Torture and Death in Turkey

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After a year of campaigning by Class Figh supporters, the TSC informed us on April that they had received an affiliation rom ON 12 S: ptember 1980 the army took power in Turkey. Before this coup Turkey had been deep in crisis: 100 political killings a week (mostly carried out by fascists); 20-25% unemployment; inflation more than 100% a year. The army tried to restore "order" - by doing away with parliament, banning political activity and clesing down some of the largest and most radical irade unions.

Since the coup 200.000 opponents of the regime have been arrested including trade unionists, socialists and peace canipaigners. Amnesty InterSTOP THA LPYS to the campaigr national have reported that suspects are often tortured while in custody - they can be held without trial for 90 days — and over 70 people have died in custody.

When they finally reach court, suspects are charged with 'crimes' such as organising a trade union or — as was recently the case for 42 former members of the Turkish Pcace Association taking part in "subversive activity". The entire executive committee of the teachers' union TOBDER were recently sentenced to 12-15 years each in prison. 52 members of the trade union federation DISK are currently trial for their lives: the junta is demanding the death penalty for them.

While they weep crocodile tears for the workers of Poland, Thatcher and the other NATO leaders (Turkey is a member of NATO) support the regime's brutal suppression of the Turkish workers without a murmur of concern for their plight.

The Turkey Solidarity Campaign is a broad-based labour movement campaign that works io publicise events in Turkey and organise solidarity action. It recently organised a national speaking lour by several Turkish trade unionists. It has local branches all over Britain and many Labour Parties, trade union branches and trades councils are aftiliated. Its bulletin has news of the resistance in Turkey.

Why not get your LPYS branch to invite a speaker from TSC to discuss with you what can be done to help the Turkish workers fight their bloody regime?

The Turkey Solidarity Campaign can be contac ted by writing to BM Box 5965, London WCIN 3XX.

Will Adams, Cambridge YS ing on it.

East YS.

What sort of sing about?

Pete: We have non-political lyrics really. About beer and girlfriends.

Is that possible, to be "nonpolitical"?

Roddy: Well, ' suppose it has social implications. What we sing about goes on. We sing about typical, working class things, but we're not trying to make a political statement anything. Everything's political, isn't it?

Is there anything eise you fancy doing other than music?

Pete: Personally, no!

Roddy: Can't do a lot more. I'm a painter and decorator by trade.

Pete: I was a toolmaker at Rolls Royce and left in 1976, left my job, left home, left Coventry, the lot, and tried to become a po star, been trying ever sinte. It's better than working in a factory or being on the dole...

.. Better than being on a YOPs course, isn't Mark? Mark: Yes ... I was on a YOPs course... doing upholstery. It was awful. Are you finding it difficult to make ends meet? Tours don't bring in money. Roddy: l've some royalties left from the Specials. We're using that till it runs out. But everything does cost a lot, transport, new guitar strings. Are you finding it difficult to get out of the Specials image?

Roddy: People that liked the Specials don't necessarily like thirags we're doing, so they don't come along. We haven't got any sort of following as such.

Occasionally we play 'Rat Race' , usually to students. It fits.

Pete: A lot of them don't take lyrics in. It's just a song they know.

Roddy: Very complacent, some of them.

Pete: Apathetic.

Roddy: I didn't want to use the name Roddy Radiation. The manager, who does the Funboy Three as well wanted us to use it just to get us noticed.

If it wasn't for the Specials we wouldn't be able to do this now. Tried back in 1975 with Pete to get a band going.

What sort of music do you play?

Pete: It's difficult, trying to use terms. If you say Rock 'n' Roll, the music press ask "What sort of Rock and Roll?"

Roddy: So many dossey bands around. It's 80% how you're dressed for them. But for us it's 80% music.

The music scene takes full circles. It's gone back to like it was before nearly new wave and all that.

The Specials were playing something ahead of their There's the trendy bands about like Blue Rondo but they' been around for ages.

Kids can't afford all these fashions to keep trendy.

They make money out of you. Like the Specials. Black and white became a profitable enterprise.

You can have a good time band, fairly loose on star thing. Some bands keep away from the audience. They're 'popstars' and some kids like that image.

What sort of gigs do you play?

Pete: We did a no nukes gig in Brixton in March. We're doing another in Nottingham for CND on April 3. We did CND on tour as well.

Roddy: That was funny it was with the Ruts. We had about two foot of stage space because they wouldn't move their gear.

Pete: They have flashy gear. Roddy: We do Rock Against Racism gigs. We did one at Hammersmith Palais. Problem is promoters and people who could afford to do more benefit gigs don't. They're not interested because they're not getting paid for it.

Lots of people start out with good intentions but make money and then don't bother.

Will Tearjerkers do that? Roddy: We don't know; try and get there first. You played at the Anti-Racist Gig in Coventry last June. What did you think about it? Roddy: It was alright. But the (Coventry) Telegraph ruined it, making out it would be violent. The headbangers didn't turn up. l realised the extent of racist attacks. ering their music is based on black music are really racist. Pete: The Confederate flag. Roddy: Some of them don't realise what it all stands for. It's like punks with swastikas on .

Pete: The majority of music is based on black music. Everything since the 50s, no perhaps the 30s. A long time anyway.

What about violence at gigs? Pete: I think the media try to control us. I've seen press people line kids up outside gigs, making them throw stuff and Sieg Heil.

Roddy: A lot of youth come with us sometimes. They think we're rich, rolling in it. Have you seen my Golo Record (from the Specials). Great .. it's all cardboard and tape.

Pete: My Gold Record's definitely Gold Viny!! Roddy: Some bands are made to be the spokespeople for youth. That's dangerous. Do you find it difficult with less money going around? Roddy: Well, I'm glad in a way. In the Specials it was so bad - if you sneezed the road crew would blow your nose.

Bands could help youth more. They could go around schools talking to them, might do some good. Get them to mix with different people. Change racist attitudes for example.

We're playing for the Central London Youth Project in Covent Garden on 12 April.

We haven't got any political statements to make. We just play music and hope that it helps.

Roddy Radiation and the Tearjerkers are also playing 10/11 July.

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Because of a computer error, the US nearly launched nuclear missiles early in 1980.

taken place, I would see to it that the computer firm would lose its contract with the US corner of Sidmouth St and Gray's Contact YCND, 11 Goodwin c. "I can go to my office and pick up the telephone, and in 25 minutes 70 million people will Ware YCND explains just what you should be active in YCND.

Fighter, April "If I could press a button and genuinely solve the inemployment problem, do you think that I would not press that button this instant?"

Linda Moulsdale, Secretary of nuclear war means and why In 1945, the horrors of nuclear war became fact. In Hiroshima over 200,000 people died after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on it. And today, people are still dying prematurely as a result of exposure to nuclear fall-out all those years ago.

After effects As a Daily Express reporter wrote when he arrived 30 days after the explosion, "In the hospitals I found people who, when the bomb rell, sutfered absolutely no injuries, but are now dying from uncanny after effects. For no apparent reason their health has begun to fail. They lost their appetites, their hair fell out ... and bleeding began from their ears, nose and mouth. At first the doctor told me he thought these symptoms were due to general lack of diets. He gave his patients Vitamin A injections. The results were horrible. The flesh started rotting away from the hole caused by the injection needle and in every instance the victim died."

To counteract these horrible effects, people were told by the government that the Atomic Bomb was the ultimate weapon. It was predicted that new weapons would not be needed.

But, of course, new weapons have been developed, weapons a thousand times more poweful.

Lands.

People were told that no-one would risk starting another war, but since 1945 there have been over 100 small wars and five million people have died in them.

While there have been no nuclear wars during that period, this is no guarantee that there won't be one in the future.

All arms races in history have ended in war. Every day new countries are beginning to develop their own nuclear arms.

Sheer waste

Military spending is increasing all the time when many countries desperately need to spend more on health and education.

In the UK every adult and child spends '£4.50 per week towards our military system. This can only be described as a sheer waste of money when you think of what that capital could be more usefully used for.

$17 billion a year could provide adequate food, water, education, health -viuon N4 OT., and housing for everyone in the world. This is about as much as the world spends on arms every two weeks.

Apart from this, think of the advancements that could be made in the medical and scientific world.

Yet Britain spends four times as much on military research as on medical research.

Although the government would like us to believe the contrary, disarming would also provide us with more jobs. The nuclear armaments industry demands more capital per job than does industry in general.

Cruise

At a meeting of NATO in Brussels in December 1979 a decision was made to place 160 Cruise missiles in Britain in 1983. The bases will be staffed by American personnel and any decision on firing the missiles will be taken by the United States Airforce Strategic Combe consulted.

96 of these missiles will be sited at Greenham Common and 64 at Molesworth, At both these sites there are peace camps set up by women and anyone is welcome to visit or stay at them and say "no' to Cruise missiles.

The British government, apart from having American Cruise missiles, is also determined to maintain its independent deterrent at present Rorance nf a comnuter Prospective président Ronald Reagan said: 'If the war had government"

be dead" based on the Polaris submarines which will be obsolete by 1990 and four ne v Trident submarines, costing £8,000 million. But what are Britain's independent nuclear weapons independent from?

We rely on American technology for these weapons, if we used them separately from the American weapons they would be more or less useless. And even possessing these weapons does not permit us to be present at summit talks like SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks).

Britain has more nuclear weapons per square mile and per person than any other country. This makes us a prime target.

To take some of the fear away, the government talks about civil defence. This is a cruel joke. To make a shelter each household would need at least 100 sandPresident Nixon, 1974. bags to give some protection against fall-out and inside this so-called shelter, you would need food and water for at least 14 days.

And these are just the bare essentials!

Today, more people are aware and are growing aware of the stupidity of the arms race. They are realising that the only protection against nuclear war is disarmament. But under the present system this is a far-away dream.

Britain should break the stalemate and unilaterally disarm.

Join or set up a YCND group in your area. And start to work for Britain's withdrawal from NATO.

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stage, chatting with the audience, less of the pop-

the Hope and Anchor, Upper Street, Islington, London on

YCND APRIL

mand, and the British government won't even