The Chair of the Labour Party (EMEP), Seyit Aslan, held a press conference regarding the US and Israel’s attacks directed at Iran and their regional-economic consequences. Speaking at the press conference held at the EMEP General Headquarters Liaison Office in Istanbul, Aslan pointed out that imperialist-Zionist aggression is dragging millions of Iranians and the peoples of the region into war and further poverty for the sake of establishing regional and global hegemony.

Explaining the reason for the Palace regime's silence in the face of war as collaboration with imperialism, Aslan said, "If Turkey becomes an open target, it will be due to the consequences of the imperialist collaborator policies of the Palace regime. The use of bases by the US must not be permitted under any circumstances."

He showed the photograph of imperialist aggression

Recalling that exactly one week has passed since the imperialist-Zionist attacks, Aslan reminded that over the past week, more than 1,000 Iranians—over 150 of whom were children, and the majority being women and poor labourers—lost their lives in attacks carried out without sparing hospitals or schools.

Showing a photograph of graves dug side-by-side for children who lost their lives in an attack on a school, Aslan said, "The bloody face of imperialist barbarism has once again been revealed."

"The US wants to narrow the commercial spheres of influence of China and Russia"

Stating that imperialist monopolies and their political representatives use war—which means more poverty, death, exile, and migration for the labouring peoples—as a political tool for the purposes of plunder, seizing resources, and takeover, Aslan explained the reasons for the Iran war as follows:

"Iran ranks third in the world in proven oil reserves and second in natural gas reserves. It is a country rich in minerals such as zinc, copper, iron, uranium, lead, chrome, manganese, coal, sulphur, and gold. Iran is seen by US monopolies not only for the energy and mineral resources they will seize but also as an open market where the labour of workers and labourers will be exploited cheaply with its population of 90 million. One of the regional political and strategic goals of US imperialism is to prepare for a future reckoning by narrowing the commercial spheres of influence of China and Russia. Israel, aiming to be an unbridled power in the Middle East, wants to eliminate the obstacles and threats before Zionist expansionism through regime change in Iran."

Promise of ‘democracy and freedom’ from Iraq to Syria

Stating that the US is trying to use the promise of "democracy and freedom" as a justification for its attack on Iran, Aslan recalled Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Libya, where imperialist interventions and occupations took place with the same promise, saying: "What remained from the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the dictatorship of Saddam are sectarian conflicts, burnt and destroyed cities, suicide bombings, bloody jihadist organisations like ISIS and its ilk, confiscated oil wells, and collaborator administrations tied at the navel to imperialism along with political and economic instabilities. The US handed over Afghanistan, which it occupied using the September 11 attacks as an excuse, to the Taliban. Syria was handed over to jihadists after Assad was overthrown by the hands of the UK, Zionist Israel, and the US. The first act of the jihadists was to massacre the Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish people."

Emphasising that the promise of democracy and freedom is an excuse for occupations, Aslan said, "The US and Zionist Israel do not hide their aims. Their aim is clear: to seize resources and create a new collaborator administration in Iran instead of the Mulla regime."

"The Palace regime is on the side of the US and Israel"

Emphasising that the attacks directed at Iran have turned into a regional war in a short time, Aslan said, "The US and Israel are not alone. The UK, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Southern Cyprus have become part of an unnamed alliance with the positions they have taken and the statements they have made in the war. They are responsible for the massacres taking place."

Touching upon Turkey's position, Aslan said, "While the Palace regime makes calls to return to the table with a shy style against the US and Zionist Israel’s aggression, it acts as if it is not the US-Zionist Israel attacking Iran. NATO bases in Turkey are being used for intelligence, reconnaissance, etc., purposes in the attack against Iran. This situation is an indication that the Palace regime is on the side of the US and Israel."

"There are 31 NATO and US bases in 26 cities"

Saying that the "Turkey is next" propaganda is nothing but a lie, Aslan emphasised that the Palace regime wants to reinforce the domestic front and accelerate the construction of a fascist regime with this propaganda. Reminding that there are 31 separate NATO and US bases in 26 cities of Turkey and showing the bases marked on a map of Turkey, Aslan expressed that the military activities of imperialist countries in Turkey must be stopped, saying, "If Turkey becomes an open target, it will be due to the consequences of the imperialist collaborator policies of the Palace regime. The use of bases by the US against Iran must not be permitted under any circumstances."

Criticising the detention and subsequent release of journalists who filmed the activity at İncirlik Base, Aslan said, "Journalism is not a crime; we will continue to stand by the struggle for press freedom and the journalists who bring the truth to the people."

Call for struggle with a reminder of March 1st

Saying that the bill for the imperialist attacks directed at Iran will also be charged to the workers and labourers of Turkey, Aslan said, "Doubling oil prices due to the war will be reflected in Turkey as hikes in electricity bills, fuel, and basic consumer goods."

Recalling that labour organisations and forces of democracy stopped the March 1st resolution with the struggle they gave in 2003, Aslan made the call: "The workers and labourers who did not allow the March 1st resolution to pass that day must not allow imperialist interventions directed at Iran today either. The stand against this aggression threatening the whole world is very clear: The internationalist struggle of the world's peoples, workers, and labourers against imperialism."

"While Family Year propaganda is made, 180 women were murdered in their homes"

Aslan also made a call regarding 8 March International Toiling Women's Day at the press conference, stating that 294 women were murdered in 2025, and the deaths of 297 women were left suspicious; in the first two months of this year, 45 women were murdered, and the deaths of 29 women were not clarified.

Emphasising that while the government makes "Family Year" propaganda, 104 of the murdered women were killed by the men they were married to, 32 by the men they were formerly married to, 28 by their relatives, and again 180 women were murdered in their homes, Aslan recalled Fatma Nur Çelik, who said "Do not call it suicide if something happens to me," and Teacher Fatma Nur Çelik, who was killed by stabbing along with her 8-year-old daughter. He said: "We call all women to struggle against the Palace regime for secure jobs, equal pay for equal work, and the prevention of violence, against exploitation, discriminatory practices in workplaces, and policies of oppression."

"We are in Silivri on March 9th"

At the end of the press conference, Aslan stated that they would watch the IBB (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality) case to be heard in Silivri on March 9th together with the party delegation, saying: "ECHR and Constitutional Court decisions are not being implemented. As you know, Kobani prisoners Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ; Gezi trial prisoners Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman, Çiğdem Mater, Osman Kavala are being held hostage. The process that began on 19 March 2025 with the detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu and the cancellation of his diploma extended to his arrest. Arrests occurred as a result of operations carried out against municipalities, and trustees were appointed to some municipalities. We call all forces of democracy to participate in the trial to be heard in Silivri on March 9th."