Fighting for unity on Turkish solidarit

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THE letter from Jim Moody (SO 99) on behalf of the Committee for the Defence of Democratic Rights in Turkey taking issue with Dogan Tarkan's recent interview SO 99) needs a reply.

Though the Turkey Solidarity Campaign is not mentioned, since we were the main organisers of the successful fight against Dogan's deportation it is possible for us to say something about the 'distortions' of which he is accused.

On the question of CDDRT being notified about initiatives organised by Dogan's defence campaign. The picket of Downing Street was part of a Week of Action leading up to the first anniversary of the military coup; the programme of activities was announced at a press conference on August 1, to which the CDDRT were invited.

Requested They were later circulated with details. Regrettably, CDDRT as an organisation failed to support that or any other of our activities.

But at a rally held after the picket, with CDDRT supporters present Dogan spoke from the platform and strongly argued for the CDDRT to give their support to his struggle.

The following day came the CDDRT rally referred to •by Dogan where the question of his speaking arose. It is not true that nobody from CDDRT was informed. I personally approached a leading CDDRT organiser, a person who had been acting for them in joint TSC/CDDRT discussions for many months and requested that Dogan speak.

Category This was refused. If Jim Moody still disputes this, perhaps he might also explain why TSC supporters who were in the hall getting signatures for Dogan's petition, were obstructed from doing so by stewards.

He might also let us know of a single thing actually done by CDDRT to assist Dogan's campaign.

The failure of CDDRT to join with us and work together on this or indeed any other campaign is a real problem which TSC has consistently done all it can to overcome.

But the difficulties are compounded by Jim Moody's version of events at their conference on December 12 where the issue of TSC/CDDRT unity was proposed by the delegates supporting the IsC.

It is worth pointing out that, as with the June 1981 congress to which Jim Moody refers, the TSC was not only not informed that the December 12 conference was taking place, but we vere actually relused the right to attend since TSC was not regarded as falling into the category of 'democratic progressive organisations' to which the conference was open.

Nevertheless, many TSC members attended as delegates from a number of bodies, primarily to support a lengthy motion they had submitted calling for unity around a series of practical activities.

It is right to say there was 'free and open discussion': but what Jim Moody fails to mention is that a counter resolution to that moved. by TSC was then introduced by CDDRT's main Turkish supporters which took up practically all the points in the original but omitted any reference to unity.

"Unanimity"

It was this which Dogan was referring to as an example of divisiveness. TSC members, having failed to restore the resolution's call for a united solidarity campaign, nonetheless did not oppose the final conference statement since we give support to all actions designed to further opposition to the Turkish dictatorship, whether based on the need for unity or not.

This accounts for the 'unanimity' that Jim Moody makes so much of. TSC has subsequently taken up campaign for the CDDRT's forthcoming Week of Action.

I hope this clarifies some of the things raised by the CDDRT's letter; it would take very much more of your space to deal with other, more general issues which account for the existence of two separate solidarity organisations.

If nothing else, I hope it has shown beyond doubt that TSC is fully in favour of maximum unity. As you know the TSC is organising a major Speakers Tour of Turkish trade unionists at the end of March and early April.

We would very much welcome the full support of CDDRT in this. Perhaps Jim Moody would like to make use of your columns to tell us if CDDRT intend to support it.

Yours fraternally, PAT LALLY for TSC Secretariat