Communist Party, Turkey (KP): Critical questions on recent coup attempt and its aftermath in Turkey (English, Español)

Source: www.kp.org.tr.

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.

International Bulletin of Communist Party, Turkey No6.

Critical questions on recent coup attempt and its aftermath in Turkey:

Communist Party, Turkey (KP): "Step into action!"- Interviews with Kemal Okuyan and Özlem Şen Abay

Communist Party, Turkey: Step into action!

Turkey must exit NATO.

The EU membership process must stop;

All military agreements with the US must be abolished, all relevant military bases must be closed;

All religious associations must be dissolved. Any religious discourse must be forbidden in politics. Educational system must be refashioned on the secular basis;

The support for the terrorist groups in Syria must be called off.

These are the urgent demands that must be raised and popularized after the coup attempt of the Gulenists and their collaborators.

The Communist Party cannot let the immediate connections between the unjust system in the country and what happened thereof be passed over while struggling for such demands.

Communist Party of Greece (KKE): Statement on the developments in Turkey and the attempted military coup

Source: 902.gr / Translation in English: In Defense of Communism.

“The up-to-date data information, regarding the developments in Turkey and the coup attempt, refer to a sharpening of the internal, intra-bourgeois contradictions, of the differences between the various authority centers in the country, which interweave with the total international antagonisms in the broader region of Syria, of Middle East and Eastern Merditerranean, through the direct intervention and juxtaposition of powerful capitalist states.

In these antagonisms, Turkey has participated- and participates- having as an aim the protection of the Turkish bourgeois-class interests and its strengthening as a regional power. The active implication of Turkey in the Syria developments, the military operations it conducted in its northern part which is inhabited by populations of Kurdish origin, the relations with the Islamic State (Daesh) brought it in confrontation with its traditional allies, e.g. USA, NATO and others.

Communist Party, Turkey (KP): Statement of the Central Committee regarding the latest developments in the country

Source: kp.org.tr.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party has gathered on 17th of July and assessed the latest developments in the country deeply and also discussed the Party's situation and  missions. 

The Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Turkey on July 2016

1.  July 15th coup attempt has not brought ideologically conflicting centers subject to each other, but involved at least two and even more state cliques, which have identical class identities and ideologies. It is not possible that these cliques would be totally unaware of each other's plans and actions just like it is being impossible to dissociated them. However the attempt on 15th of July is not a bloody scenario totally planned by Erdoğan as some claimed so, but is a real coup attempt.

Nâzım Hikmet: "My Greek Brothers..." (1952)

Nazim Hikmet- Letter to the Greek People.

Trasmitted through the Radio Station of Warsaw.

19 August 1952.

Source: Rizospastis, 9 June 2013.
Translation in english: In Defense of Communism. 

"Greek Brothers,

There are two Turkeys and two Greeces. The real one and the fake one. The independent one and the slavish one. One is the Greece of Beloyannis and of the thousand of Greek patriots who suffer in the prisons. The homeland of the Greek people. This is the genuine Greece. It is Turkey with the thousand Turkish patriots who are rotting in the dungeons. The Turkey of the Turkish people. This is the genuine Turkey.

There is the Turkey and Greece of Menderes and Plastiras. They are the official ones, not the real ones. They are those which with their few supporters sold out both countries to the american Imperialism.

Recently, under the american blessings, Menderes and Plastiras shook hands in Athens. Their bloodstained hands, which send Turkish and Greek soldiers in Korea. Their bloodstained hands which prepare a new war. They even issued an official statement and talked about the Greek-Turkish friendship. We all understand this friendship.

To hit together the fighters of the Turkish and Greek people, who are struggling for Independence, peace and freedom. To grind in the same american mincer children of the Greek and the Turkish people. To compel the people of Turkey and Greece to bend the head and worship their bosses and the bosses of their bosses.

But the people of Turkey and Greece give a totally different meaning to the Greek-Turkish friendship. For them, the friendship means a common struggle for the freedom of their homeland. For national independence, for the happiness, in order to be able to taste side by side in the fraternal table of friendship, the bread and the olives of their own country.

The Turkish and the Greek people want to send to hell the foreign conquerors. The experts for the torture and the experts for the economic disaster.

In the hearts of the Turkish and Greek people there are the same feelings. Love for their homelands, love for the Soviet Union, for the People's Republics, the Great People's republic of China. (For) every independent or semi-independent people who struggles for national independence. Love for the Korean people. Love for the decent Americans. This is the meaning of the friendship between the Turkish and the Greek people.

My friends Greeks,

We must fight together, hand by hand for the national independence of our countries, for democracy against every expression of fascism, against the imperialists. Thus, our friendship will becoming day by day more powerful.

As a representative of my people, I can say to you that the Turkish people love the Greek people and feel admiration for their heroic achievements. I can tell you, that the Turkish fighters were learning, even in the prison, the news from the liberation struggles of your people and of your people's army. I can tell you that they were hearing about the incidents in Greece with tears in their eyes. The Turkish people was by the side of the Greek people in these tragic and heroic days and will be in the future always by their side. 

 

IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©

Kemal Okuyan (Communist Party, Turkey): "Erdoğan cannot trust anyone anymore"

Interview with Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party, Turkey (KP) on the coup attempt in Turkey.

Source: International Communist Press, 17th July 2016.

Following is the interview of the soL news portal with Kemal Okuyan First Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party, Turkey (KP) on the coup attempt in Turkey:

SoL: Was the coup attempt surprising for you?

KO: Nothing happening in Turkey should surprise anyone. But more importantly, the possibility of a military coup had been increasing gradually. There are international actors and some power groups in Turkey, who are frustrated by Erdoğan. We have indicated the causes of this discontent several times, we are not making those up. Those are documented, reported facts. Could there be a rule for the capitalists saying there cannot be any conflict within imperialists, no giving away of their own politicians? Recep Tayyip Erdoğan served a lot for the international monopolies, he is still serving them though… But both he himself has made mistakes and also the inner conflicts of the imperialism have been deepened creating various tendencies some of which are not happy with a Turkey with Erdoğan. In that sense, a coup was predictable. Yet obviously there are surprising things about this attempt.

SoL: Some consider everything as a scenario?

KO: It is not a comparison but: I don't understand how certain people take Talat Aydemir’s interventions* seriously but not consider this attempt as realistic? This is because, everything can be visualised today. Image ruins fetishes, yet creates new ones. There is video footage everywhere, those create perceptions of a “fake coup”. Whereas before, everything was on narrative and documents and could be idealized. The fact that this incident has strengthened Erdoğan’s position does not mean it was organised by him or his men. The attempt had some particular critical moments, and if things had been different at those moments we would be talking about quite a different picture.

Erdogan vs Coup: The two sides of the same coin

COMMENTARY.

By Nikos Mottas.

It is certainly too early in order to draw solid conclusions about the attempted military coup in Turkey. The developments and the information we receive are rapid and continuous. Numerous questions arise: Who was really behind the attempted Coup? What were the real motives of this action? How will Tayip Erdogan and his government respond in the next few days? However, what is sure is the framework within which the developments in Turkey are taking place: It is a framework of inter-bourgeois contradictions which reflect a sharp rivalry between different parts of the Turkish Capital.

The attempted military coup- as well as the almost immediate response from Erdogan and AKP supporters- reflect a situation of internal war within Turkey's bourgeoisie. Taking into account the significant geostrategic role of Turkey in the region, we can understand that this intra-bourgeois, intra-capitalist war consists part of broader inter-imperialist contradictions in the Middle East.

The situation in Turkey cannot be explained on the basis of the- nevertheless existing- political rivalry between pro-Islamists (Erdogan) and Kemalist forces; It is a deeper and much more complicated situation. The internal political turmoil in Turkey is interdependent with the imperialist activity in the region- with the ongoing war in Syria and the relations of the Turkish government with foreign powers such as the US, NATO, Russia, the EU, ISIS etc.

"There is no alternative but people"- Statement of the Communist Party, Turkey (KP) on the attempted military coup

Statement from the Communist Party, Turkey. Source: International Communist Press, 16th July 2016.

Communist Party, Turkey (KP) released a statement on the military activities ongoing since the night of 15th July. Following is the full text of the statement from KP:

"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.

"No one will save you in your stead! Rise up!"- Statement by the Communist Party, Turkey on Istanbul terrorist attack

Statement by the Communist Party, Turkey (Komünist Parti) regarding the terrorist attack in Istanbul's airport / Source: International Communist Press.

No people is by nature predisposed to take massacres for granted, to kneel before tyranny, and to keep silent against fundamentalism. Any people who do so lose their humanity.

We reject to get used to massacres, bomb attacks, and political murders.

We reject to put up with a government who always try to present massacres, bomb attacks, and political murders as usual events.

We reject to keep silent against a government who interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, who prompt terrorists to attack those lands, and who back the same terrorists in the name of “sacred values” in its own country. 

We reject to recognize the law of those who pass new bills in the parliament while tens die due to the indifference, hypocrisy, sinister plans, and ineptitude of the government.

KKE: Solidarity message to the Communist Party, Turkey (KP) for the criminal attack in Istanbul's airport

Source: 902.gr / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

The International Relations Department of the CC of KKE sent the following message of solidarity to the Communist Party, Turkey (KP):

Dear comrades,

We express our condolences for the victims of the criminal attack in the airport of Istanbul.

The people of the region must be alerted, because the contradictions and the clashes of imperialists in the region consist the soil upon which people shed their blood and such actions are imbedded in escalation plans of interventions and wars for the profits of the monopolies, imposing of repressive measures against the working people.

The AKP goverment bears serious responsibilities as long as with its policy has directly implicated Turkey in imperialist plans and antagonisms.

The people of the region, who pay a heavy toll of blood for the movements and upheavals between NATO, EU, US and Russia, Israel and the Gulf's monarchies, have every interest to unite in a common struggle, contrasting their interests against the interests of the monopolies, of the bourgeoisies, of the imperialists. 

Communist Party, Turkey: German Parliament's resolution on the Armenian genocide and AKP government's reaction

Source: International Communist Press (ICP).

Communist Party, Turkey (KP) released a statement on the AKP government's reaction to the German parliament's resolution on the Armenian genocide

The German parliament approved a resolution declaring that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War One was a "genocide", at the beginning of this month. The vote was responded by harsh statement by the AKP government and Erdoğan himself. Turkey recalled its ambassador and Erdoğan threatened Germany with further action and indicated the Europen countries had mcuh more dark archives in the sense of "genocide". Additionally Turkey's newly assigned Prime Minister Binali Yildirim blamed a "racist Armenian lobby" for the resolution.

Interview with Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of Communist Party of Turkey (Rizospastis, 15 May 2016)

COMMUNIST PARTY OF TURKEY

Discussion with Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of the Central Committee.

Source: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

For the developments in Turkey, the activity of the communists, the difficulties but also the existing potential, we had the opportunity to discuss with comrade Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of the CC of Communist Party, Turkey, and representative of 'Gelenek' magazine in the International Communist Review. 

- What is the political, socio-economic reality in Turkey? We know about the persecutions of party's members and yours personally. How does the Party react?

Turkey passes through a long and deep political crisis which, for the time being, doesn't include the financial crisis, despite the fact that Turkish economy is very fragile, with dissolution of state property and a continuous attack on the working class' rights, while there is a huge leak of wealth and high level of foreigh investors. The government evolves a generalized social attack, which includes the Kurds, the secular forces against religious fundamentalism. And, of course, we the communists are permanently the target. Attacks on our offices occur, (attacks) against our members with the accusation of insulting President Erdogan. I personally face prosecution in three different cases (one began on May 5th, but was re-scheduled for the coming September). The Party has agreed to intensify the offensive political struggle.

- What are the priorities of the Party this period?

Shameful distortion of Nazim Hikmet's lyrics from car manufacturer company - Response from Turkey's Komünist Parti (KP)

Communist Party, Turkey (KP) came out strongly against an OPEL company ad using and distorting Nazım Hikmet's lyrics.

Source: International Communist Press, 3rd May 2016.

The CC of the Communist Party, Turkey (KP) released a statement protesting the OPEL company and the YKY publications for their abusement of communist poet Nazım Hikmet's legacy.

"...Our communist poet's legacy cannot be accounted in banks or kept in safe boxes. That legacy can only be saved forever with the reason and the labour of the communists..." wrote the statement.

An advertisement of OPEL distorting Nazım's lyrics was published on one of the best selling newspaper Hürriyet of Turkey today. Immediately after that, KP  claimed the legacy of the internationally recognised communist poet. Similarly, in the 2002 after the YKY publication company had declared material rights over Nazım Hikmet's works, the communists had objected strongly and had published Nazım's works as the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP).

Communist Party, Turkey (KP): "Karanlığa Meydan Okuyoruz" (We dare the darkness)

KP First Secretary Kemal Okuyan.

The Communist Party, Turkey (KP) held a mass meeting denouncing the darkness of Erdoğan's fundamentalism and calling for struggle.

Source: ICP, 19th April 2016.

Communist Party, Turkey (KP) held a mass meeting against the reactionism and fundamentalism in İstanbul last Sunday. At the meeting titled "We dare the darkness!", thousands gathered to challenge the reactionary and fundamentalist politics of President Erdoğan and the AKP regime.

KKE: Solidarity with the people of Turkey against Erdoğan's authoritarianism

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) released a text calling for solidarity against the authoritarianism of Erdoğan and Turkey's intervention in Syria.

International Communist Press, 10th April 2016.

The text which was calling for solidarity by signature, condemned Turkey's interventions in Syria and stated solidarity with the ones who are subject to prosecutions by the AKP government and President Erdoğan himself.

The full text and the initial signatories are as follows:

"AGAINST THE ANTIDEMOCRATIC POLICY OF LAW SUITS AND PROSECUTIONS IMPLEMENTED BY THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT AND PRESIDENT T. ERDOGAN.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government ratified the wretched bargain of the EU with Turkey's ruling class

         

(VIDEO from PAME's rally in support of the refugees in Athens)

Republished from inter.kke.gr.

On the 1^st of April 2016, the draft law related to the ratification of the European Union’s agreement with Turkey on the issue of refugees and immigrants was discussed and passed in the Greek parliament. All the reactionary EU decisions from September 2015 to its most recent Summit that have been co-signed to by the SYRIZA-ANEL government were integrated into Greek legislation in this way.

The European bourgeois states adjust- in a more reactionary direction- their legislation on asylum and regarding those who are entitled to international protection in line with these decisions. This is in complete contradiction to International Law regarding refugees, despite the hypocritical references to and invocations of the Geneva Convention.

Turkish communists defy Erdoğan: 'We call the thief "a thief", the murderer "a murderer"'

Republished from International Communist Press.

Members of the Communist Party, Turkey released a public statement to inform on themselves for challenging Erdoğan's numerous libel lawsuits.

ICP, 23rd March 2016.

50 members of the Communist Party, Turkey (KP) released a statement saying "The facts are stronger than Erdoğan" as an opposition to President Erdoğan's numerous lawsuits on libel against many people all over Turkey. 

The positions of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on the refugee-immigrant question

A Syrian refugee in Idomeni, Greece.
REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis.

Source: inter.kke.gr

The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, during the meeting of the political leaders called by the President of the Republic on the refugee question last Friday (4/3/2016) submitted a paper with the full and elaborated positions of the party on the specific issue.

“1.The KKE, from the very first moment of the sharpening of the refugee-immigration issue, attempted to explain its causes to the Greek people, which are the wars and interventions unleashed by the USA, NATO and the EU in the wider region of the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, in the framework of their competition with other forces, like Russia.

2. Needless to say the people who are victims of wars, interventions and reactionary regimes have the right to seek a safer life in other countries, despite the fact that a permanent solution to the problem can be found if the people of each country organize and struggle to overthrow the system that creates wars, poverty and refugees.