31 March 2009 /International Bureau / Statement No: 44 

The communist fighter Ender Bulhaz Akturk was heavily tortured

The communist Ender Bulhaz Akturk, who had been arrested in Bursa on March 18 accused to have killed a policeman and who is accused to have a relation with our party MLCP was imprisoned after having been tortured for two days at the anti-terror unit at Bursa Police Station. Although the governor of Bursa announced that "the suspect is still questioned", the police torturing Akturk didn't admit to have arrested him during these two days. As a result of the lawyers' efforts, on March 20, the police finally admitted to have arrested Akturk and he was taken to court and sent to Bursa E type prison.
Because of having been heavily tortured, Akturk had to be taken to hospital on March 21. Although he was in a serious condition, he was handcuffed and when he protested to accept no medical treatment like that; he was taken back to prison in the night of March 23 and put into an isolation cell.
Akturk told his lawyer that he had faced different types of torture, among them brutally punching, bastinado, strappado, pressurized water, ice-torture, and Akturk was put cloth into his mouth to enable him to breathe.
It became also known that Akturk had to face waterboarding by the police, which is a way of torture applied by the USA at Guantanamo. It becomes clear that the police tortured Akturk with the aim to kill him.
When Ender Bulhaz Akturk was taken to the court in Bursa, he was chanting slogans on resistance and revolution. Although his rips were broken and he was wounded because of the torture, Akturk entered the court building by shouting the slogans "Long live our party MLCP" and "Long live the revolution, long live socialism". He carried over the resistance shown before against the brutal police torture to the Bursa court.
Bursa police could not break the will of the communist fighter although Akturk was tortured by them for two days. Akturk resisted when being questioned and tortured and by that, he continued with the communists' tradition of resistance. He showed that communists are truly dedicated to the revolution and socialism under every condition and that they resist even accepting death and will never give up.
The torture of Ender Bulhaz Akturk shows that the Turkish state continues to systematically apply torture. The torture exposed the lie "zero tolerance towards torture" of the fascist Turkish state that it said to become a member of the EU. The torturing fascist Turkish state insisted to let Akturk be treated with handcuffs, and when he rejected and resisted, he was taken back to prison and detained in an isolation cell although he was injured. By that, Akturk was left at the mercy of death. However, it must not be forgotten that any torture and criminal act against communists will remain without an answer.
Our party MLCP calls on the communist, revolutionary and progressive forces all over the world to defend the resistance of the communist fighter Ender Bulhaz Akturk and to protest against the torture by the Turkish state. Let us inform the working class and labourers in every country of the world and the international public that the Turkish state's fascist, torturing and colonial character has not changed at all. Let us strengthen the solidarity with the communists who determinedly continue with their struggle despite the intense attacks of fascism, the torture and the arrest and detention terror.
Let us write cards and letters to Ender Bulhaz Akturk and salute his resistance, and let us show that he is not alone.

Long live the revolution, long live socialism!
Long live our party MLCP!
Long live international solidarity!