Electot Early Election

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Turkey is to have an early general election on June 5.

This decision in Parliament followed an agreement between the two main bourgeois parties-the Justice Party of Prime Minister Demirel, and the Republican People's Party of former Prime Minister Ecevit.

The right-wing parties which form the ruling National Front coalition split over the vote-with be National Salvation Party trying to block the legislation for the election.

Ever since the general strike last I October forced the defeat of legislation to set up special courts the Demirel gorernment has faced a deepening crisis. As a result it has come to rely more and more on fascist forces to help block the struggles of the working class.

But the coalition split publicly over the negotiations on Cyprus and the Aegean Sea, and the split was widened by the US imposing an economic and military embargo to force the Turkish government to make concessions on Cyprus.

At the same time the refusal of the IMF to give credit to the regime made it impossible even to buy necessary oil supplies. At present the Soviet Union is aiding the Demirel regime by supplying oil on credit.

Corruption has been exposed in the top echelons of the military and government. Prime Minister Demirel, • defence minister Melen special committee set up to probe Lockheed bribes.

But the election underlines the crucial question confronting Turkish workers and peasantswhat must their attitude be towards Ecevit's party?

While the reactionary leadership of the biggest trade union confederation, the Confederation of Turkish Workers Unions maintains its stand of being "above political parties" , the second biggest confederation has declared support for Ecevit's RPP.

This position is shared by the Turkish Communist Party. Their leadership claims that "socialism will be built in two stages; the first stage is to build a progressive, antifascist, democratic regime"

From this they concluded at ine reseni legal congress that

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