Turkey

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Turkey

Post by blindpig » Tue Jul 18, 2017 3:00 pm

More on recent events in Turkey here:

http://www.thebellforum.net/Bell2/www.t ... l?t=152540

Turkey: Communist Party's Kemal Okuyan reflects on the first anniversary of the July 15th failed coup

A year has passed since the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey. TKP's General Secretary Kemal Okuyan answered to soL's questions on July 15, while the July 15th debate continued uninterrupted throughout the year.

Below are Kemal Okuyan’s answers in the interview with soL news:

Do you agree with the "controlled coup" argument after a year passed from the coup attempt? In recent days, there has been a lot of supporting news and commentary took place in the world media that supported Kılıçdaroğlu's argument. Do you think the term controlled coup captures the reality well?

No. This means that Erdogan dominated all the critical points of state institutions on July 15, 2016, that he took risks by relying on his dominance and ruled the coup attempt personally after a point; the issue is not that simple.

Is it not possible that someone on behalf of Erdoğan did this?

When we argue against these arguments, we do not ignore the facts that are allegedly grounded. It is just there is a very big mistake in the systematic created, in naming it.

Like what?

First, it is almost impossible to stage a scenario in Turkey which is very fragile and where there are hundreds or even thousands of actors by minimising the risks - then why he would need something like that or Erdoğan is a genius with enormous powers. But neither is true! A political murder, a sabotage, a massacre ... In the past, there are countless examples that governments want to take the information of such actions and crush the opponents. This happens. But July 15 is a complex and comprehensive attempt. This attempt was not led by a power external to the AKP but by one of the most critical elements of the coalition that supported and brought the AKP to power. There are limits to "controlling" this and it is very, very risky.

Is it possible that they thought “let them do it, they would not succeed after all and we would reinforce our power?

On July 15, four people critical for the power, Tayyip Erdoğan, Binali Yıldırım, Hulusi Akar and Hakan Fidan, were hanging around that was not really secure. Armed personnel were around these people. You can control fifty people, but when you encounter with one uncontrolled element, it is over! If it is not a total lie that there are factions within the state and AKP coalition, naming it as a “controlled coup” is not a right, objective option.

It is argued that Akar and Fidan are the ones who controlled the attempt. Also, many findings supporting this argument were revealed to the public.

From the beginning, we have said that this coup attempt could be an informed one and some critical actors could have played both sides. There are many strange things that need to be explained regarding the movements of Akar and Fidan on July 14 and 15. This can show a kind of “control” on one hand, and a “disintegration” on the other. What happened in Turkey supports the second scenario. July 15 is a good example to reveal the pathetic condition of the capitalist state of Turkey.

But isn’t it true that Erdoğan has become more powerful after July 15? He benefited from this.

On the morning of July 16th Erdogan was not strong or anything. TSK [Turkish Armed Forces], which he tried to connect himself for years by the way of liquidation, had come to the point of disintegration; he needed the support of Kemalist officers who he tried to liquidate; the situation was not better in the judiciary system and foreign relations bureaucracy. Erdoğan was a leader who realised that none of the imperialist countries that treated him good protected him and that the US did not need to hide the impact of one of its factions. He was a leader who panicked because of that. His image of being a great leader was shaken.

If so, how did he overcome this crisis?

The system could not create another leader. It is clear that the coup attempt targeted Erdoğan himself; the aim was to detain and try him so that his advantage of being the leader would be eliminated. Therefore, the aim of the coup mentality, if not the coup itself, was an AKP without Erdoğan. The greatest weakness of the coup attempt was that it had shown a TRT speaker against Erdoğan, a visible and ambitious leader. This fits very well with the Gülenists' implicit, conspiratorial style; but it is not realistic. Especially when they couldn't capture Erdoğan himself, a coup with a 'UFO' characteristic has no chance to succeed.

So you are confident that the coup attempt was done by Gülenists.

It is nonsense to argue that Gülen’s sect was not behind this attempt. It is clear that there were other actors but they were in the centre. Also, it should be known that some allegations put forward have been created by Gülenists. They know how to do this. After the coup attempt, both Gülenists and the AKP threw out misleading information; so we need to turn to the general tendency and Marxism for our own mental health.

My question was more about the after-coup process. If Erdoğan came about less powerful from this event, how did he manage to stay?

The very first addressee of this question is Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who argued it to be a “controlled coup”. He and his party were responsible for selling the dilemma of “Erdoğan or Gülen” to the anti-AKP base. There used to be a wide difference between being against coups and supporting Erdoğan. This difference had been closed with the public meeting in Yenikapı. And then, after the damage was done, they complained about the “palace coup”. After they said, “you can stage a coup, we would not object”…

Why have they turned to a more effective opposition?

Because a new strategy has been developed.

Who developed this?

A strategy is not developed by one person, or three people by putting heads together. Turkey has an important economic and political place within the imperialist system. In Turkey, conflicting fractions of capitalist hegemony have common class interests and these interests unite against the working class. As Erdoğan always reminds, it is these interests that are served for every time.

However, the world system also has serious and unresolved internal contradictions, and despite these contradictions, they can stand side by side for common interests. There is an increase in the number of those who prefer a Turkey without Erdoğan among the strong actors of the world system, we can say, for 4-5 years. This is a tendency and a number of mechanisms are moving in the direction of this tendency; they can flow into a common pool or go against each other. To sum up, the strategies have an objective ground and there are decision makers and practitioners acting on that ground. We can talk about them in total. Yes, there is a constant search for an AKP regime without Erdoğan in Turkey and a strategy has been developed.

Image

Was the July 15 attempt a strategy?

There is no doubt. It would serve the interests of the international capital. Fethullah Gülen said that if the coup had been successful, he would return to Turkey as Caliph, and declare Islamic State in Turkey. These are meaningless. The coup would shake up the reactionary extremes of the AKP, dampen the reaction in the society and try to make the AKP's destruction permanent. At least it was the intent. That is where the uncertainties and oddities of the coup attempt are derived from. Because they would continue with the AKP. That's why Erdoğan can not shake the inside of the AKP. It is unclear what will remain if he does!

If international capital is so determined why does it fail?

Because there are enormous internal contradictions. Everyone ignores China and Russia when the world system is considered. However, they both disrupt the imbalance of the very serious capitalist economies and the system. Erdoğan benefits from it. Erdoğan also benefits from Germany-US contradiction. There is no international winners and victims here, there are international winners and international winners. Let us add Turkish capitalist class there. They are also international players.

However, we can still speak of countries with more influence over Turkey. Like the US and Germany ...

Let us include England. Aside from internal contradictions and worries, their biggest problem was being unable to create an alternative. Within the last period, they have wanted to bring all the "Western" elements of Turkey, social democratic, liberal, nationalist, or Islamist together against Erdoğan and make Turkish politics "controllable" by a social opposition that is willing to make a minimum correction to an uncontrolled power. There is a strategy here.

Then Kılıçdaroğlu walked for this strategy?

I cannot know that. His personal intention, how he decides, what he wants to do ... But it coincides with it. We have to say this. There are leftists who ignore these strategic steps or say "it does not matter, we can do something else tomorrow". Life is not that way. Some stains do not come out by investing in losing your memory.

If so why did Kılıçdaroğlu go with Yenikapı spirit on July 15th?

First, a test that everyone in Turkey thinks to be possible had been unsuccessful. This trial was not seeking political or social support. It relied on the anti-Erdoğanizm in the society and its own political connections. If the coup had been successful, they would not be bothered by the criticism that "democracy should return immediately". As I said, we are talking about a group that is used to hide its actions. Secondly, I've told before, we are not naming an organisation called FETÖ. Because the Gülenists in Turkey was an official organisation that united the state and the social sphere for a while. Whether it is a parallel or a terrorist organisation, that is the problem of those who are involved in it. In Turkey, you cannot separate the political and economic actors of the system from the Gülenists. It is the truth that embraces everyone. And the total reflection of the Gülenists was to join the cursing ceremonies against the coup plotters. Everyone did the same. We are talking about internal forces, not counter-forces.

Back to the beginning, aren't there so many questions waiting to be answered about the coup attempt?

There are countless questions. So many things that we do not know ... But it does not necessitate to abandon what we should say. Politics is not a mystery. We do not write detectives. We are trying to show the main trends. What we said on July 16-17 was not crafty, but reactions that should be given in the nature of a communist party. When we look today, we see that these trends are getting stronger.


How do you see the position of the capitalist class in Turkey on July 15 and after? TOBB stated that "after July 15, we have grown 5 percent". Erdoğan sent a message to the capitalists by saying that we banned the strikes for you. Also the wealth fund... What do you think about all of these?

Erdoğan had to give more to the capitalist class he always served to get out of this difficult situation. In fact, the capitalist class always shows a win-win approach. After the coup d'État of September 12th, they won a lot but this does not change the fact that Demirel served for the capital. For this reason, we argue that a class-based approach is essential. Each solution reproducing the system has to take the support of the big monopolies. It is difficult to oppose to this system, but it is not difficult to act "independent" within this system. After July 15th, the capitalists have been revived. Emergency rule and "strike-free" life for the capitalists were golden opportunities. Erdoğan realised that he was weak, and he transferred funds to some capitalists against whom he was ready to fight before.

Then why are the capitalists unhappy?

Capitalists are not unhappy, they are worried. Erdoğan wins the hatred of the dynamic sections of the society. If this cannot be solved, it will have devastating consequences for the system. A society cannot always stay quiet when the capitalists clearly say "we advantaged from this" or when the government says "we are working for the bosses". This, of course, depends on our efforts. That is why we are walking against the current once more. We do not have to help the ruling party that says "Erdoğan first" and the opposition party to keep this goddamned order. It is someone else's business.
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https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/0 ... kuyan.html
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Re: Turkey

Post by blindpig » Thu Aug 17, 2017 1:16 pm

Turkey: 16 years of Erdogan's AKP Party, full of misery and violence

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On August 14th, the Turkish Party of Justice and Development (AKP), founded in 2001 by Rejep Tayyip Erdoğan and Abdullah Gül, completed its 16th anniversary. "During these years, public assets have been plundered and at least 20 thousand workers have been killed in occupational murders" writes soL international which published a brief account of AKP's 16 years "full of misery and violence":

Since 2001 when it was founded and 2002 when it came to power, the AKP government has never compromised its policies against the working class. Following the political crisis in 2001, AKP was founded as a project of the US, establishing political Islam as an ensured state policy of Turkey.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE SHARE OF WORKING CLASS?

During the rule of the AKP, marketisation and reactionism has closed ranks even more compared to other periods in Turkish history. Neoliberal attacks have become more systematic.

PLUNDER BY MEANS OF PRIVATISATION

Privatization was not the invention of AKP, and yet the fastest and the most systematic privatisation of public heritage has happened during its rule.

Giant public institutions, industrial facilities, harbours and valuable lands have been sold one by one. International monopolies have been implicated in the sales of public institutions of strategic importance. 55% share of Turkish Telecom was sold to Oger Telecom, 51% of TÜPRAŞ (Turkish Petroleum Refineries Corporation) was sold to Azerbaijani petroleum monopoly SOCAR and Turkish tobacco and alcoholic beverages company TEKEL's tobacco factories were sold to British Tobacco. TEKEL's factories of alcoholic beverages were sold to Mey, a domestic private firm. Mey sold its shares for their twice and a half price to TPG, a US-origin firm, which sold it five years later to British Diageo for a price ten times more expensive. 14,6% of TÜPRAŞ, 26% of Turkish Airlines (THY), 25% of PETKİM (Turkish Petrochemistry), 17% of Halkbank (one of the biggest state-owned banks) and 9% of Turkish Telecom were sold to foreign investors.

86% of all privatisations of the past 30 years had been done during the AKP period.

FREE ZONES OF UNLIMITED EXPLOITATION

The number of free economic zones has increased to 21 during the AKP period. As zones where legal and administrative regulations regarding commercial, economic and financial activities are suspended or partly implemented, free economic zones work for the benefit of the bosses.

20 THOUSAND WORKERS DIED

During the rule of AKP, at least 20 thousand workers died in occupational murders. The most massive of them happened in Soma mine blast, where 301 miners were killed.

STRIKES WERE BANNED

AKP banned workers' strikes more than any other government in the history of Turkish Republic. AKP banned 13 strikes announced in different sectors ranging from industry to banking sector.

PRECARIOUS AND FLEXIBLE WORK

During AKP rule, precarious, flexible and uninsured work have become more common. The period of on the job training of workers have risen to a year from 6 months, enabling the bosses to employ trainees for a year whose salaries are covered by the unemployment fund.

Private employment agencies have been established last year, enabling the employers to exploit subcontracted workers. More than 400 firms in Turkey subcontract workers to other firms.

WORKING HOURS INCREASED

AKP has passed almost all legal regulations by means of omnibus bills. Flexibilisation of working hours, or flexicurity in popular terms, has been introduced during the AKP period. The regulation of "rental worker" was passed in 2016, allowing the bosses to hire workers without providing insurance.

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SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND ATTACK TO WORKING CLASS

The most important state owned enterprises were transferred to sovereign wealth fund, to the benefit of the capitalist class. These state assets worth tens of billions of dollars. AKP established a company to manage the wealth funds and then transferred public assets and state shares in Turkey’s major public companies into this fund.

ATTACK ON THE SEVERANCE PAY

AKP also attacked one of the most important gains of the working class. On July 7, 2017, the government announced that a severance pay fund to be established, relieving the bosses from the obligation of giving severance pay to their employees.

PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN AS THE "CHIEF CEO": AN ALLY OF THE BOSSES, ENEMY OF THE WORKERS

Turkish President Erdoğan calls himself the "CEO of Turkey" and has proved that during the past 16 years of his party's rule. He rules the country as if it were a corporation and it means the absolute poverty and dispossession on the part of the working class. The decrease in wages, attacks on the gains of the working class, increase in flexible and uninsured works, savage exploitation and occupational murders have been the attacks of the AKP rule for 16 years.

https://communismgr.blogspot.gr/2017/08 ... party.html
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Re: Turkey

Post by blindpig » Thu Aug 24, 2017 1:17 pm

Turkey's Communist Party (TKP) responds to Tayyip Erdogan's provocative statement.

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Turkish President and chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made controversial statements on Aug. 22 during a meeting with mukhtars, heads of local districts in Turkey.

Talking about many different issues, President Erdoğan signalled that the ongoing state of emergency, which started upon the aborted coup attempt in the summer of 2016, would continue around the country with the aim of "defeating the terrorist organizations".

ERDOĞAN TARGETS TURKEY'S COMMUNISTS.

Erdoğan also targeted the communists. "Now we are building an airport on the sea. They say, 'We don’t want'. Who are they? The communists! This leftist mindset, these communists have never been patriotic, nationalistic," Erdoğan continued, alleging that the communists have not favoured technological advancements and innovations or new constructions in Turkey.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) immediately responded to President Erdoğan’s manipulative statement. "The communists do not reject airports or roads. Of course, airports, dams and roads will be constructed," said Kemal Okuyan, General Secretary of TKP.

COMMUNIST PARTY OF TURKEY (TKP) RESPONDS TO ERDOĞAN.

Okuyan continued: "Communism is such a social system that could achieve many works which AKP cannot even dream of today. What the communists reject is the destruction of the environment. What else do we reject? We reject the construction and operation of dams, roads, bridges and airports for profit making purposes. The social richness is being plundered for the profits of some individuals. We reject the occupation of Turkey by domestic and foreign monopolies."

Warning Erdoğan and his AKP government about the fact that all the financial assets at the disposal of the ruling party belong to the public indeed, Okuyan said, “You construct illegal palaces, you turn the cities into concrete jungles, you destroy history, art and culture, then you dare to say that the communists always reject! Of course, the communists will oppose all the time.”

While Erdoğan blamed the communists for being unpatriotic, Kemal Okuyan indicated to the major role of Erdoğan and his party in offering the country for the benefit of local and foreign capitalists and imperialist forces. "The plunder of the country is treason. The pro-NATO stance is treason. The intervention in the neighbouring countries' internal affairs is treason. Surrendering the country to international monopolies is treason. The strategic partnership with the U.S. is treason. Enabling the religious cults to rule the country is treason," Okuyan concluded.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/0 ... ds-to.html
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Re: Turkey

Post by blindpig » Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:38 pm

Commentary by TKP's Kemal Okuyan regarding Turkey's stance on the Korean peninsula crisis

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), Kemal Okuyan reflected on the denouncement statement of Turkey's government regarding the hydrogen bomb test of the DPRK.
The full text of Okuyan's commentary published on soL news portal is as follows:
I denounce the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the strongest manner...
Previously, they loved to call the German Democratic Republic as “East Germany”, now they like to call the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as “North Korea”. It may be long and complex but still let us not use cold war terminology.
It is the Republic of Korea on the South, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on the North... The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of ours has recently protested against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In their own words, they “denounced in the strongest manner”:

“We consider the hydrogen bomb test of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 3 September 2017, as an irresponsible and provocative action, we denounce it in the strongest manner”.
I assume this is how claiming to be a “great power” works, you stick your nose into everything.
Anyway, this is not the first time Turkey sticks its nose into the Korean issue.
The Democratic Party (DP) government of 1950 had deployed our sons in the Korean war and sacrificed them for the imperialist aggressiveness in the tail of the USA.
Korean War lasted three years. It started with a lie. Just like the allegation of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, just like the allegation of Assad government using chemical weapons...
USA occupied Korea which had gained independence after the II WW and tried to get Korea as a whole by bringing alone the allies with itself with the lie telling North attacking South. It did not work, Korean patriots, backed by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, challenged USA in military terms. As for the Turkish troops, they were sacrificed for the safe withdrawal of the US army.
Millions of people died in three years, and Korea split into two states. Turkey was recruited as a member of the NATO after the disgraceful deployment of the soldiers, and had been rewarded by another disaster.
Today, one of those two states, the one who has been suffering from the USA aggression for years, has been developing nuclear weapons.
Turkey had enrolled NATO, the biggest criminal enterprise, with the excuse of securing itself; this was its defence perspective. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea does not have any international safe body to take refuge in.
It is apparent how USA attacks and occupies the countries it “curses”. This means, when DPRK states that they are being threatened, they talk on facts. There it is Iraq, there it is Afghanistan, there it is Granada, there it is Panama...
The nuclear weapon is villainous. But it is villainous for everyone. It should be dispelled, without exception.
AKP government denounces DPRK. Well, why they do not “denounce in the strongest manner” the countries which posses weapons of mass destruction that have the power to destroy the world tens of times?
Those misters did not have any strong manners when they let German and Dutch missiles in our country, crying for help from NATO to defend them right after the gangs they sponsored by cash and arms failed in Syria.
They enjoy glowering by saying “Hey America!”, they even made habit of it. But there should be a bit of embarrassment, one should say “ We have our share in the split of Korea, let's say nothing.”
Embarrassment is the last thing we expect from those people.
Hey, Ministry of Foreign Affairs! You, in strongest manners, denounce a small country thousands of kilometers far away, which is occupied and cursed by fierce imperialist powers, however, we denounce you and ask: Isn't it provocative and irresponsible to keep 50 nuclear weapons which would do serious harm to US and the people of the region?

Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut
Cavusoglu with his U.S counterpart.
Let us remind you, each one of those B-61 tactical nuclear weapons has explosive powers tenfold of the atomic bomb of Hiroshima.
Nowadays there is tension between Turkey and the USA, half factual, half fictitious. Well, why aren't the nuclear weapons an issue of concern? What will the Ministry of Foreign Affairs say when tomorrow the USA prefers to transfer the nuclear weapons declaring Turkey “not being safe anymore”? Will they ask them not to go, or tell them to leave the nuclear weapons and go, will they brush over in silence? Or will there be a denouncement in the strongest manner?
Keeping nuclear weapons on its land by not possessing any control over them is one of the worst tribulations any country could have. There are only five countries in the world with that specific idiocy, the other four have been forced to, we had volunteered by heart.
At least the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has the control of the weapons itself. Well we, we sit on the will-content of the transatlantic. To die in millions!
What is it?: They are "denouncing in the strongest manner.”
Bravo!

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Re: Turkey

Post by blindpig » Tue Sep 12, 2017 2:40 pm

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Boyun Eğme! The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) celebrated its 97th anniversary
https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/0 ... urkey.html

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) released a written statement on the 97th anniversary of its founding, said: "We are not asking for the impossible but the very possible. We lead the only possible way to remain human."

"TKP founded on 10 September 1920 in Baku. The resistance struggling the occupation in Anatolia met the young Soviet revolution at that city. That very day, the communists of Turkey gathered together in a single party and declared being the comrades from Turkey of the international struggle for a socialist World," the statement said.

Underlined the fact that a proletarian revolution, a socialist order which will end the capitalist exploitation, TKP said: "Hence, now socialism is also a must for an independent and free country."

"97 years ago TKP was founded by those who had seen socialism as the future for humanity. After 97 years TKP says: Without socialism, there is no humanity. No liberty, no enlightenment, no justice, no equity, no fraternity. Socialism is not merely the emancipation of the labour. Socialism is now a matter of existence," the statement read.

TKP once again announce to people of Turkey and the people of the world that the Socialist Turkey and Socialist World will found.

"Salute to the bright future of Turkey and the World. Salute to the ones to join TKP's struggle. For many many years," the statement said.

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) celebrated its 97th foundation anniversary last weekend in three metropolitan centers of Turkey, İzmir, Ankara and Istanbul.

Source: soL international.


The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) members gathered together with its friends in the events held in three metropolitans. The events started with the singing of the anthem the International. Kemal Okuyan, the general secretary of TKP, and Aydemir Güler, central committee member of TKP, gave the speeches of the events in three cities.

"WE HAVE GATHERED TO DECLARE OUR WILL TO UNDO THE HISTORICAL DISASTER".

During the events where thousands of people gathered, Kemal Okuyan, the general secretary of TKP, gave the first speech. Okuyan noted that neither of the republics coinciding with the foundation of TKP in 1920 exists anymore, the Soviet Republic and the Turkish Republic, and the Communist Party of Turkey feels ashamed for that.

There is the rule of the Russian oligarchy instead of the Soviet Republic; and the rule of imams instead of Turkish Republic, Okuyan commented. "Therefore, we have not gathered for a celebration today. We are here to declare our will to undo this historical disaster.", Okuyan noted.

Okuyan also said that it is impossible to create "more just, freer and more peaceful capitalism" and thus "the humanity will either be doomed to live in barbarity or fight for socialism and build a humanitarian society." Reminding other historical examples, Okuyan noted that in all cases where the people tried to "tame" capitalism, it got wilder.

"WE HAVE TO SURPASS HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS".


Aydemir Güler
Aydemir Güler, the central committee member of TKP, gave the second speech during the event. Güler said that neither Mustafa Suphi and his comrades, the founders of the historical TKP, were in a dream while founding the TKP 97 years ago, nor the members of TKP are in a dream today. Güler noted that the Communist Party of Turkey will get organised step by step and found the socialist republic in Turkey.

Güler pointed out that the capitalism can never go hand in hand with the enlightenment, and yet the liberals make a mistake in compromising with the bourgeoisie to defend enlightenment values. Güler also reminded that the popular discourse of supporting the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) against the threat of fascism in Turkey is nonsense because CHP is a bourgeois party and it cannot defend values of independence, freedom and secularism forever. The duty of the communists is to surpass historical developments and never come to terms with the bourgeois actors, Güler said.

The events concluded with the performance of music bands in all three cities and with the determination to build a stronger struggle for socialism in Turkey, which is not only necessary but also possible.
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Re: Turkey

Post by blindpig » Sat Sep 23, 2017 1:38 pm

Turkey: Erdogan's government removes Karl Marx from school books

According to soL news portal, the Turkish government removed Karl Marx from sociology textbooks, promoted Islamic prophet Muhammad's "holy birth week".

As the debates on Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party-led Islamic school curriculum has inflamed the society, the theme of Karl Marx was removed from the school books of sociology for high school degree.

While the last year’s sociology textbook involved August Comte, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber, the topic of Karl Marx has been removed from the 2017-2018 education term curriculum.


In addition to the AKP’s pro-sharia impositions in many other textbooks, the sociology school book’s chapter, "Social Institutions", includes "the holy birth week" with reference to the unknown birthdate of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The subchapter, "The Functions of Religion As a Social Institution", reads:

"Religion has the functionality of recreation, travel and relaxation with regard to the field of influence. The celebrations of Holy Birth Week, commemoration ceremonies, mystic and Sufi meetings, visiting religious and sacred venues are such religious social activities."

Meanwhile, the celebrations of "holy birth week" were launched in Turkey with the initiative of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen’s religious cult. However, the AKP government has decided to change the celebration date of “holy birth week” after Turkey witnessed a military coup attempt in July 2016, masterminded by the Gülenist faction, the long-termed ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a declaration to the people, calling for a countrywide united struggle against the AKP-imposed Islamic and anti-science school curriculum.

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Re: Turkey

Post by blindpig » Thu Nov 02, 2017 2:07 pm

Communist Party of Turkey: Mass event dedicated to Socialism and the Republic organized in Izmir

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TKP organised a mass activity in Izmir on Socialism and Republic.

The event of TKP, which is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution led by the Bolsheviks in 1917 and the 94th anniversary of Republic of Turkey’s foundation in 1923, attracted considerable attention despite rainfall with the attendance of thousands of TKP members and friends.
The event, 'Socialism will suit very well to the "republic"', started with a performance on the October Revolution in 1917 and its achievements for humanity.

The member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Arvanitakis and the Secretary-General of the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) Ástor García also attended the event.
In the course of the performance an actor symbolising Greek soldiers who opposed the imperialist campaign read a message. Noted in the message that the Greek communists had distributed thousands of leaflets among Greek soldiers against imperialist aggression during the invasion of İzmir by the Greek capitalist exploiters."The fraternity of our peoples started in those days and continues today against imperialism, against the exploitative capitalist class. This is also the basis of friendship between our political parties. We want to overthrow capitalism and found a socialist republic." continued the message.
Kemal Okuyan, the General Secretary of the TKP, took the stage and started his words by saying: "Modern history starts with a great revolution; The French Revolution, in 1789. It has almost been 230 years. This revolution opened way to the foundation of the first Republic in France, in 1792."
"In Turkey we also have roots in 1923. The Communists have always been republicans. Yes, the republic that was built with a revolutionary spurt firstly sneakingly got rotten then ruined, by the same forces, the reactionaries. The question itself is wrong. The question of when did the communists become republicans. We were always here.
But why? What is the meaning of the Republic for the communists, so that they historically, in the past and today, stand by the republic? Republic means popular will, that represents not the God nor the dynasty but the People. Kings, sultans, shahs, sheikhs, tsars they all rule on behalf of dynasties or God. Instead the popular will has two aspects. The people are equal and not governed by religion. If the holy one gets in the way, there is no longer a republic. Look, we are talking here. We are challenging the exploiters, the imperialists. But, as they squeeze they are hiding behind their sacredness. Why so? Because as the name implies, the sacred is inviolable. We cannot interfere with the religious beliefs of the people but just because of this deceit we have to pull the pin of the ones that are hiding behind religion." Okuyan continued.

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Kemal Okuyan cited some articles from the "Socialist Constitution", a basic constitution draft prepared by the TKP, which will enter into force in socialist Turkey saying "we have to build a new one, not to be demolished again" .
The GS continued his words as follows:
"...Factories, farms, forests, natural treasures (both underground and not), shall be under the possession of the working class. This event started with these words; from just the beginning of the October Revolution in 1917. ‘Workers, be watchful and guard like the apple of your eye your land, grain, factories, equipment, products, transport- all that from now onwards will be entirely your property, public property’.
How nice. Workers, guard your factories, land and grain. Because these belong to the workers. After reserving the share for the needs of the society the whole value of the production shall be paid to the workers. What is this share? Education, health, dams, investments for new technologies, parks, cultural palaces… Not a penny to Koç, Sabancı, Ağaoğlu and the rest exploiters. Not a penny to the Palace. This is what we shall do: Stop the leakage. And we will have the sources for building a developed classless society."

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Saying "...people have the right to live in environments in which they can re-create themselves...", Okuyan completed his speech as follows:
'...

During the day not being exploited, at night not sleeping hungry, as Nazim Hikmet said.
Do we want this?
Is this possible?
On 1917 the people that believed in this, took action. In the Soviet Union all the above started being real. They passed the sea but they got drown in the river. They made some mistakes, they underestimated the enemy, i.e. the imperialism, the capitalism. The Soviet Union was demolished…
So, what shall we do? We shall build another, stronger republic. Socialism will suit very well to the "republic".'
Following Okuyan's speech Gülcan Altan took the stage and sang the song titled: "Boyun Eğme".
'Nâzım Sahne' actors perform their play...
Poet Nihat Behram, reads his piece 'Dövüşe dövüşe yürünecek' (There will be walking accompanied with fights).
The decleration of the European Communist Initiative saluting the Great October Revolution was also read and shared in the event.

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/1 ... event.html
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Re: Turkey

Post by blindpig » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:00 pm

TKP's General Secretary Kemal Okuyan: "Shut down the NATO bases, withdraw from the alliance!"

Source: soL international.

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), soL columnist, Kemal Okuyan wrote an article on November 22 regarding the recent Turkey-NATO/U.S. row sparked with the appearance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's name in a list of enemies on a poster at a NATO drill.

"Your anti-NATO stance has not lasted even two days," yelled [Turkish journalist] Nihat Genç in his column on Odatv. He meant the nationalists who began to say "We are being entrapped, we are deviating from the West to Eurasia," just after they bullied the U.S. and NATO.

Several times we have responded to the question, "What is nationalism?", but let us put it here again so that what we are going to say can be more apparent:

Nationalism means not seeing your nation’s faults. In other words, showing tolerance towards the thieves, exploiters and tyrants of your own nation…

It differs from patriotism. Patriotism is the will of freeing your country from the thieves, unjust people, exploiters and tyrants.

For this very reason, our nationalists get difficulty in challenging the U.S. and NATO or fall into hesitation whilst scolding the "Western imperialism".

What is NATO?

Everyone says that NATO is an international organization in the service of the U.S. imperialism's interests, which is a true description still with a huge deficiency. NATO was established in order to protect the whole capitalist system, the terrible social system dominating almost all the world including Turkey.

That is to say, NATO is an organization of capitalists. It is a giant terror organization which attacks the working class and progressive movements for the interests of capitalists.

This is the essence of the matter even though the U.S. is attempting to use it so as to protect its interests within the imperialist system.

From Islamists to nationalists, from liberals to conservatives, all the right-wing in Turkey has been pro-NATO from past to present. This is not only because of Americanism; to put it more precisely, the interests of the exploitative system underlie Americanism and pro-NATO stance in Turkey.
Today, the question is: can Turkey’s existing system deviate from NATO to position itself into the axis of Eurasia?

This is possible in some aspects. Because the Eurasian axis is part of the current imperialist system, and is nothing but a loose alliance composed of some countries where the capitalist exploitation is maintained with the same fierceness and unruliness. For instance, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics does not exist anymore in there; quite the contrary, the capitalist Russia exists!

In the case of Turkey, the number of capitalists may be increasing, who think that shifting to the Eurasian axis would provide some opportunities for energy sources, investment areas and new markets; moreover, that it could be easier to cut the workers’ rights as they get rid of the West’s hypocrite blackmailing about "human rights" and "democracy".

Nevertheless…

Such are fluttering ideas, which are not adequate enough for Erdoğan to carry Turkey in confrontation with the U.S. and Germany from bargaining level to the scale of an axis shift so as to save himself.

In today’s Turkey, there is no required infrastructure and preparation for the existing system to break with NATO, the U.S.-Germany-led system of alliance albeit the deep crisis of the alliance in question.

The nationalists stand bound hand and foot. Some of them are just mouthing off in a rush to strengthen Erdoğan’s hand, and charmed by the irresistible weight of turning themselves from the finest example of Americanism into "Down with the U.S." in one night. They somehow are accustomed to dancing to another tune. If tomorrow Erdoğan leaves the bargaining table with Turkey's "great harmonization with NATO and the U.S.", they may do the gulu gulu dance*.

Let us repeat that what hinders Turkey from challenging NATO is the big monopolies, which are ruling and looting Turkey today. In the final analysis, the bourgeois politics, including Islamists, nationalists, social democrats and liberals, can do nothing in defiance of the big monopolies. Proving that he could do everything to save himself, Nor could Erdoğan do anything. If he does, he will have to bear the consequences.

Without getting rid of the exploitative class, Turkey’s fight with NATO seems like coming out on the pitch with a team all the players of which get involved in match-fixing with the opposing team.

Despite all, what is to be done if the tension with the U.S. and NATO escalates because of Erdoğan or any other reason?



What should be done is simple; the authentic confrontation lies between Turkey’s working class and NATO, between the working class and imperialism. It is necessary to get the issue free from a confrontation between Erdoğan and NATO. It is necessary to reveal today’s dirty bargaining, to show by whom and by which class Americanism became a state politics, and to struggle in order to immediately get rid of whatsoever paving the way for coups or intervention in internal affairs.

If you are in power, you cannot struggle against NATO without withdrawing from it. One cannot challenge NATO as long as the NATO troops exist in this country. It would be futile to say “Turkey is a prestigious member of NATO” while instructing some incompetent spin-doctors to pen articles, "We will wage a war with the U.S.".

Shut down the bases, withdraw from NATO, inform the people about the entire secret agreements signed with the NATO terror organization and the ongoing covert operations.

Then, we will provide support to the full extent.

In any case, it would be good to see this organization, which has always plotted against humanity, crack or suffer.

It is good because the capitalist system would be weaker, more defenceless and fragile against the working class without the NATO umbrella. It would be difficult to remain injustices, tyranny and inequalities. It would be impossible to discipline awakening people with the "NATO stick".

This is the matter with the right-wing. This is the matter with the capitalists.

Na to kefali, na to marmaro, here is the head, here is the marble, is a Greek phrase, the Turkish interpretation of which fits very well:

NATO kafa, NATO mermer!**

*Okuyan refers to Turkey’s former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, one of the leaders of political Islam and President Erdoğan’s predecessor Welfare Party. Erbakan is known with his renowned description of political protestors at the time: "like children doing the gulu gulu dance".

**The Greek phrase’s Turkish version, which is literally connoted as "NATO head, NATO marble", is used to describe the "thickhead" people. As a sort of mumpsimus, many people in Turkey erroneously relate the phrase with the abbreviation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Playing with the words here, Okuyan refers to the negative impact of the word "NATO" in Turkey.
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Re: Turkey

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 05, 2018 2:18 pm

Iran-Turkey: “The alternative to the mullahs and imams doesn’t have to be the Yankee” (Kemal Okuyan)

Thursday, January 4, 2018

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2018/0 ... s-and.html

Kemal Okuyan, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey and soL columnist, wrote on the political situation in Iran and Turkey on the occasion of the New Year.

How did Iran and Turkey enter the New Year?

We've entered the New Year. It was a New Year's on which the political power terrorised the country saying "don't enter the New Year; enter your home", some caricatural characters kept watch on the roofs to beat up Father Christmas, the minimum wage that is kept at a certain level dooming the people to poverty was praised to the skies, and it was announced that a little more "poison" was to be added into ethyl alcohol to prevent alcohol production at home.
They can't fully ban alcohol; they're financing the Religious Affairs and the [presidential] palace with the taxes collected on alcohol. And around a same amount of money is left over. They can erect a second palace and recruit 120 thousand more personnel for the Religious Affairs. You see, drunkards are drinking and lamps of the Palace are shining. It is surprising that they devised so late to add poison into ethyl alcohol sold in the supermarkets in order to save the 10 billion Turkish liras [2.65 billion U.S. dollars] of the alcohol tax. They will soon have solved the increasingly spreading homemade wine and beer.

A busy New Year's... [Turkish President] Erdoğan said in the meantime that "very important things will happen". So, they have expectations from 2018; we compromise on this. "Very important things to happen" is everyone's wish but the distinction is between the good and the bad. Something, some certain things should happen in Turkey and the world and this year should pass into history with the note that "big things happened".

Now, we can say that, important things are happening in a country where liquor production at home is very widespread: Iran.

Iran is already an important country: with its history, culture, social struggles... It has been nearly 40 years since the mullahs taking the advantage of the public anger against the Shah's regime swooped on this important country.

The Shah's regime was pro-American, prospering the capitalist class, oppressive to the utmost, and not actually secular; but it was flirting with the bourgeois modernism.

The mullahs showed the U.S. the door; this time, the exploitation system happened to keep up not with the help of the CIA but through religious oppression. The capitalists continued to prosper; the workers to remain poor.

It’s not possible from outside to give an answer to the question that which regime was crueller; there are Iranian revolutionaries, the communist who experienced both and if you ask them, they say "there is no lesser of two evils, no choice".

That’s the point; the humanity should now abandon the mania of finding the lesser evil.

On one hand is an exploitation system sustained with the lie of "freedom and democracy", and on the other hand is an exploitation system adorned with religious dogmas and anti-Americanism.

First thing wanted from us: If you stand with freedom and democracy, you should embrace the values of the U.S. and the European Union or you will fall into the hands of dictators!

Second thing wanted from us: If you stand with independence, you should ignore and stomach dictators whatsoever; also forget about the exploitation – long live the homeland!

The demand of those who hit the streets in Iran is complicated. It's natural; Iran is a country where many things can be demanded. It's legitimate to demand freedom... It's legitimate to struggle against the high cost of living... It's legitimate to react to corruptions... It's legitimate to demand justice... These are on the streets. There are doubtlessly U.S.-led elements on the streets as well. They are never legitimate. Voice of those who want even more "reactionism" can also be heard. Can reactionism ever be legitimate?

Then, how will this complication be resolved?

By examining the essence of the matter. The existence of the humanity can't and shouldn't be wasted with exploitation and oppression for the sake of an awry independence or sovereignty, or with bowing to the imperialist status quo in the cause of false freedom. The essence of the matter is in the exploitation system. In both Iran and the U.S, the same class calls the shots, and that class exploits the same class in both Iran and the U.S.

Looking at the big picture is what will keep us safe from the crimes of following despots and tyrants for the sake of independence and taking part in imperialist projects in the cause of democracy. Both Iran's way out and Turkey's future is the large masses of people realising this truth and taking the reins.


TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan.
The Salazar dictatorship in Portugal was cruel against the working class but his relations with the Western countries was a bit at outs; he preferred a self-enclosed economy in the economic policy for a period, so much so that even Coca-Cola was banned in the country. Coca-Cola is a symbol that must be thrown out, but not in order for dictators to do cheap populism. The best option is to put both dictators and monopolists inside a Coca-Cola bottle and get rid of them.

Iran entered the New Year on the streets as they locked Turkey in homes. Both countries, however, were exposed to the same dilemma.

Nothing doing! The alternative to the mullahs and imams doesn't have to be the Yankee; we see how they come side by side when it suits their book. More than half of Iran's wealth is in the power of about three hundred rich. The richest 1% in the U.S. lays hold of 40% of country resources.

One is "independent" whilst the other is "democrat"; the one here is an imam, a sultan, a merchant, and the aggrieved all at once; however, the worker is oppressed and poor here, there, and anywhere!

No, no, may important things happen in 2018.
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Re: Turkey

Post by blindpig » Thu Jan 11, 2018 2:15 pm

The Sultan and the Fascists: MHP Party to support Tayyip Erdogan in 2019 presidential elections
https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2018/0 ... ty-to.html

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Devlet Bahceli, leader of MHP, gestures during an election campaign.

* MHP (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi), the Nationalist Movement Party is an anticommunist, neo-fascist nationalist party, founded in 1969. Its paramilitary wing, known as “Grey Wolves” is a fascist terrorist organization, known for participating in numerous massacres, bombings and assassination attempts.

The following article is from sOL international: Turkey’s fascist Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli overtly supports President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the presidential election in 2019. Not surprisingly, he has lent a help to Erdoğan since the foundation of the AKP party, rallying to rescue the government whenever it has faced political challenges.

Founded in 1969 in the Cold War era as an anti-communist fascist party, Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and its leader Devlet Bahçeli have become a hot topic recently as the party lends an overt support to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
As some claim that the failed coup in July 2016 became a breaking point for the fascist MHP party’s apparent support to Erdoğan and AKP government, Turkey’s recent political history shows that the fascist party and its leader Bahçeli have always backed Erdoğan’s manoeuvres whenever he faced political challenges.

MHP PAVED THE WAY FOR ERDOĞAN IN 2002

By the time Erdoğan founded the AKP party in August 2001, Turkey had been governed by the coalition government of then-Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit’s Democratic Left Party, Bahçeli’s MHP party and Mesut Yılmaz’s Motherland Party.

However, the coalition partner MHP called for early elections scheduled to be held in November 2002, culminating in the victory of Erdoğan’s newly-born AKP party while all the three coalition parties could not pass the 10% electoral threshold. Bahçeli’s fascist party played a key role in paving the way for Erdoğan’s longstanding rule in Turkey.

The Turkish parliament rejected a proposal in March 2003 that would enable the U.S. to use the country as a launch pad for the invasion of Iraq as tens of thousands of protesters chanted slogans, “No to war!”, near the parliament building.

Bahçeli and Erdoğan became unpleased with the parliamentary voting results. “The parliament predominated by the AKP in 2003 could not agree on the memorandum, weakening Turkey in Iraq,” Bahçeli said regretfully although his party was out of the parliament.

BAHÇELİ CATALYZED THE PRESIDENCY OF ABDULLAH GÜL

As Turkey witnessed the mass Republic Protests in 2007, just before the start of the presidential election process, to prevent the victory of an Islamist candidate from the AKP party, the constitutional court decided that a quorum of two-thirds of the parliamentary seats was necessary, which was impossible without opposition support against the ruling AKP party.

As Erdoğan’s governing party nominated Abdullah Gül for the presidency, Bahçeli declared his decision not to boycott the elections in favour of the AKP party, eventually leading to the presidency of Islamist Gül, Erdoğan’s predecessor.

SUPPORT TO ERDOĞAN DURING THE CLOSURE TRIAL OF AKP

When Turkey’s Constitutional Court launched a closure trial of AKP in 2008 for becoming ‘a centre for anti-secular activities’, Bahçeli and his MHP party backed the ruling party on the grounds that “the closure trial would lead to deeper political impacts.”

The fascist MHP party has unconditionally supported Erdoğan and his party in the government’s Islamic and misogynist attacks particularly in the field of education and cultural life until today.

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BAHÇELİ: ANTI-LABOUR, PRO-MARKET AND PRO-IMPERIALIST

Furthermore, the MHP party has always advocated the government when anti-worker laws and regulations were passed in the parliament. Thus, the AKP could easily privatize all the public entities of the country.

Bahçeli’s anti-labour and pro-market stance has remained at the forefront all the time. His party also supported the government during all the parliamentary memorandums to attack Turkey’s neighbours Syria and Iraq.

BAHÇELİ’S HUGE SUPPORT TO ERDOĞAN AFTER FAILED COUP

The biggest support of MHP to Erdoğan’s government came in 2016 following the failed coup. As the AKP government was planning for a presidential system in Turkey in the aftermath of the coup attempt amid state of emergency, Bahçeli said, “If the AKP brings its plans to parliament … I believe a reasonable outcome will be achieved,” hinting that his party would back the project.

As Erdoğan’s party decided to hold a constitutional referendum in April 2017, Bahçeli became the leading megaphone of Erdoğan’s ‘yes’ campaign in order to change Turkey’s parliamentary system to a presidential system that brings grip on executive power.

In this process, the Bahçeli leadership expelled all the dissident party members, who declared to participate in the ‘no’ campaign, from the MHP party. This led to the birth of the ‘Good Party’ under the lead of Meral Akşener, yet another ultra-nationalist figure and an ex-interior minister.

Having announced in April 2014 that “Erdoğan could not be a president”, Devlet Bahçeli totally reversed his tone and has become the feverish sycophant of Erdoğan. So much so that he supports the AKP-led state of emergency and unlawful decrees more than the AKP seniors do.
Even if Erdoğan himself has not declared his candidacy for the presidential election scheduled to be held in 2019, Bahçeli has already announced that his MHP party will support Erdoğan and his government.

Having left his mark on the Turkish political history as a man who paved the way for Erdoğan’s longstanding AKP rule, the President’s yes-man Devlet Bahçeli and his fascist MHP party seem to give Erdoğan a blank check on the road to a presidential system in the country.
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http://houstoncommunistparty.com/the-su ... elections/
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