Protests as Obama Leaves Turkey

On Tuesday (7 March), around 300 people gathered in front of the Galatasaray Highschool in Beyoğlu, central Istanbul, to protest against the new US President Barack Obama, who had arrived in Turkey on Sunday and left on Tuesday.

"Blood on your hands, too"

The protesters held a large placard reading, “Obama, new president of the American imperialism that is the enemy of the world’s people, your hands are also bloody. Get out of our country.”

The group sang a revolutionary march and then walked along the pedestrian Istiklal Street, shouting slogans such as “Bloody-handed Obama, get out of our country”, “Murderer USA, collaborator State Security Council”,  and “Yankee go home.”

At Taksim Square, protest representative Demet Şahin read a press statement, saying that Obama was welcomed with red carpets by collaborators in every country, but with shouts of “Get out murderer” by the oppressed people. “All those who have sat in the US President’s chair have caused blood to flow wherever they have walked.”

Şahin pointed out the increasing anger and hatred against US imperialism. “There is a basis for this hatred. There are bloody foot prints in Vietnam, Latin America, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia.”

"Dirty bargains"

Şahin added that Obama had come to Turkey in order to negotiate:

“What kind of dirty negotiating is taking place behind closed doors…They cannot say. But we know that they are bargaining over Turkish soldiers and the soil of our country, both of which are cheap.”

Referring to suggestions that Obama had come to Turkey with a plan to solve the Kurdish question, Şahin said, “How can those who tried to destroy Kurds with chemical weapons and counter-guerilla organisations, who rejected their identity and language, speak of a solution?”

Following the press statement, the crowd snag more marches and shouted anti-imperialist and anti-NATO slogans.

Among those participating in the protest were the Independent Revolutionary Socialist Party (BDSP), The Call (Çağrı), the Association of Contemporary Lawyers (ÇHD), the Labour Movement Party (EHP), the Socialist Platform for the Oppressed (ESP), the People’s Front, People’s Houses (Halkevleri), Lever (Kaldıraç), Marxist Outlook, ODAK, Partizan, the Socialist Party and the Tekstil-Sen trade union of textile workers. (BÇ/AG)