Solidarity

Message to the XVII European Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba

Stockholm, Sweden
18th 20th November 2016

Dear friends,
First of all, we would like to extend our warmest greetings to the members of the Swedish-
Cuban Association, which hosts this valuable meeting in Stockholm, and salute the esteemed
Cuban delegation and all dear friends of Cuba coming from more than 30 countries to
strengthen international solidarity with the island.
Due to the emergency state conditions that our country has been undergoing since last
summer, unfortunately we are not able to join you physically in Stockholm. Nevertheless, we
will be following the discussions and activities planned under the framework of the meeting,
which we strongly believe that will result in fruitful outcomes.
We would like to take this message as an opportunity to provide an update on our experience
in Turkey and share our perspective on the main topics of solidarity with Cuba:
1. The recent reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the USA is, above
all, a conquest of the Cuban people.
The Cuban people have all the political, economic, cultural and historical legitimacy to
seek equal relations, based on mutual respect, with the USA like with any other country in
the world. Yet, our experience in Turkey shows that the mainstream media tends to
picture the process rather as a maneuver of the USA to trigger fundamental changes in
Cuba. No matter what kind of explicit or hidden agenda the US imperialism may have, this
is an outrageous and disrespectful underestimation of the sovereign will of the Cuban
people.
We strongly believe that the international solidarity movement has a duty to make
ceaseless efforts to explain the legitimate motives of the Cuban people and underline the
principled stance of the Cuban government to confront any media manipulation
suggesting that the Cuban socialism is giving up.
2. The US abstention during the last UN vote on the necessity to end blockade is a historical
victory for the Cuban people.
On October 26th, the Cuban people undersigned a new victory with the US and Israelite
abstention along with the unanimous vote of the rest of the countries for the elimination
of the economic, commercial and financial blockage against Cuba.
However, as also pointed out in the 2016 Blockade Report of the Cuban Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, this genocidal policy is there in full force and effect, with severe
extraterritorial repercussions. A latest example from Turkey is that when the Cuban
Embassy in Turkey attempted to transfer money to Cuba, on October 12th, as an act of
solidarity with the Cuban citizens that suffered from the hurricane Matthew, the request
of transfer was rejected by Turkish banks due to the regulations of the Office of Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury.
Jos Mart Kba Dostluk Dernei
Kzlrmak Sokak Demet Apt. No: 13/5 Kzlay ankaya Ankara Trkiye
+90 312 419 7011 | kubadostluk@kubadostluk.org | www.kubadostluk.org


As any other solidarity organization would also recognize, there is a strong public opinion
to the effect that the blockage has already or almost ended after the reestablishment of
diplomatic relations between Cuba and the USA, which leads to increased apathy or
skepticism with respect to the issue. Our Association considers that, as the international
solidarity movement, we should be alert on the problem and develop further means to
present a comprehensive and convincing picture of the reality. We believe that this also
requires a profound and diligent reflection on how to give an account of the ongoing
process of complex relations between Cuba and the USA.
3. Guantanamo still continues to be a Cuban territory under US occupation.
Guantanamo is a Cuban national territory that is kept under occupation against the
sovereign will of the Cuban people. This fact continues to escape not only from the
mainstream media coverage but also from the most courageous news on the scandalous
nature of the US military base as a center of torture. Such negligence is not a simple
consequence of malicious intentions of the mass media; it is also facilitated by the
increased normalization of interventionist policies in the international arena. We have a
strong conviction that the notion of national sovereignty should be further emphasized as
a sine qua non principle in our struggle for the immediate and unconditional return of the
occupied Guantanamo territory to Cuba.
4. Recent adverse developments in Latin America, including usurpation of political power by
pro-US right-wing forces in Argentina and Brazil through dubious election results or
constitutional coup dtat and escalation of the attacks to the progressive governments
of Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador indicate a new US intervention towards the continent.
We express our firm solidarity with the peoples of Latin America and reiterate our belief
that US imperialism will eventually fail to jeopardize the historical dream of unity among
the peoples of the continent and the peaceful future of the Latin American countries,
including Cuba.
5. Another world is possible
We deeply believe that another world is possible and the Cuban example is a unique
source of inspiration for any struggle to that end. That is why it is of paramount
importance to continue to disseminate information on the historical and current
achievements of the Cuban society. We are convinced that such dissemination should not
confine itself to end-products but also focus on the fundamental mechanisms underlying
the conquests of the Cuban people, such as the role of the planned economy in assurance
of a decent life to whole population and the socialist democracy based on the collective
and organized will of the Cuban people.
We wish all the success to the work undertaken in the XVII European Meeting of Solidarity
with Cuba.
Long live Cuba!
Long live international solidarity!

Jos Mart Cuba-Turkey Friendship Association

Jos Mart Kba Dostluk Dernei

Kzlrmak Sokak Demet Apt. No: 13/5 Kzlay ankaya Ankara Trkiye
+90 312 419 7011 | kubadostluk@kubadostluk.org | www.kubadostluk.org




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: +90 312 419 7011

Jos Mart Kba Dostluk Dernei

Kzlrmak Sokak Demet Apt. No: 13/5 Kzlay ankaya Ankara Trkiye
+90 312 419 7011 | kubadostluk@kubadostluk.org | www.kubadostluk.org