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16 Jul 2016, 11:24
Quote:There is no alternative but people
The Communist Party is calling on our people to organize in the Party's ranks against the enemies of the people and humanity.
The liberation is in our own hands.
We do not have all the details of what happened during the coup attempt that took place in Turkey in the hours between July 15 and July 16.
However, we know very well that plans that are supported by foreign forces, that do not take its power from the working class can not defeat AKP darkness and solve Turkey's problems.
The events of today reminded us the following reality once again: Either the people of Turkey will organize and get rid of AKP or AKP's reactionary policies will intensify, repression will increase, massacres, the plunder and theft will continue.
The only power that can overthrow AKP is the people's power, there is no alternative to it.
AKP is responsible for all that took place tonight. All the factors that led to the current situation and the conditions are the product of AKP's rule and the domestic and foreign bosses that support AKP.
However, the fact that the main responsible party is AKP does not mean that the coup attempt was one that was orchestrated by Erdogan himself in order to achieve his objectives such as paving the path to an executive presidency or clearing the obstacles facing the new constitution.
The tension and the rivalries between different groups within the state and the armed forces that have been known to exist for a while have turned into armed conflict. While the tension between these forces is real, it is a lie that any of the sides in this conflict represent the interests of the people. Following this, searching for the solution against AKP's rule in a military coup is as wrong as lending any support to AKP under the guise of taking a position against military coups for whatever reason. The last thing that should be done in the name of supporting freedom and human rights in Turkey is to lend support to AKP which has proven over and over that it is an enemy of humanity.
While they have not orchestrated this coup, Erdoğan and AKP will make an effort to use the resulting conditions and the support they received as means to increase their legitimacy. Our people should be on the alert against steps that AKP will be certain to take in the days to come. Raising the struggle against AKP and its darkness is the only way to stop this failed coup attempt resulting in AKP's solidifying its rule and turning into a tool for transforming AKP's unstable Turkey into stability. The fact that all mosques in Turkey have broadcasted continuous Erdoğan propaganda the whole night is a concrete indication of the urgency of our task at hand.
The Communist Party is calling on our people to organize in the Party's ranks against the enemies of the people and humanity.
The liberation is in our own hands.
Communist Party, Turkey
16.07.2016
https://www.kp.org.tr/en/basin-aciklama ... ive-people
I was at a dinner party with friends last night and we had just about processed the horrible events in Nice. Then I went to the loo and took the opportunity to check the news, and suddenly there was a coup ongoing in Turkey. A remarkable day to say the least.
By now it would appear that the coup has been defeated, but of course that's far from the end of the story. What's most worrying is that this will probably embolden the fundamentalist regime. It could allow the AKP to unleash even darker Islamist reaction on the country and the region. Leaders of many major countries and imperialist centres are declaring their solidarity with Erdogan under the pretext of supporting a democratically elected leader. The same politicians who trample over the will of the peoples every day and night are now suddenly more Catholic than the Pope when it comes to parliamentarism.
I don't know how it is in other countries, but the coverage by Dutch media at least has been disturbingly apologetic towards Erdogan. No doubt every opportunity will be used by European media to absolve the AKP regime of its responsibilities, to silence any reports about the regime's war in its own south-eastern region and in Syria, and to shore up support for the monstrous refugee deals between the EU and Turkey, or even for accelerated EU integration.
Of course, it has to be said that an operetta putsch by army malcontents does not pose a real solution to the problems facing Turkey. Apparently the regime had no problems in motivating people to turn out against the coup, and it's doubtful that the plotters were really prepared to cause a massive bloodbath. The number of people killed is bad enough already.
16 Jul 2016, 12:51
These are the questions which remain a mystery for me right now:
a) Was the coup organized by Gulen movement, whose US-based Soros-like leader offers something even worse than Erdogan - outright Islamist reaction? It would make sense, given Erdogan's recent shift in policy on Russia, Israel, Egypt, and his government's rumored negotiations with the Syrians, for certain forces in the US to support this behind the scenes.
b) Alternatively, could it have been supported by the secularist wing of the military, who, similarly to Egypt, is looking to put an end to the rise of an Islamist, neo-Ottoman caliphate? If this is the case, I fundamentally agree with you No 14 that the failure of the coup threatens only to embolden the most reactionary elements of the Erdogan regime, with catastrophic consequences for progressive forces.
c) In connection to the last question, is it possibly that this coup was staged by Erdogan, just as critics had accused him of staging other violence to shore up his power?
...
In any case, having seen the brutal images and video coming from both sides (army firing on unarmed protesters, protesters capturing military personnel and cutting their heads off or slitting their throats), I am reminded once again how in the struggle for political power, it is ordinary people, not elites, who are asked to pay the ultimate price.
a) Was the coup organized by Gulen movement, whose US-based Soros-like leader offers something even worse than Erdogan - outright Islamist reaction? It would make sense, given Erdogan's recent shift in policy on Russia, Israel, Egypt, and his government's rumored negotiations with the Syrians, for certain forces in the US to support this behind the scenes.
b) Alternatively, could it have been supported by the secularist wing of the military, who, similarly to Egypt, is looking to put an end to the rise of an Islamist, neo-Ottoman caliphate? If this is the case, I fundamentally agree with you No 14 that the failure of the coup threatens only to embolden the most reactionary elements of the Erdogan regime, with catastrophic consequences for progressive forces.
c) In connection to the last question, is it possibly that this coup was staged by Erdogan, just as critics had accused him of staging other violence to shore up his power?
...
In any case, having seen the brutal images and video coming from both sides (army firing on unarmed protesters, protesters capturing military personnel and cutting their heads off or slitting their throats), I am reminded once again how in the struggle for political power, it is ordinary people, not elites, who are asked to pay the ultimate price.
16 Jul 2016, 21:39
What I love is the Putinist media connecting it all to a puppet-strings manipulation by "The Empire Of Chaos", as they call it.
No doubt, the U.S. does cause a lot of chaos in the world, historically and to date. Still, I think option B - secularist soldiers wanting to put the lid on a future of Islamist stupidity - is the most likely one. Unfortunately, they didn't move with the right speed or in the right places, so they'll probably soon all be dead.
Meanwhile, what the Putinist media doesn't seem to get is that an outright Islamist Turkey will be a bigger enemy to Russia than to the West. The Orthodox Church will do everything in their power to influence Putin to keep a tight eye on "Christian persecution in the heathen lands." If Erdogan screws up one more time on behalf of Daesh and endangering Russians or Russian (temporary) allies, he'll likely get a nasty surprise for his Ramadan holiday.
@Soviet78: It's always the rich man's war and the poor man's fight.
No doubt, the U.S. does cause a lot of chaos in the world, historically and to date. Still, I think option B - secularist soldiers wanting to put the lid on a future of Islamist stupidity - is the most likely one. Unfortunately, they didn't move with the right speed or in the right places, so they'll probably soon all be dead.
Meanwhile, what the Putinist media doesn't seem to get is that an outright Islamist Turkey will be a bigger enemy to Russia than to the West. The Orthodox Church will do everything in their power to influence Putin to keep a tight eye on "Christian persecution in the heathen lands." If Erdogan screws up one more time on behalf of Daesh and endangering Russians or Russian (temporary) allies, he'll likely get a nasty surprise for his Ramadan holiday.
@Soviet78: It's always the rich man's war and the poor man's fight.
16 Jul 2016, 21:50
Soviet78: many open questions to be sure. The poor execution of the coup obviously raises false-flag theories. But of course poor organisation of the coup is not indicative of the coup itself being staged. To turn a phrase: inadequate organisation does not imply organised inadequacy.
Even if it were partly or wholly stage-managed, at least some people up in the chain of command must have believed they were committed to a coup for real. The plotters' lives are ruined and they could even face the death penalty. Maybe there are people in the Turkish state and military apparatus willing to do a lot for Erdogan, but effectively committing suicide is not one of them.
There are still a lot of facts to be cleared up. Taking this into consideration, I agree with the cautious and balanced statement of the Communist Party. I think it's perfectly plausible that what they call "the tension and the rivalries between different groups within the state and the armed forces" led to this coup, and nothing more (or less). It's perfectly plausible that some of these elements decided to act for whatever reason. The putschists' statement that was read out on Turkish state television was very vague, and I haven't read much info on who they actually are and what position they took within these existing rivalries.
Erdogan turning Gülen into a scapegoat was to be expected. But it is not so much those individual figures themselves that matter here, but what they represent. Is Gülen even capable of organising a coup? Who the hell knows? But there must surely be a larger group within the Turkish state apparatus that supports more neoliberal policies and a less interventionist foreign policy. And in that sense, it's interesting that the US declared itself for Erdogan strongly last night, but only when it turned out that Erdogan was firmly in the saddle. It shows that there are bigger interests than just some palace intrigues from one guy against the other.
In the end, all of Turkey's current problems stem from the reactionary AKP regime, and from its domestic and foreign backers, regardless of this or that faction, regardless of Erdogan or Gülen. All the rhetoric clouds the basic realities. For instance, everyone can agree that the reactionary AKP clique is using this and other bloodshed to solidify its position. But the very fact that they need to do this already demonstrates that Erdogan is not some all-powerful personal dictator, but that he has his own vulnerabilities. He can give himself executive powers all he likes, but he still can't protect his people from terrorist attacks and coup plots. All he can do is plug the leaks with new military adventures and foreign policy flip-flops, all of which cause new leaks of their own.
At the moment, the AKP regime can use the terrorist massacres to confuse, intimidate and/or rally the people, but it is still enslaved to its own internal contradictions that will inevitably blow up in its face. The coup shows that these contradictions and rivalries are never far off, even (or especially) when all the pundits are repeating the narrative of the all-powerful dictator Erdogan. For now, they may succeed at using the coup to rally people around them, but what if the next terrorist attack or coup attempt happens tomorrow? Something has got to give eventually.
Even if it were partly or wholly stage-managed, at least some people up in the chain of command must have believed they were committed to a coup for real. The plotters' lives are ruined and they could even face the death penalty. Maybe there are people in the Turkish state and military apparatus willing to do a lot for Erdogan, but effectively committing suicide is not one of them.
There are still a lot of facts to be cleared up. Taking this into consideration, I agree with the cautious and balanced statement of the Communist Party. I think it's perfectly plausible that what they call "the tension and the rivalries between different groups within the state and the armed forces" led to this coup, and nothing more (or less). It's perfectly plausible that some of these elements decided to act for whatever reason. The putschists' statement that was read out on Turkish state television was very vague, and I haven't read much info on who they actually are and what position they took within these existing rivalries.
Erdogan turning Gülen into a scapegoat was to be expected. But it is not so much those individual figures themselves that matter here, but what they represent. Is Gülen even capable of organising a coup? Who the hell knows? But there must surely be a larger group within the Turkish state apparatus that supports more neoliberal policies and a less interventionist foreign policy. And in that sense, it's interesting that the US declared itself for Erdogan strongly last night, but only when it turned out that Erdogan was firmly in the saddle. It shows that there are bigger interests than just some palace intrigues from one guy against the other.
In the end, all of Turkey's current problems stem from the reactionary AKP regime, and from its domestic and foreign backers, regardless of this or that faction, regardless of Erdogan or Gülen. All the rhetoric clouds the basic realities. For instance, everyone can agree that the reactionary AKP clique is using this and other bloodshed to solidify its position. But the very fact that they need to do this already demonstrates that Erdogan is not some all-powerful personal dictator, but that he has his own vulnerabilities. He can give himself executive powers all he likes, but he still can't protect his people from terrorist attacks and coup plots. All he can do is plug the leaks with new military adventures and foreign policy flip-flops, all of which cause new leaks of their own.
At the moment, the AKP regime can use the terrorist massacres to confuse, intimidate and/or rally the people, but it is still enslaved to its own internal contradictions that will inevitably blow up in its face. The coup shows that these contradictions and rivalries are never far off, even (or especially) when all the pundits are repeating the narrative of the all-powerful dictator Erdogan. For now, they may succeed at using the coup to rally people around them, but what if the next terrorist attack or coup attempt happens tomorrow? Something has got to give eventually.
16 Jul 2016, 22:22
Good analysis No 14, agree with every word.
Comrade Gulper, 'Putinist media' has no unified position; in fact I've been monitoring both Russian and English-language stuff they've been saying (along with MSNBC, Fox and NYT, etc.), and the Russians have used 'alleged', 'suspected' and 'unofficially' just as much if not more than the Americans throughout the whole thing. If you think the US does not have a horse in this race, and that that they'll actively support it, that position is just a little naive to say the least. If Russians see a US bogey man behind every corner, it's not really their fault for being paranoid; the Americans are training in Ukraine for crying out loud. Also, I think everyone in Russia realizes Islamism is worse than the West; the main problem is that in the past the two have actively cooperated, whether in Syria, Libya, Yemen, the south Caucasus, or elsewhere, and often against Russia. The only question is, was it two strains of Islamism that were duking it out last night in Turkey, or something else? Absolutely agreed on the rich man-poor man analogy.
Comrade Gulper, 'Putinist media' has no unified position; in fact I've been monitoring both Russian and English-language stuff they've been saying (along with MSNBC, Fox and NYT, etc.), and the Russians have used 'alleged', 'suspected' and 'unofficially' just as much if not more than the Americans throughout the whole thing. If you think the US does not have a horse in this race, and that that they'll actively support it, that position is just a little naive to say the least. If Russians see a US bogey man behind every corner, it's not really their fault for being paranoid; the Americans are training in Ukraine for crying out loud. Also, I think everyone in Russia realizes Islamism is worse than the West; the main problem is that in the past the two have actively cooperated, whether in Syria, Libya, Yemen, the south Caucasus, or elsewhere, and often against Russia. The only question is, was it two strains of Islamism that were duking it out last night in Turkey, or something else? Absolutely agreed on the rich man-poor man analogy.
21 Jul 2016, 08:24
Quote:The Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Turkey on July 2016 [EN] [DE] [AR] [RU]
The Central Committee of the Communist Party gathered on 17th of July and assessed the latest developments in the country deeply and also discussed the state of the Party and its tasks at hand. [EN] [DE][AR] [RU]
The Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Turkey on July 2016
1. July 15th coup attempt was not a confrontation between ideologically conflicting centers , but involved at least two and even more state cliques with identical class identities and ideologies. It is not possible that these cliques would be totally unaware of each other's plans and actions just as it is not possible to tell one clique from the other. However the 15th of July attempt was not a bloody scenario planned by Erdoğan as some claimed so. It was a real coup attempt.
2. The process that led to the coup has two dimensions. First is what could be described as the fight for “power” in the general sense between Erdoğan supporters and Gulen movement, which has acquired a new dimension by the widespread purges of Gulenists recently. While the economic and political weight of this fight is increasing, the fight also has an international dimension and imperialist centers are supporting these fractions.
3. That most of the officers who participated in the coup attempt are mostly Gulenists and that Gulen movements has close connections within the US are facts. The thought that a coup will not take place in Turkey without U.S.'s approval as Turkey is a close military partner of U.S. as a NATO member is correct to a large extent. The main reason behind most of high ranking officers of the Turkish Armed Forces who are frustrated with AKP not attempting a coup is due to the support US administration has lent AKP.
4. This support has been reduced recently because of various reasons.Some elements with influence in USA and some European countries, have even started preparing for Erdoğan’s purge. The uprising of the people in 2013 with the participation of the millions, the damage on the interests of the system due to the tension created by Erdoğan in large sectors of the society and finally the total fiasco of the Syrian policy deeply effected the relations between Erdoğan and some imperialist countries. It is not possible to consider the 15th July coup attempt without taking into account this tension.
5. Coup plotters having connection abroad does not make Erdoğan a patriot or anti-imperialist. As a politician, Erdoğan has served the interests of the USA and international monopolies. At the moment, as a politician who has lost favor among the forces that had lent him support for years, he is maneuvering, entering into new alliances in an effort to save himself. The fact that Erdoğan is now approaching this or that international axis does not change his class character and his ideological preferences. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a bourgeois politician, he is an enemy of the working class, he is a counter revolutionary and he is no different than the coup plotters who wanted to topple him.
6. The coup attempt, the powers behind it, the methods used and its ideological basis, do not have anything to do with the interests of the people. The opinion that the country would have seen better days if the coup had been successful is baseless. It is obvious what a pro-American, anti-people coup would mean.
7. It is also nonsense to present the suppression of the coupe as a victory for the people and/or celebrate it is the “festival of democracy” in the tail ofAKP. This is an approach which does not question the legitimacy of the AKP regime and which ignores the class fundamentals of what is going on in the country.
8. The thesis claiming that Erdoğan gained more power after this coup attempt is true to a certain extent. Without doubt, Erdoğan got a chance to inflict a heavy blow to the Gülen Community; got the opportunity to play the victim once again, consolidated his mass base and tested the power of some organizations under his control. However he ended up with a seriously damaged state apparatus and he also had to face the fact that there is not any safe bureaucracy anymore because of the transitory of the integral cliques.
9. Under these circumstances, Erdoğan may try a purge of not only Gulenists but the “Kemalist” elements that he has an alliance with in the two most critical state institutions, Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and judiciary and rely solely on his own resources. While it may be relatively easier to achieve this in various sectors of the bureaucracy, there are serious challenges in relying on own resources within the military and judiciary. Without engaging in an absolute and final showdown at the social plane, Erdoğan can not make this move, which would essentially mean an attempt to establish an Islamic state. On the other hand, Erdoğan does not have any other way out for being able to consolidate his own masses under tension.
10. It is also possible that Erdoğan makes an effort to mend the relations with USA and reduce the internal tension after a short period of terror and intimidation and there are already some signals indicating that he is preparing to take those steps. Additionally, the expectations of CHP and HDP are also in this direction. This option is difficult because it is not possible for Erdoğan to continue without politics of escalating tension, clearing the field for his radical elements. Otherwise, the opposition in the Parliament does not actually have any problem with Erdoğan and his AKP.
11. In any case, there is a dissolution and a multi dimensional crisis regarding the hegemony of the capital. It's not this dissolution but the unorganized state of the working class, which is actually dangerous.
12. Another danger is the potential for the belief that Erdoğan is invincible following the coup becoming widespread. This belief is accompanied by “scary” scenarios that spread like a virus and news stories, a large chunk of which are not based on truth, create a state of panic. AKP government has always been dangerous and it is clear that they are even more dangerous now. However the panic environment is helping legitimize AKP's aggression. In fact, neither AKP and Erdoğan are as strong as claimed nor Turkey is a country whose future can be thrown into darkness over night. For example, in the so-called “celebrations” following the coup, despite all the calls, the number of AKP supporters on the streets was a limited one. The correct position is to be aware of the pending danger but not to create the panic, on the contrary, to attempt to utilize the dissolution for the benefit of the working class.
13. AKP and the fundamentalist threat should not be underestimated at all. It is clear that the period that opened with the assertion “Secularism is not under threat” carried the country to the edge of the abyss. However, there is the task of organizing a popular movement that is more potent and more “ready” to face this considerable threat. This task can not be accomplished by whipping up panic after long years of dormancy. That the opposition within the system is crowning its past inaction with the creation of panic now is unacceptable.
14. Under these conditions, the main source of power for AKP and Erdoğan continues to be his opponents in the political system. The political establishment based all its plans on normalizing, transforming and getting AKP to fall in line. The attitude of some politicians who claim to be representatives of “left” in the Parliament is truly remarkable and worrisome.
15. Experiences during and after the 15th July exposed how ruthless the factions within the state can be. We all watched how the coup plotters knew no limits in cruelty. Then, we witnessed the barbarism of the government. All these can not be handled by the approach of “let them kill one another”. Undetermined number of civilians have been killed and rank and file soldiers who had no idea of what was going on have been lynched. People will ultimately bring to justice the perpetuators of all these lawless actions, lynchings, and torture against suspects and soldiers who had surrendered and the rulers of those two factions who had cooperated together for years but fighting each other now will eventually have to face the justice of the people.
16. It is not correct to explain all these cruelties as a sign of “power”. On the contrary there is dissolution, fear and confusion on the side of the government. The widespread fear can only be overcome by strong, solid and consistent moves, not by unorganized, foolish actions. And this dissolution can be turned into an opportunity for the people.
17. As we have always emphasized, Turkey can only be liberated by the unified struggle of the working class against the class hegemony presented by dark powers, not as a result of the clashes between dark powers. We refuse all kind of analysis and positions ignoring this reality. It is obvious that Communists will not give credit to quackery of the “victory of democratic powers” and the “cunning” calls to unite everyone against Erdoğan. Among the people who are uttering the words “the victory of democratic power”, are some who are also creating panic with rhetoric of “followers of sharia will cut our heads off” is a testimony to the level of confusion. We repeat: we will never cross paths with the representatives of the capitalist class, USA and NATO supported coups or agents of color revolutions. This wouldn't weaken us. An unorganized working class that is lured by fake solutions is what would weaken us.
18. The scale of the vacuum among the ranks of the people created as a result of the animosity towards organizing must be clear for everyone to see once again in a country where the Gulen movement, gangs in the government, interest groups, hit-men and even the mafia have the ability to act “organized”. We can even go further to say that everyone who is for a classless society free of exploitation has to strive and work together for a state of organization that is persistent, continuous and has a collective mind. Not embarking on this task, legitimizing the inertia and indifference to this point is equivalent to being an enemy of the people. It is a must to strengthen the organization of the class, independent of the religious sects, Gulen movements, capital and imperialist centers. The ones who idolized the apolitical popular reactions, spontaneous mass actions that did not get organized, the ones that turned aimlessness and formlessness into an aim under the rhetoric of “Gezi pluralism” must have hopefully learnt their lesson.
19. The only objective of the Communist Party is to become an independent revolutionary organization that can change the balance of forces in the country by mobilizing during the coups or the reactionary campaigns. In order to achieve this objective all together, our only call to our working people is to mobilize, trusting only their own power and take initiative instead of watching this nightmare unfold.
Communist Party
Central Committee
https://www.kp.org.tr/en/basin-aciklama ... n-de-ar-ru
21 Jul 2016, 21:36
I rarely read in full the long, rambling statements often put out by CPs on various issues, but this one in particular had me hanging on every word. Very well done, and well organized too (already translated into German, Arabic, even Russian). It really cuts through all the theorizing and rumors that have come up in the press, and I trust their analysis, since they are skeptical of both sides, and take a class approach.
29 Jul 2016, 15:20
The KP (Turkey) is a party with highly Marxist-Leninist stance, so their analysis are often hit the nail on the head. As for the coup, it was nearly 99% that the US was behind it. However, they was outplayed by Russia again...
30 Jul 2016, 00:54
Engelsist wrote:The KP (Turkey) is a party with highly Marxist-Leninist stance, so their analysis are often hit the nail on the head. As for the coup, it was nearly 99% that the US was behind it. However, they was outplayed by Russia again...
Proof, please. You can't just issue a blanket straw man every time there's a hiccup in the Middle East.
Also, I don't think the Turks regard Putin as their best friend at the moment.
01 Aug 2016, 20:04
soviet78 wrote:I rarely read in full the long, rambling statements often put out by CPs on various issues, but this one in particular had me hanging on every word. Very well done, and well organized too (already translated into German, Arabic, even Russian). It really cuts through all the theorizing and rumors that have come up in the press, and I trust their analysis, since they are skeptical of both sides, and take a class approach.
In that case, you may be interested in a series of articles that they've initiated, in which they answer 2 out of 10 "FAQs" on the coup attempt in every article:
Quote:International Bulletin No6 [EN] [ES] [FR] [RU] [DE] [AR]
Deutsch
Español
The coup attempt and the continuing dispute in its aftermath was not only the concern of Turkey but of the workers’ and communist parties all over the world. Definitely, the course of the events should be considered regarding the class struggle in Turkey but at the same time that very coup attempt also referred to the class struggle around the world, indicating the relentless rivalry and weaknesses within the imperialist order.
In order to share with the international communist movement, the International Relations Bureau of the Communist Party,Turkey has prepared an analysis which consists of 10 critical questions on recent coup attempt and its aftermath in Turkey.
The following International Bulletins of Communist Party,Turkey will cover the answers of these 10 questions in pairs.
The list of the questions is as follows:
1- Who were the plotters of the coup attempt?
2-What was the aim of the coup attempt?
3- Were there any chance for the attempt to be successful?
4 - What is the place of Gulen movement in the history of Turkey?
5 – Is it possible for capitalism and bourgeois politics in Turkey to normalize in near future?
6 – Is it possible for Turkey to shift toward the Russia-Iran axis?
7- Is there a connection between the NATO Summit that took place this summer in Warsaw on July 8-9 and the military coup attempt in Turkey one week after the Summit?
8- Can AKP and Erdogan succeed a restoration after the partial liquidation of the state?
9- Is the future for Turkey an islamist dictatorship led by Erdoğan?
10- Are there any opportunities for a working class politics in Turkey as it is today?
The International Relations Bureau regards the perspectives from the international communist movement, and will be expecting contributions and questions which will be involved in further analysis. The contact address is as follows: int@kp.org.tr
[ES] [RU] [FRA] [DE]
International Bulletin of Communist Party, Turkey No6
Critical questions on recent coup attempt and its aftermath in Turkey:
1- Who were the plotters of the coup attempt?
It would be better to answer this question in two parts: the processes which led to the coup attempt, and the very night of July 15th. It was apparent that the operational actors were the soldiers acquiring different level ranks from various Services of the Turkish Armed Forces, including full generals. The soldiers who were directly involved in the coup attempt took the Commanders of the Forces, as well as the Chief of Defence, hostage; had a raid to the hotel where Erdoğan situated by special forces and then followed his plane by F16 fighter planes; held air strikes aimed the locations of the Special Police Forces, Directorate General of Security and the National Intelligence Organization in Ankara; bombed the Parliament buildings; restricted the access to the Bosphorus Bridge in İstanbul and controlled the air traffic over the city by fighter planes for hours.
It is true that, in order to be able to accomplish such a combat, there have to be a serious number of commanders and sophisticated officers who are present by their own consents, besides the ones who act orderly. It is already known that the majority of the officers involved in the attempt were the members of the Gülenist movement, yet, when the several inconsistencies of the day of July the 15th concerned, the presence of some non-Gülenist officers and bureaucrats, who could be considered taking part in one way or another, stand out.
At this point the prior issues which led to the coup attempt should be referred to.
There seem to be many and various actors, other than the plotters, who would have been happy with the success of the attempt. It has to be recalled that the capitalists of Turkey have sponsored Gülen while he was growing strong internationally. There is the fact that the Gülen schools which raise pro-American reactionary cadres, TUSKON-the Gülenist confederation of Turkish businessmen and industrial capitalists, and other establishments and organizations of Gülenist movement have had various types of relationships with almost all the parts of the bourgeois actors in Turkey since 1990s. Moreover, Gülenists being a first hand part of the capitalist class of Turkey, they have been involved in various types of collaborations with other capitalists over the years. On the other hand, there are allegations pointing how the bourgeois opposition seeked for ways of cooperation with the Gülen movement, including alliances in the elections in the hope of controlling AKP and Erdoğan since 2014.
Lastly the international actors of this non-fictional and from some aspects professionally plotted coup attempt have to be listed. The statements coming from Europe and the USA on the night of July 15 until the probable end of the coup attempt was clear, did not indicate an apparent refusal of the plotters. All through that night the information released by international sources like Reuters and the think-tank Stratfor, proved that it was not only some group of Gülenist military officers possessed the intelligence of the coup attempt.
Additionally, although not confirmed officially, there is the news about the US airbase in İncirlik had served for the attempt. The facts that Fethullah Gülen has been accommodating and being politically active in US and his known links with the CIA reinforce the allegations regarding the supportive role of the some group of forces from the USA for the coup attempt.
Although all these detections depend on factual information and observations, we have to consider the inconsistencies and the oddity of all the course of events. The only unconditional truth about the actual plotters is that they share the exact ideology and class position with the AKP government and carry pro-American and anti-popular identities.
2-What was the aim of the coup attempt?
The coup attempt did not aim a Gülenist government, as some believe. The main target of the attempt was Erdoğan and his close staff, in other words, it was the AKP ruled by Erdoğan.
If this purge would had been realised, the politics in Turkey would be proceeded with an AKP government without Erdoğan, supported by all the other bourgeois political groups. So we have to rephrase the question: Why was Erdoğan aimed to be purged?
The answer of this question lies within the political past of Turkey.
The AKP was formulated at the beginning of the 2000s by the capitalist class of Turkey, to serve the formation of a new model of capitalist accumulation in Turkey and the integration process of the country into the imperialist order. AKP had been founded in alliance with the Gülenist movement which had been an operational tool for the USA and the islamist groups reconciled with imperialism and capitalists.
Having been in power for 15 years, this alliance almost totally has eliminated the secular order; completed the full privatization of the public enterprises and attacked the organised parts of the working class. In 2011, AKP seized full control of the state by eliminating all the resisting points.
Yet, the alliance between the AKP led by Erdoğan and the Gülen movement started to shake after 2011 and turned into a conflict since 2013. It was already the year 2009 when Wikileaks released the Stratfor foresight telling about a possible faction between AKP and Gülen movement.
The transformation in Turkey had led changes in the model of the accumulation of capital and the composition of the capitalist class. The capitalists of Turkey, who had accumulated large amounts from the privatizations, had started to export capital and had headed towards to secure those investments politically as well. The interests of the capitalists required relations with Russia and Iran on mutual interests without growing distant from the NATO and USA.
The strategic agreement on the natural gas pipeline with Russia had been signed in that sense. This would provide a line for Russian natural gas to Europe through Turkey. Besides, Turkey needed natural gas from Iran and Russia. The Russian market was an opportunity for the capitalists of Turkey. On the other hand, Russia was actively involved in political tactics which would drive Turkey out of the USA and EU alliances, and this was partly getting reciprocity.
This bourgeois policy of keeping balances started to be represented in Erdoğan himself. As a once more the bourgeois policy, the expansionism of Turkey led to independent yet unsuccessful moves which annoyed Turkey’s allies involved in USA’s plot on Syria.
However US, whose military containment policy towards Russia has been getting tenser rapidly, cannot tolerate an indecisive ally who acts double sided.
There have been an anti-Erdoğan campaign which started way before the coup attempt but has been intensified recently, in the imperialist press. Although that campaign had mottos like “democracy and the freedom of press”, it was obvious that they aimed to create a stable and docile Turkey.
We very well know that the aim of the coup was neither “secularism” nor “freedom”. The coup attempted to secure the interests of the USA and EU imperialisms and the purge of Erdoğan, which had been attempted before with several other ways but had not been succeeded.
https://www.kp.org.tr/en/international- ... r-ru-de-ar