Capitalism is guilty of the murder of thousands in Turkey, since most of the buildings did not have anti-seismic systems

By Juan Giglio 

In 2015 I traveled, as a delegate of the Committee of Solidarity with the people of Kurdistan, to Diyarbakir (Amed for the Kurdish people) which, as the de facto capital of this heroic people, is located in the southeast of Turkey. From there I went to Kobane, after clandestinely crossing the border that divides that country from northern Syria (Rojava for the Kurds) where I made contact with the guerrillas that fought and defeated the Islamic State bands. 

Several of the cities that I visited on that journey, such as Gaziamtep, Sanliurfa or Amed itself, have been devastated by the earthquake, which caused thousands of deaths, not only because of its phenomenal intensity, but also because a large part of the constructions in the region did not have been built with the necessary requirements to deal with this type of damage, which is common in the area.

One of the first images I registered on the trip was the enormous number of new buildings that were being built there, a product of the economic boom that was sweeping the country and benefiting a bourgeoisie (Turkish and Kurdish) eager to make quick profits. I have no doubt that these capitalists did nothing to face this type of catastrophe, which is not a "natural" topic, since its effects could have been mitigated with the use of anti-seismic standards that are used in other cities around the world. 

Capitalism kills more than any earthquake or tsunami, much more now, when it is going through the period of greatest decline! It must be changed quickly and effectively by another system, based on democratic planning, that allows a true increase in the quality of life of the majority, a perspective that includes avoiding this type of situation. For that to happen, the General Staff of the Revolution must be built, the national and international party that organizes the decisive battles against this murderous system.

Image: the author of this article, when he visited Amed and the kurdish territories

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