Chauvinism and Lynch attacks in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan
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The attacks that have been carried out for long time against the Kurdish people have reached to a level of bringing debates and preoccupations on a Turkish-Kurdish conflict to the agenda.

The Turkish state has given important casualties because of guerrilla attacks developed after Kongra-Gel ended the ceasefire, especially as a result of mined attacks. It wants to respond the situation on the basis of guerrilla to give up arms and of imposing a non- PKK and non-Ocalan solution to the Kurdish people. On the other hand, it is face to face with implementing the neo-liberal policies and repressing the increasing anger over these policies those are carried out in the form of privatisation, demolishing shanty-houses, agriculture and etc., and are bringing to open the important revolutionary opportunities and the individual resistances of, at first, the workers, labourer public servants, peasants and students in the West. It is a dangerous situation for them, because it contains opportunities of unification of the resistance in the west -which come to open via the neo-liberal attacks, the workers' resistances in SEKA and Seydisehir and the popular resistances in suburbs- with the national struggle of the Kurdish people, i.e. it is containing the opportunities for the united struggle of the oppressed against the fascist dictatorship.

The response given by the state to the Kurdish national struggle, that is to say the new concept of offence involves its (state's) intervention within the both two fronts. Besides the attempts of surrendering via physical attacks such as military operations against guerrillas in Kurdistan, shooting mass demonstrations, and through new means like statements of the Turkish intellectuals and organising state-sponsored new Kurdish formations, it also tries to organise the direct involvement of the oppressed Turks within the new concept of offence. Thus, it aims to crush with chauvinism the Turkish workers' and labourers' resistance on neo-liberalism, and smash with the fascist attacks the Kurdish nation's struggle against the denial and annihilation. It is trying to drive the oppressed of the geography to a reactionary polarisation on the basis of Turk-Kurd separation by preventing the polarisation in the forms of the state and people, the labour and capital and etc.

The attacks toward the Kurdish national struggle have given the sign of increase through the attacks of the civil-fascists of MHP (Nationalist Action Party) on the Kurdish and revolutionary youth in universities, the increase of chauvinist propaganda because of the EHRC's decision on Abdullah Ocalan, Armenian question and the ongoing military operations in the mountains of Kurdistan. The start of the lynch campaign was given through a provocation claiming the Kurds had set Turkish flag on fire during the Newroz celebrations. After that the General Staff of Army has appealed for a total war and participation of the civilians in this process. The lynch attempts had become widespread and the fascists from MHP played very important role here. Through the maturity which brought by 20 years of experiences of war, the Kurdish people did not allow for a Turk-Kurt polarisation. But, on the other hand, this was not the situation for the Turkish oppressed masses.

One of the moves taken by the Turkish bourgeoisie in this process was the meeting of Tayyip Erdogan with some "intellectuals" those who made statements where the call for PKK to give up arms was in the centre. This situation caused some expectations, and Kongra-Gel responded to the move by passive defence that will last for one month. This one month of time, unsurprisingly, represented a period where the attacks were increased. The military operations continued, two Kurdish toilers were murdered as a result of shooting of the security forces to the mass demonstrations in Van and Dersim and the bombardment of media was condensed. The non-PKK solution and denial policy were amounted in numerous forms like attacking the legal Kurdish institutions, opening court cases against DEHAP and initiatives to organise "alternative" Kurdish groups. The lynch attempts on the Gemlik rally of DEHAP have stamped its mark on the process.

The Turkish bourgeois state's moves for a non-PKK solution received support from the imperialists of the USA and EU. The USA has given signs of advanced attempts on the way of non-PKK solution to the Kurdish question. On the other hand, imperialists of the EU showed their real face through police raids on various Kurdish institutions, at first, the Ozgur Politika (Free Politic) newspaper.

This process of offence continues to cause polarisation and reactions of different organisations in different forms, and to push those who do not take clear position to the arms of chauvinism. One of the most important incidents of the last month was the DISK (Confederation of Revolutionary Worker Unions) to ask for cancellation of 12 September demonstrations under the pretext of possible provocations. Asking for cancellation of the demonstrations, where the people -who are responsible for the 12 September military coup, the massacre of Kemal Turkler, one of the leaders of the DISK, the torture and repression faced by many of its members- were going to be brought to account, shows the borders of the DISK, a force that could not take consistent democratic attitude on the Kurdish question, on defending the interests of the Turkish and Kurdish labourers. This is, at the same time, a product of General Staffs' position to involve all civilians and Non-Governmental Organisations in the total war.

Continuing to stay within the axes of pro-EU solution, Kongra-Gel, at the end of one month time, announced that it has extended the period of passive defence to 3rd of October where negotiations with EU is going to take place. However, the developments point the Turkish state's direction towards the USA's Greater Middle Eastern Project is going to accelerate even after the process of negotiations. So non-PKK solutions are going to be strengthened, and this would mean hardening of the political process and appearance of a will where the attacks could happen more and more.

The process goes in this form. Not only the Kurdish people and the Kurdish national movement, but also the Turkish workers, labourers and all progressive, revolutionary, communist forces struggling in the geography are on the target of the fascist dictatorship's attacks. This is also pointed by the steps strengthening the political will of the rulers such as the changes made in the Anti-terror Law -which widens aims and arbitrary side of the law- and gathering of Higher Institution of Struggle against Terrorism again after 8 years.

The main task under these conditions where the Turkish fascist dictatorship tries to organise Turk-Kurd polarisation is to form the united front of the Turkish and Kurdish oppressed against fascism, imperialism and its collaborators, the neo-liberal destruction policies and the seizure of democratic rights under the name of fight against terrorism. This is the line which is tried to be developed by the Marxist Leninist Communists. The Turk-Kurd polarisation imposed by MGK (National Security Council) can only be broken by the polarisation of the forces taking side with labour and freedom on the basis such as the fascists and antifascists, the oppressors and oppressed, and the servants of imperialism and the anti-imperialists; by the polarisation of labour forces and other oppressed. Taking the fight against lynches to the frontline is the most possible point for creation of such front. Every example of lynch attempts organised by the colonialist war regime through mobilisation of the fascist mops must be immediately responded with widespread mass protests uniting all progressive and anti-fascist forces. The formations those who are organising and provoking the lynch groups must be responded in the most active manner, including reprisals. All these can represent the basis of forming a united front among the forces on the side of labour and freedom by bringing together the most committed sections of the anti-fascist forces. However, the necessity and obligation of the united front is face to face with a handicap such as the uninterested attitudes of other revolutionary parties and organisations to the process. The other principal blockade is the inactiveness of progressives and revolutionaries on the Kurdish national question and its demands, and their lack of understanding and direction on making practical policies on the grounds of national democratic demands. The line which has been tried to be developed by the Marxist Leninist Communists is being advanced by overcoming these difficulties.

Concerning this, there have been some actions pointing the necessary line that has to be developed in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan.

On 1-4 September, the socialist patriots from ESP (Socialist Platform of the Oppressed) organised a long march, March for Brotherhood, from Amed (Diyarbakir), the capital city of Kurdish national struggle, to Istanbul, the capital city of labour. Whilst giving a message to the oppressed Kurdish nation on the necessity of holding the hands of Turkish workers and labourers in order to gain national freedom, on the other hand, the march for brotherhood was taking the Kurdish people's desire for brotherhood, the call for a united front against fascism and chauvinism to the Turkish labourers. Choosing Istanbul rather than Ankara, the capital city of the Republic of Turkey, as the end of the march was to explain that the solution for the Kurdish question passes not from the conciliation attempts with the Turkish bourgeoisie, but from fighting hand in hand with the Turkish workers and labourers against the Turkish bourgeois state.

During whole period of last month, the socialists and communists have shown in the practice the examples of solidarity against the chauvinist provocations. Following the lynch attacks against the Gemlik rally of DEHAP, the ESP has organised protest demos in Amed, Istanbul, Ankara, Mersin and other cities. While it organised solidarity visits to DEHAP against targeting of its buildings and actions by fascists, the EKB (Labourer Women League) has also visited the Women Branches of DEHAP. All these, together with the insistence and some successes of the socialists from ESP in organising common actions by bringing various progressive, revolutionary and democratic organisations together against the chauvinist provocations, have represented the positive steps in practice on the formation of the oppressed front against the Generals' reactionary provocation for Turk-Kurd polarisation. On the 8th of September, a team of live-shields -involving 222 people- left Istanbul to go to the Mountain of Kandil in order to express different democratic demands of the Kurdish people, and an activist of ESP, representing the socialists of Turkey, and another activist from EKB, representing the Turkish women have also participated in the delegation of live-shields.

ESP activists are also organising actions with torches, agitation activities and leaflet distributions in the neighbourhoods in order to enlighten the Turkish labourers with the light of socialism and the peoples' brotherhood against the chauvinist poisoning. The common action of the SGD (Socialist Youth Association) and DEHAP Youth in the Gazi district of Istanbul, and their common activities with the theme of peoples' brotherhood during the opening of universities have represented the response of the youth front to the process.

In response to the reactionary violence that has been tried to be organised against the Kurdish people and their institutions upon the civil-fascists of MHP by the state, the MHP buildings and other fascist organisations have also became the targets of the revolutionary violence. On 8 September, MHP branch in the town of Umraniye and the MHP-sponsored Ortadogu (Middle East) newspaper became the targets of FESK (Armed Forces of the Poor and Oppressed) bombs. The local of MHP in the Buca town of Izmir was bombed by MLCP on 16th of September. MLCP has responded the police attack on DEHAP action in the Gulsuyu town of Istanbul by a demonstration with petrol bombs. It has also organised actions like putting banners and writing slogans on the walls in many cities and towns. All these actions organised in the West represented a response proper with the hardening political conditions both to the attacks on the Kurdish people and to the chauvinist bombardment towards the Turkish labourers.

It is possible to come to nothing the new concept of offence by advancing on this line, and it is obligatory for development of the revolutionary struggle in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan.

Our party is determined to increase the struggle on this line.

 

 

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Chauvinism and Lynch attacks in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan
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The attacks that have been carried out for long time against the Kurdish people have reached to a level of bringing debates and preoccupations on a Turkish-Kurdish conflict to the agenda.

The Turkish state has given important casualties because of guerrilla attacks developed after Kongra-Gel ended the ceasefire, especially as a result of mined attacks. It wants to respond the situation on the basis of guerrilla to give up arms and of imposing a non- PKK and non-Ocalan solution to the Kurdish people. On the other hand, it is face to face with implementing the neo-liberal policies and repressing the increasing anger over these policies those are carried out in the form of privatisation, demolishing shanty-houses, agriculture and etc., and are bringing to open the important revolutionary opportunities and the individual resistances of, at first, the workers, labourer public servants, peasants and students in the West. It is a dangerous situation for them, because it contains opportunities of unification of the resistance in the west -which come to open via the neo-liberal attacks, the workers' resistances in SEKA and Seydisehir and the popular resistances in suburbs- with the national struggle of the Kurdish people, i.e. it is containing the opportunities for the united struggle of the oppressed against the fascist dictatorship.

The response given by the state to the Kurdish national struggle, that is to say the new concept of offence involves its (state's) intervention within the both two fronts. Besides the attempts of surrendering via physical attacks such as military operations against guerrillas in Kurdistan, shooting mass demonstrations, and through new means like statements of the Turkish intellectuals and organising state-sponsored new Kurdish formations, it also tries to organise the direct involvement of the oppressed Turks within the new concept of offence. Thus, it aims to crush with chauvinism the Turkish workers' and labourers' resistance on neo-liberalism, and smash with the fascist attacks the Kurdish nation's struggle against the denial and annihilation. It is trying to drive the oppressed of the geography to a reactionary polarisation on the basis of Turk-Kurd separation by preventing the polarisation in the forms of the state and people, the labour and capital and etc.

The attacks toward the Kurdish national struggle have given the sign of increase through the attacks of the civil-fascists of MHP (Nationalist Action Party) on the Kurdish and revolutionary youth in universities, the increase of chauvinist propaganda because of the EHRC's decision on Abdullah Ocalan, Armenian question and the ongoing military operations in the mountains of Kurdistan. The start of the lynch campaign was given through a provocation claiming the Kurds had set Turkish flag on fire during the Newroz celebrations. After that the General Staff of Army has appealed for a total war and participation of the civilians in this process. The lynch attempts had become widespread and the fascists from MHP played very important role here. Through the maturity which brought by 20 years of experiences of war, the Kurdish people did not allow for a Turk-Kurt polarisation. But, on the other hand, this was not the situation for the Turkish oppressed masses.

One of the moves taken by the Turkish bourgeoisie in this process was the meeting of Tayyip Erdogan with some "intellectuals" those who made statements where the call for PKK to give up arms was in the centre. This situation caused some expectations, and Kongra-Gel responded to the move by passive defence that will last for one month. This one month of time, unsurprisingly, represented a period where the attacks were increased. The military operations continued, two Kurdish toilers were murdered as a result of shooting of the security forces to the mass demonstrations in Van and Dersim and the bombardment of media was condensed. The non-PKK solution and denial policy were amounted in numerous forms like attacking the legal Kurdish institutions, opening court cases against DEHAP and initiatives to organise "alternative" Kurdish groups. The lynch attempts on the Gemlik rally of DEHAP have stamped its mark on the process.

The Turkish bourgeois state's moves for a non-PKK solution received support from the imperialists of the USA and EU. The USA has given signs of advanced attempts on the way of non-PKK solution to the Kurdish question. On the other hand, imperialists of the EU showed their real face through police raids on various Kurdish institutions, at first, the Ozgur Politika (Free Politic) newspaper.

This process of offence continues to cause polarisation and reactions of different organisations in different forms, and to push those who do not take clear position to the arms of chauvinism. One of the most important incidents of the last month was the DISK (Confederation of Revolutionary Worker Unions) to ask for cancellation of 12 September demonstrations under the pretext of possible provocations. Asking for cancellation of the demonstrations, where the people -who are responsible for the 12 September military coup, the massacre of Kemal Turkler, one of the leaders of the DISK, the torture and repression faced by many of its members- were going to be brought to account, shows the borders of the DISK, a force that could not take consistent democratic attitude on the Kurdish question, on defending the interests of the Turkish and Kurdish labourers. This is, at the same time, a product of General Staffs' position to involve all civilians and Non-Governmental Organisations in the total war.

Continuing to stay within the axes of pro-EU solution, Kongra-Gel, at the end of one month time, announced that it has extended the period of passive defence to 3rd of October where negotiations with EU is going to take place. However, the developments point the Turkish state's direction towards the USA's Greater Middle Eastern Project is going to accelerate even after the process of negotiations. So non-PKK solutions are going to be strengthened, and this would mean hardening of the political process and appearance of a will where the attacks could happen more and more.

The process goes in this form. Not only the Kurdish people and the Kurdish national movement, but also the Turkish workers, labourers and all progressive, revolutionary, communist forces struggling in the geography are on the target of the fascist dictatorship's attacks. This is also pointed by the steps strengthening the political will of the rulers such as the changes made in the Anti-terror Law -which widens aims and arbitrary side of the law- and gathering of Higher Institution of Struggle against Terrorism again after 8 years.

The main task under these conditions where the Turkish fascist dictatorship tries to organise Turk-Kurd polarisation is to form the united front of the Turkish and Kurdish oppressed against fascism, imperialism and its collaborators, the neo-liberal destruction policies and the seizure of democratic rights under the name of fight against terrorism. This is the line which is tried to be developed by the Marxist Leninist Communists. The Turk-Kurd polarisation imposed by MGK (National Security Council) can only be broken by the polarisation of the forces taking side with labour and freedom on the basis such as the fascists and antifascists, the oppressors and oppressed, and the servants of imperialism and the anti-imperialists; by the polarisation of labour forces and other oppressed. Taking the fight against lynches to the frontline is the most possible point for creation of such front. Every example of lynch attempts organised by the colonialist war regime through mobilisation of the fascist mops must be immediately responded with widespread mass protests uniting all progressive and anti-fascist forces. The formations those who are organising and provoking the lynch groups must be responded in the most active manner, including reprisals. All these can represent the basis of forming a united front among the forces on the side of labour and freedom by bringing together the most committed sections of the anti-fascist forces. However, the necessity and obligation of the united front is face to face with a handicap such as the uninterested attitudes of other revolutionary parties and organisations to the process. The other principal blockade is the inactiveness of progressives and revolutionaries on the Kurdish national question and its demands, and their lack of understanding and direction on making practical policies on the grounds of national democratic demands. The line which has been tried to be developed by the Marxist Leninist Communists is being advanced by overcoming these difficulties.

Concerning this, there have been some actions pointing the necessary line that has to be developed in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan.

On 1-4 September, the socialist patriots from ESP (Socialist Platform of the Oppressed) organised a long march, March for Brotherhood, from Amed (Diyarbakir), the capital city of Kurdish national struggle, to Istanbul, the capital city of labour. Whilst giving a message to the oppressed Kurdish nation on the necessity of holding the hands of Turkish workers and labourers in order to gain national freedom, on the other hand, the march for brotherhood was taking the Kurdish people's desire for brotherhood, the call for a united front against fascism and chauvinism to the Turkish labourers. Choosing Istanbul rather than Ankara, the capital city of the Republic of Turkey, as the end of the march was to explain that the solution for the Kurdish question passes not from the conciliation attempts with the Turkish bourgeoisie, but from fighting hand in hand with the Turkish workers and labourers against the Turkish bourgeois state.

During whole period of last month, the socialists and communists have shown in the practice the examples of solidarity against the chauvinist provocations. Following the lynch attacks against the Gemlik rally of DEHAP, the ESP has organised protest demos in Amed, Istanbul, Ankara, Mersin and other cities. While it organised solidarity visits to DEHAP against targeting of its buildings and actions by fascists, the EKB (Labourer Women League) has also visited the Women Branches of DEHAP. All these, together with the insistence and some successes of the socialists from ESP in organising common actions by bringing various progressive, revolutionary and democratic organisations together against the chauvinist provocations, have represented the positive steps in practice on the formation of the oppressed front against the Generals' reactionary provocation for Turk-Kurd polarisation. On the 8th of September, a team of live-shields -involving 222 people- left Istanbul to go to the Mountain of Kandil in order to express different democratic demands of the Kurdish people, and an activist of ESP, representing the socialists of Turkey, and another activist from EKB, representing the Turkish women have also participated in the delegation of live-shields.

ESP activists are also organising actions with torches, agitation activities and leaflet distributions in the neighbourhoods in order to enlighten the Turkish labourers with the light of socialism and the peoples' brotherhood against the chauvinist poisoning. The common action of the SGD (Socialist Youth Association) and DEHAP Youth in the Gazi district of Istanbul, and their common activities with the theme of peoples' brotherhood during the opening of universities have represented the response of the youth front to the process.

In response to the reactionary violence that has been tried to be organised against the Kurdish people and their institutions upon the civil-fascists of MHP by the state, the MHP buildings and other fascist organisations have also became the targets of the revolutionary violence. On 8 September, MHP branch in the town of Umraniye and the MHP-sponsored Ortadogu (Middle East) newspaper became the targets of FESK (Armed Forces of the Poor and Oppressed) bombs. The local of MHP in the Buca town of Izmir was bombed by MLCP on 16th of September. MLCP has responded the police attack on DEHAP action in the Gulsuyu town of Istanbul by a demonstration with petrol bombs. It has also organised actions like putting banners and writing slogans on the walls in many cities and towns. All these actions organised in the West represented a response proper with the hardening political conditions both to the attacks on the Kurdish people and to the chauvinist bombardment towards the Turkish labourers.

It is possible to come to nothing the new concept of offence by advancing on this line, and it is obligatory for development of the revolutionary struggle in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan.

Our party is determined to increase the struggle on this line.