politics, different people among us; there are different parties, just like here. If we unite in all areas of life, nothing will be lost, be assured of that. That’s why I keep saying it everywhere; say it here too: if we unite, we exist; if we don’t unite, we will cease to exist, dear friends. We are not afraid of them. We will continue the struggle to the end.”
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Tek adam saltanatı bitecek, published in BirGün newspaper on October 2, 2025.
