Emre
13th December 2009, 20:11
On 13 December, 1980 the Turkish judiciary sentanced a 17 year old youth to death for revolutionary activity. His name was Erdal Eren. He was murdered 29 years ago today.
In 1980, the Turkish junta launched yet another coup and established a martial law headed by General Kenan Evren. As such, revoluntionaries naturally resisted these reactionary moves by mass action, by protest and by force.
Many Communists were imprisoned during this period, others were illegally detained and tortured. All political parties and political activity were declared illegal. Yet there were those the regime could not silence.
Erdal was one of those people. He was a member of the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Association, an anti-revisionist youth organisation which had its origin in the organisations founded by youth leader Deniz Gezmiş, himself sentanced to death in 1972.
When the coup occured, Erdal resisted and was subsequently captured and put on trail. Despite the fact he was a minor, the judge passed a death sentance for the 17 year old revolutionary.
Following the passing of the sentance, Erdal stated to the judge that it is the people who will pass the last sentance. This defiance, in the face of a regime which executed 49 other people in 1980 served to galvinise those who continued to struggle in underground conditions against the junta.
In his last letter to his family he said:
''My hatred has increased a thousand times more and the fight fueled my determination. They failed to destroy my belief in the masses and the revolution. Fight until the end, this is the best way to struggle and I do not have any other purpose than to rise.''
Erdal's death has been immortalised in song by Turkish pop and rock stars such as Sezen Aksu, Teoman and Mör Ve Ötesi. His lasting inspiration has resulted in students changing the name of schools in his name time and time again throughout Turkey
Emre Kızılkurt
In 1980, the Turkish junta launched yet another coup and established a martial law headed by General Kenan Evren. As such, revoluntionaries naturally resisted these reactionary moves by mass action, by protest and by force.
Many Communists were imprisoned during this period, others were illegally detained and tortured. All political parties and political activity were declared illegal. Yet there were those the regime could not silence.
Erdal was one of those people. He was a member of the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Association, an anti-revisionist youth organisation which had its origin in the organisations founded by youth leader Deniz Gezmiş, himself sentanced to death in 1972.
When the coup occured, Erdal resisted and was subsequently captured and put on trail. Despite the fact he was a minor, the judge passed a death sentance for the 17 year old revolutionary.
Following the passing of the sentance, Erdal stated to the judge that it is the people who will pass the last sentance. This defiance, in the face of a regime which executed 49 other people in 1980 served to galvinise those who continued to struggle in underground conditions against the junta.
In his last letter to his family he said:
''My hatred has increased a thousand times more and the fight fueled my determination. They failed to destroy my belief in the masses and the revolution. Fight until the end, this is the best way to struggle and I do not have any other purpose than to rise.''
Erdal's death has been immortalised in song by Turkish pop and rock stars such as Sezen Aksu, Teoman and Mör Ve Ötesi. His lasting inspiration has resulted in students changing the name of schools in his name time and time again throughout Turkey
Emre Kızılkurt