Crossroad of rising nationalism and a «secular» fight

julio 10, 2007

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The discussions around presidential elections provoked a political crisis. Turkey now is on the road of early elections.

 

Reason of the crisis

 

According to the constitution of Turkey, parliament elects the president. However, the absolute majority of the parliament belongs to the Liberal-Islamist party (AKP – Justice and Development Party). And for presidential elections they showed a candidate whom his wife wears «turban» (Closes her head as Islamic rules order). Army chiefs who declare themselves as the protector of the «secular state» and state rule, published a declaration against the ruling party’s attitude on presidential elections and high court also made an appointment that the parliament did not obey the constituent on presidential elections; then, ruling party AKP had to decide to go early elections.

 

Different bourgeois poles

 

The contradictions between different bourgeois poles are not real contradictions. Today, two main attitudes that we can identify as «liberal» and «nationalist» attitudes in bourgeois camp, are in full collaboration with imperialist USA and its institutions as IMF, World Bank, etc. The contradictions are in secondary issues as the weight of moderate Islamism in the state order, the level and method of attacks against Kurdish nationalist movement, etc. There is no conflict between liberal and nationalist poles on the role of imperialism in the region. There are no different economic programs of the parties; none of the bourgeois parties defends a program excludes IMF economic policies.

 

On the other hand, the fight around «secularism» is not a real fight. The main institution which supported Islamic groups against left was the army after the coup in 1980. Still, Turkey is not a secular state; it recognizes and supports Sunni Islam only. However, millions of Alevites (followers of Caliph Ali) and lots of different religious sects cannot represent themselves in the official institution for religious affairs. The problem is the growing power of moderate Islamist party and this is a threat on the traditional state formation/apparatus. The reaction of the army and different bourgeois begins on that point.

 

Bourgeois opposition

 

The main opposition party (CHP – Republican Peoples Party) which is known as «left» and is a member of Socialist International, now functions as the spokesman of the army chiefs. Other big bourgeois parties which have a chance to pass the 10 percent quota needed to send representatives to the parliament are rightwing Democrat Party and fascist MHP (Nationalist Movement Party). All of those parties make anti-government propaganda around the government’s Islamic attitudes as well as the government could not attack Kurdish nationalist movement enough! Also, as a result of collaboration of Kurdish leaderships with imperialism in Iraq, and attitudes of collaboration of Kurdish leadership in Northern (Turkish side) gives a chance to those bourgeois parties to make a anti-US demagogy. Of course, this is not an anti-imperialist attitude; they only declare that, government does not have a «weight» in front of imperialism. And they say that, they will manage better to deal with US.

 

Kurdish nationalist movement

 

After the imperialist occupation in Iraq, Southern Kurdistan (Kurdish region in Iraq) had an autonomous status and began to take more shares from the wealth of Iraq, as a result of collaboration of the leaderships to imperialism. This is a matter of confusion in Northern Kurdistan (Kurdish region in Turkey) as well as inside the Kurdish population in Iran and Syria. Some well-known Kurdish politic figures openly defend the idea that Kurdish nationalist movement can make an alliance with imperialism for national independence. The main politic leader in Southern Kurdistan, Barzani, gains a big prestige and sympathy among the Kurdish population in Turkey. This also brings the abandonment of socialist arguments inside the Kurdish nationalist movement; the only motivation is nationalism.

 

Turkish left

 

The main division among bourgeois parties -«liberalism» and «nationalism»- completely transferred into the left parties and groups. In fact, Turkish left lives the worst period in the meaning of both quality and quantity. Rising nationalism inside Kurdish movement, provokes a Turkish chauvinism all over the country and important part of Turkish left cannot resist this challenge. Workers Party declares openly nationalist policies against US and its agents (Kurdish movement as well as government) and for several years this Maoist party cannot be called as a «left» party; it became a national-socialist. Turkish Communist Party has built a «Patriotic Front». Many guerrillaist and ex-guerrillaist groups are also under the effect of rising nationalism.

 

On the other hand, some important parts of Turkish left became openly «liberal» movements. Some of them are legitimizing the Kurdish nationalism and its attitude of alliance with imperialism. Others are trying to dissolve themselves inside «broad» movements or they are becoming «broad» movements themselves. The main motivation of those groups is the propaganda of «human rights» without class content. Two Cliffite groups in Turkey (not important inside the masses but important because of calling themselves «Trotskist»), now supporting an openly liberal candidate in the coming elections. This candidate is one of the main supporters of European Union process in Turkey and two years ago, he openly declared that he would vote for the government party if there were elections!

 

Working class and revolutionary politics

 

In the current conditions, working class is the victim of rising nationalism and demagogy around «secularism». As a result of privatizations, flexible production, production with subcontractors, enormous sectors of working class lost trade unions; millions of workers works without any kind of social security. However, despite these very bad conditions, it cannot be talked about a unified working class movement and action. There are some isolated resistances. Current trade unions are completely controlled by the bureaucracy; it is so hard to intervene those organizations. Labor law is so reactionary that does not allow intervention to the trade unions with revolutionary policies.

 

However, construction of a revolutionary workers party should lean on a patient activity inside the most toiling sectors of the working class. In Istanbul -biggest city-, Revolutionary Worker, Turkish section of LIT, nominated a worker candidate with several worker groups. Our candidate Ercan Atmaca is 60 years old retired worker – he is a worker for 50 years and leaded some important workers’ struggles. We defend the unity of working class against rising nationalism, against the threat of religious or nationalist crushes. We declare that the only cement of people from all religions and nationalities in Turkey, is being workers. We have a clear policy against imperialism, capitalism and bourgeois politics.

 

We set our election activity inside the poorest districts, inside workers neighborhoods. Of course, this is not the «easiest» way; but this is the revolutionary way.