Statement No: 2025/4
Against War, Exploitation and Fascism:
Workers, Rise Up! Peoples, Resist!
The imperialist-capitalist system is in the midst of one of the deepest crises in its history. The capitalist mode of production’s quest for continuity is leading, on the one hand, to growing social inequalities in imperialist countries and, on the other hand, to the deepening of brutal exploitation policies in colonial and semi-colonial countries. From the US to Germany, from Russia to China, the major imperialist powers are embroiled in a vortex of economic, political, and military hegemonic wars. The stagnation of capital accumulation, the shrinkage of markets and overproduction are sharpening the internal contradictions of the system. These contradictions are weaving the bloody ground for a new world order behind the facade of temporary “stability.”
The trade wars between imperialist powers, which have escalated with D. Trump’s announcement of new custom tariffs, are heightening tensions between imperialist blocs. The high tariffs imposed by the US on China and the economic strategies developed by China in response are developments that threaten to shake global supply chains and disrupt the world economy. This situation, of course, primarily and especially affects the working class in colonial and semi-colonial countries.
As we have been saying for a long time, the proxy wars taking shape in Ukraine, Palestine, Syria, etc., are only the beginning of the growing threat of war worldwide. NATO’s expansionist moves, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in response, China’s rise in the Pacific and increasingly across the world, the redrawing of the Middle East… All these developments indicate that tensions between imperialist camps are escalating into hot conflicts. This process, reminiscent of certain developments prior to the First and Second Imperialist World Wars, is confronting the peoples of the world with the danger of a new world war. The imperialist blocs, to resolve their own crises, offer the peoples nothing but death and destruction.
The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East continue to have devastating consequences for the peoples of the region. In Yemen, attacks carried out by the US, UK, and Israel are threatening the lives of civilians. While the number of people who have lost their lives as a result of Israel’s attacks on Gaza has exceeded 50,000, increasing tensions with Iran are further deepening instability in the region. These conflicts are shaped by the interests of imperialist powers and are exacerbating the suffering and losses of the peoples of the Middle East.
The global arms race is another dimension of imperialist competition. The US continues to lead the way in arms exports, accounting for 43% of global arms exports, while European countries are also increasing their arms imports and joining the race. All this arms race is being carried out at the expense of the further impoverishment of the oppressed masses of the working class, the restriction of their wages, the closure of factories, the rapid growth of unemployment, and the elimination of social services.
Racism and xenophobia are being systematically promoted in many countries as one of the most dangerous responses to the crisis of the imperialist-capitalist system. In European countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, anti-immigrant parties—such as the AfD, RN, PVV, and Meloni’s party—are achieving electoral successes and gaining enough power to influence government policies. In Germany, racist and Islamophobic attacks increased by 22% throughout 2023, and arson attacks on refugee shelters have returned to the headlines. In France, the “immigration law” that came into force at the beginning of 2024 has severely restricted the residence and social assistance rights of many immigrants.
In the US, not only Donald Trump’s but also Joe Biden’s administration’s immigration policies continue along a line that criminalizes Latin American workers. Anti-immigrant laws implemented in states like Florida and Texas are increasing police violence and deportation threats, making systemic racism even more visible. For all these reasons, May 1, 2025, is a day to raise the banner not only of economic demands but also of the anti-imperialist struggle.
The Working Class in the Shadow of War, Armament, and Racism
The working class stands at a historic crossroads on a global scale. Class inequalities, which have become even more visible with the pandemic, have condemned millions of workers to poverty and insecurity. Technological developments, automation, and digitalization are being used by capital to deepen its mechanisms of exploitation, while union busting, subcontracting, and flexible working models are being employed to dismantle the organized power of the working class. However, the rising wave of strikes around the world shows that workers will not submit to these attacks. From France to South Korea, from Argentina to Kenya, the worker movement is taking to the streets at various levels.
People are also surrounded by a similar chain of exploitation and oppression. The Right of Nations to Self-Determination is systematically violated by imperialists; migrants, women, youth, and oppressed peoples are under multifaceted attacks at both the economic and cultural levels. These conditions highlight the historical necessity of forming a united people’s front and establishing a common ground for the struggle of workers and the oppressed. The unification of fragmented resistance into a united revolutionary line is not only the task of today but also of the future.
In this context, May 1 is not merely a day of remembrance but a call to struggle for the revival of revolutionary organizing, united class struggle, and internationalist solidarity among peoples. This world, caught in the vortex of crisis and war, can only be changed through the joint intervention of the organized peoples under the leadership of the working class. Enlarging the goal of a world without borders, classes, or exploitation in the face of the decaying structure of capitalism is not only a task but a matter of existence on this May 1st.
The bill for all these developments is being footed by the working class and oppressed peoples. Imperialist policies are deepening economic crises, cutting social rights, and making living conditions more difficult. Therefore, May 1, 2025, is not just a day of remembrance, but also a day when the united and organized struggle against the imperialist system must be raised under the leadership of the working class.
The Deepening of the Fascist Regime in Turkey and the Siege of the Working Class
In Turkey, the working class and oppressed peoples are confronted not only with the capitalist system of exploitation but also with an institutionalized fascist dictatorship. This regime of oppression, carried out by the AKP-MHP government, has restructured all state institutions in line with the interests of the capitalist class. While unionization, strikes, press freedom, and the right of the masses to protest are systematically suppressed, the working class is being disorganized, and all forms of opposition to the AKP-MHP regime are being crushed with brutal terror.
The policies of the fascist dictatorship are not limited to repressive mechanisms. At the same time, hostility between peoples is being fueled in order to cover up the real issues. Under the name of “Turkey without terrorism,” the policy of annihilation and denial against the Kurdish people continues; trustees are appointed to municipalities, and elected representatives are sent to prisons. Women, LGBT+ people, migrants, and Alevis face systematic discrimination. Every component of social opposition is either criminalized or threatened by security policies. With the institutionalization of fascist ideology, social polarization has become a state policy, and the people are being governed by hostilities developped among it.
In foreign policy, the Turkish state, a loyal member of NATO, has increasingly lost its ability to maneuver between imperialist powers, but continues to assert both its claim to power and its ambition to be a regional power. The discourse of “multilateral diplomacy,” which is still being voiced, albeit in a low voice, is in fact aimed at both strengthening Turkey’s position within the imperialist camp led by the US and Britain and covering up the crises in internal politics. Military activities carried out in many regions, from Libya to Syria, from the Caucasus to Africa, are being conducted at the expense of the people, who are burdened with economic and political costs. The Turkish state is an accomplice to the wars and occupations in the Middle East.
In this environment of oppression and attack, the working class in Turkey is facing historical levels of impoverishment. Even the manipulative data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) cannot hide this reality: annual increases in food prices are over 80%. The minimum wage has fallen below the poverty line. According to a report published by DİSK at the beginning of 2025, one in four workers lives below the poverty line. Real wages have fallen by 35% compared to 2021. Rents exceed 60% of average wages, while the number of people with credit debt has reached 40 million.
High inflation and rising poverty have severely lowered the living standards of the population. Despite the government’s increase in social assistance spending, the real value of this assistance has been eroded by inflation, leaving approximately 20 million people dependent on social assistance. Additionally, while the official unemployment rate stands at 8.6%, the increase in the number of people who have given up looking for work indicates that the actual unemployment rate is higher.
The arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025, amid conflicts between bourgeois cliques, and the subsequent protests, exposed the government’s intolerant stance toward all forms of opposition. This incident also had a negative impact on economic markets, with the Turkish lira losing value and the Istanbul Stock Exchange experiencing a 9% decline.
Women and migrant workers in Turkey bear the heaviest burden of capitalist exploitation. As of 2024, 30.8% of women work in the informal sector, and 3.248 million women struggle to survive without social security. 31.5% of women are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Migrants and refugees, numbering over 4 million, constitute one of the most vulnerable and heavily exploited segments of the capitalist system. Syrian, Afghan, Turkmen, Uzbek, Pakistani, and African migrants are employed in unregistered, low-wage, and uninsured jobs. According to joint reports by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and local unions, over 90% of migrants are excluded from the social security system. Migrant labor constitutes a significant portion of the workforce in sectors such as construction, textiles, agriculture, and services, where wages for local workers are also suppressed. The bourgeoisie exploits cheap migrant labor to maximize profits while pitting local workers against migrants, thereby deepening class divisions.
The picture we have painted from several angles is not merely an economic crisis but a systematic war waged against the working class. The AKP-MHP regime is dragging millions into poverty, insecurity, and despair in order to protect the interests of a handful of comprador bourgeoisie and their imperialist masters.
Under these conditions, the task of the Turkish working class is not merely to defend its economic rights, but to build a united class struggle that will overthrow this fascist regime. Without a united resistance front with the Kurdish people, women, youth, and all oppressed social sections, neither a humane life nor the overthrow of the exploitative order will be possible.
May 1st must be the day when this struggle is intensified and the walls of fear are shattered. It is time for a united struggle, with the belief that an organized people will defeat fascism in every factory, every neighborhood, and every school.
Long live May 1st!
Long live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism!
Long live proletarian internationalism!
TKP-ML Central Committee
April 2025
Arabic: https://www.tkpml.com/في-مواجهة-الحرب-والاستعمار-والفاشية-ا/?swcfpc=1
