Erdal Balcı

1976 - 4 November 1994

Comrade Erdal was born in a poor labouring family from Malatya. He could not study beyond primary school because struggle for bread was waiting for him just like millions of other children of his age. When the family moved to Istanbul comrade Erdal carried the entire burden of the family with his brush in his hand. Erdal, who worked in many different jobs, had a completely proletarian character. He met with communists. The more knowledge he gained, the more he embraced the struggle.

Unity Revolution also created a revolution in the life of comrade Erdal. The biggest weapon of the proletariat in the struggle for power, the communist party was re-forming after 70 years in our geography. Erdal turned his face to the party -- the fire of revolution. He joined the demonstrations and activities with all his energy. He was announcing the foundation of MLCP-F in a labourers’ district Gulsuyu and surrounding areas.

Erdal and his comrades had a task to hang a banner and they decided to go ahead, although there were many risks to it. The political police had turned mad in the face of the announcement of MLCP-F campaign and, therefore, the killers were looking for blood.

The place where the banner was to be put up was the overpass in Maltepe Esenkent. They came to the action point, formed the security and started putting up the banner. At that point the police opened fire. They came across with the killer police officers who were returning from another place where the revolutionaries had put down another banner with a bomb. There was a short collision, and the killers added another one to their street executions. There MLCP was giving its first martyr on the 3rd of November 1994 shortly after it came to the history scene as result of the Unity Revolution.

Despite all obstructions, his comrades did not leave Erdal alone on his way to immortality and said farewell to him with songs. A few years before his death Erdal told his comrades: "If I become a martyr, don't say farewell to me with tears, but with songs".

He was the proletarian party militant with the enthusiasm and the progress of the organisation, which the Unity Revolution had created in a new form. Comrade Erdal had the honour of joining in the caravan of first immortals when he dedicated himself to a great cause and a great fight within the ranks of the party -- the result of the Unity Revolution. He became immortal suiting his proletarian stand, while on a modest, but brave banner guard on a bridge. The month of November, in which comrade Erdal Balcı became immortal as the first MLCP martyr, was written into the history and our hearts as the "Martyrs’ month".

Today, we can see the labour of that 18 years old brave young revolutionary in every value and every victory we gain. When thousands reach tens of thousands and the army of hope reaches revolution, the promises given to comrade Erdal will come in place. And then we will sing our best songs for him. In every banner procession, every demonstration, every song, our love and attachment to comrade Erdal will sound. Because he is the first bullet that came out of the gun of a newly born hope and went into the rotten body of the enemy.