[standing above all social classes as an arbiter…]

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standing above all social classes as an arbiter - with sword in hand.

The junta met with no real resistance from the working class after 12 September 1980. It has so far successfully introduced the political and economic measures required by imperialism and capitalisn within Turkey.

Forcefully

• On the economic front they have introduced forcefully the monetary policies of Friedman. With no open resistance to these policies from the working class they have successfully managed to bring down the rate of inflation from 120% to 40%.

They have cut down the trade deficit by 18% -with massive cuts in investments and government spending.

So, the dictatorship has MONDAY 8 March was International - Women's Day. Newspapers reported shortages in Moscow flower shops. But in Turkey 91 women political prisoners in Mamak prison were appearing in court for alleged assault on prison guards, when they organised a hunger strike against the continuous torture in Turkey's jails.

All of the women prisoners insisted on giving a statement about how the prison authorities insulted them during their protest.

Recently women's rights activists in Turkey - including Deka Isvan (wife of Ahmet isvan, former mayor of Istanbul and himself in jail without trial since 11 September 19€ were jailed as part of a D* crackdown on the intel gentsia.

No doubt they will g the same treatment hi is common practice in t jails of Turkey's dictators.

If International Womer Day has any more mea ing for the working cla movement international than a bunch of flowes then it must mean orga ising a real and acti solidarity with our siste in Turkey and in strugg against similarly repre sive regimes.

If you are interested receiving further ink mation, write to Turki Solidarity Campaig Women's Working Grou BM Box 5965, Lond WC1N 3XX.

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Socialist Organiser no.78 March 25 1982 Page 5 auroy loses ground to Right and Left Prime Minister Martens THE second round of the local elections in france, on March 21, confirmed the first round shift to the Right. On Tuesday 23rd the Right is hoping to intimidate the Mauroy tain disillusion, and have rallied to the Right. So the Left has lost ground there.

In the period before the elections, there were some significant events like attacks on workers' strikes On many fronts the government has made concessions to pressure from the bourgeois parties, for example on the reduction of the working week. In response there has been a days for many years.

The discontent of the peasants does not date from Mitterrand's election. There were demonstrations under Giscard and under Pompidou, too. The As the government runs into more problems, the debate inside the trade unions is sharpening.

The policy of the CGT [the biggest trade union federation, led by the Commore and more right wing, often lining up with campaigns pushed by the right wing parties.

For example, currently there is a big hue and cry about the 'Lucet affair'