Devrimci Soll/Revolutionary Left

[english at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl]

http://www.ozgurluk.org/dhkc/revleft

THE FUTURE OF TURKEY IS THE FUTURE OF THE REGION

On the one hand, Turkey has been barred from the European Union just
like six months ago, and on the other hand it has signed a new
Strategic Agreement with the USA. Cooperation with Israel is being
stepped up in spite of criticism from Arab countries... At the same
time, Russia steps in and new agreements are signed in the same
way. Discussion of domestic politics are in full swing. Words like
"reorganisation" and "changes" are in everyday use. Why all these
promises?

In reality, these are the results of the crisis Turkey's oligarchy
finds itself in, as well as a consequence of the increasing strategic
importance of the country in the region.  Turkey's geographic position
is important to imperialism for the following reasons: the oil
reserves of the Caspian and the new markets in the Caucasus, the
proximity of the Middle East, a region where there has long been no
political stability and which is not properly under imperialist
control, and the Balkans, where imperialism first stirred the peoples
up to hate each other and then go to war, followed by imperialism
presenting itself as a peacekeeper. Turkey is part of this
region. When it is also remembered that there is the drugs trade, the
arms trade and money laundering involving the East and West, then
Turkey's central position and role as a transit point becomes
clearer. Taking all this into account, imperialism cannot do without
Turkey.  The other side of the coin is that Turkey is equally
important strategically in terms of the fate of the peoples. This is
not an exaggeration. With regard to this region, one can say that
Turkey is either the future of imperialism or the future of the
peoples of the world.

Imperialism Would Like a Stable Turkey

Imperialism sees this. Turkey is to be given new roles to play so as
to be able to bear the burdens of imperialism in this
region. Imperialism wishes Turkey to be a stable military, economic
and political springboard. For imperialism, the world is a gigantic
chessboard and the dependent countries are pawns to be positioned in
such a way as to secure imperialism's mastery over the world and
ensure it can achieve its aims. The expansion of NATO, sending
European military forces to dependent countries and the opening of new
fronts are a part of this strategy. Imperialism's insistence that
Turkey should introduce "constitutional changes" is a vital
requirement for the kind of country they want which is free of worries
for them.  However, the world-wide crisis of imperialism which cannot
be overcome, as well as the crisis in the Turkish oligarchy which also
cannot be surmounted because the political and economic means are
lacking mean that imperialism cannot realise its policies in these
areas.  US imperialism's deceit and propaganda about the "New World
Order" failed in a relatively short space of time.  Both political and
economic calculations proved unfounded. Examples of this are still
quite blatant. The enthusiastic advocates and publicists for the
introduction of economic plans in South Korea, Argentina, Mexico,
Brazil and similar countries were quickly forced to realise that these
merely brought about new crises. The economic ties of imperialism,
which are closely interwoven, led to the current crisis in Asia
spreading throughout the region and threatening the main imperialist
centres. It can be said that they were hit with the weapons they
themselves used against dependent countries. The recent stock market
crash is a sign of this. But imperialism is condemned to continue
introducing such "plans".  Just as US imperialism is trying to use
South Korea as a base for its policies in Asia and to influence other
Asian countries from there, it is also trying in the same way to use
Turkey as a base in the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans. But
the economic, political and social crisis in Turkey is a big obstacle
to realising these plans.  Moreover, class and national conflicts
persist, there is a people's movement whose existence shakes the
confidence of imperialism and its fear of revolution is growing. Plans
decided upon in Washington cannot be implemented through the National
Security Council (MGK) and the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of
Turkey (TUSIAD), the desired aims are not being achieved.  The
dissolution of the REFAHYOL government (coalition of the Islamic Refah
Party and the Dogru Yol or True Path Party) and the institutions close
to it by the MGK and TUSIAD, their direct and increasing influence
over the government, and even the creation of a new government headed
by Mesut Yilmaz - all these things do not resolve the problems. Yilmaz
and his government are suffocating more and more through their
powerlessness and helplessness.

The MGK and TUSIAD took on the kind of role normally played by
political parties in an effort to overcome crisis and carry out
imperialism's directives. In short the oligarchy is losing more and
more credibility, possesses less and less trust among the people, its
institutions are ceasing to function and are rotting
away. Developments show that the MGK and all the establishment parties
are sharing the same fate in the face of the developing revolutionary
struggle.The absence of a way out is the result of the system's
inability to govern and the deepening crisis.

USA: "It Is Not Your Job To Judge Susurluk"

It is a year since the Susurluk accident [November 1996] and nothing
has been done to explain it or to bring the guilty to judgement. It is
a period during which the people have followed its shamelessness with
astonishment.  During the discussions on lifting the immunity of
Mehmet Agar, who had been interior minister at the time, he openly
warned the state's institutions and admitted that Susurluk closely
reflected what was going on in the state. The lack of fear of the
state apparatus clearly showed that anyone put on trial over the case
will be acquitted.  The chairman of the Washington public relations
institution Makowsky which offers the American and Turkish armed
forces ideas and advice in return for financial recompense, said the
following to Turkish members of parliament from various parties
travelling to the USA: "It is not your job to judge Susurluk, no party
has such a role to play. This incident will run its course according
to its own laws..."  The facts speak for themselves!  The people see
these facts. Under the slogan "The people will demand a reckoning from
the bands", one can see these facts as well as the demand for people's
justice.  The worries expressed by Yilmaz, "The system will collapse,"
the concern of the MGK that "The people will be driven towards
radicalism", and the fearful exclamation by TUSIAD, "There will be a
catastrophe", showed their more or less open anxieties and
fears. Nonetheless, the MGK tried in the face of these developments to
carry out the orders of US imperialism and to play the "democracy
game" with new manoeuvres, for example with discussions about "Islamic
law versus secularism", and in this way they tried to keep the people
and opposition forces within the framework of the system. As part of
this the system is seeking to open new channels for itself among that
section of the left influenced by the MGK, the pro-MGK trade unions
and the media.

Revolutionaries must seek in every sphere to expose the plans of the
MGK, which is trying to implement its fascist politics and overcome
the crisis in the system and itself. These are the key conflicts of
this period. In the immediate future the people's demands for justice,
rights and freedom will grow louder and the MGK will try to prevent
this by stepping up its attacks. Imperialism is commissioning the MGK
and the TUSIAD with the task of building up a stronger
Turkey. Day-to-day control by US imperialism over the implementation
of the directives it issues is being realised through the delegations
which travel to America every day.

But it is worth noting that both these institutions lack the power to
carry out the plans of imperialism. The peoples of Turkey are
distancing themselves more and more from the MGK, TUSIAD and their
institutions. In this situation, the only aim to be pointed out to the
people, the only aim for which revolutionary energy must be
centralised, the only aim of left forces and the people's forces is to
use their strength to bring about people's power. Tactics and policies
which do not contribute to this will directly or indirectly strengthen
the MGK and stabilise imperialism.

-- 
Devrimci Halk Kurtulus Parti-Cephesi
Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C)
mailto:dhkc at ozgurluk.org
http://www.ozgurluk.org/dhkc
List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl