CP of Turkey, TKP Bulletin No:20

["Hasan Ilkates" <hasan_ilkates@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

TKP BULLETIN No: 20 May 12, 2003

Contents:
Wolfowitz's good news
In the wake of Bingol: Not an Earthquake, the Capitalism is
the Cause

Wolfowitz's good news

Mention was made in Turkey concerning "state tradition"
once. Some took pride in it. While stating "We are like no
other, we have an established administrative structure"
they would refer to the "Ottoman legacy", a topic which
they would prefer to forget concerning other issues. The
foreign, military, civil service of the pastWe were not to
be mistaken with other countries. The leftists used to
complain about this also. As long as this state tradition
existed, it would be impossible to change anything in this
country. First, the state had to cease to be a tradition!
At times, the Islamists also gave credit to this complaint,
along with certain rightist elements: Indeed, this much
emphasis on the state could only be seen in communism

Turgut Ozal, the "taboo destroyer" who attended some
meetings in shorts, and gave press conferences in his
pajamas, had caused some rupture in the tradition, but
capitalism in Turkey continued giving the strong impression
of being on the side of the state.

Either someone had decided that this was the right time and
started acting upon it, or the frail body of Turkish
capitalism was not able to stand against "so much" in
today's world; a rapid disintegration in Turkey's state
tradition appeared. These types of developments perhaps do
not make sense through the evaluation of individual events,
but these individual events may clarify what has occurred.

> From this aspect, it is important for the Prime Minister of
the Republic of Turkey to have stated, in two different
occasions: "We have started the phase of merchant
politics". The country in which this statement was made
really has become different from other countries and in the
bourgeois world, including the quasi-state structures
registered after the last imperialist distribution wars,
nowhere can an "elected" individual stay in power after
having made such an impertinent remark.

However, the point that should really be dealt with today
is the truths revealed by the US Deputy Secretary of
Defense.  Because there can be those considering this as
good news, we should quickly state that Wolfowitz talked
about Turkey's significance, anger, apology, the Incirlik
base, but has in fact proved only one thing: state
tradition does not exist any longer in capitalist Turkey.

The real scandal in fact started with the expressions on
the faces of the journalists interviewing the "US Deputy
Secretary of Aggression". However, when considering the
efficacy with which the press in Turkey creates sycophants
in, this scandal need not be exaggerated. Still, we may
think that the aforementioned journalists knew about the
good news that was going to be given by Wolfowitz from the
start; they were as joyful as children both at the start
and at the end.

Yes, Wolfowitz appeared in all his insolence and said: "Do
whatever we do from now on" and demanded that we should
"apologize". He also pointed out that the "Turkish Armed
Forces had failed to play its leadership role". This much
of what he said should suffice for now, not that his other
remarks were insignificant.

Here is a list of the number of officials of a country with
a "state tradition" who replied to the unofficial speech of
a person ranking as Deputy Secretary: One President, one
Prime Minister, one Minister of Foreign Affairs, three
Prime Ministers, and two generals. The responses were
perfect. Turkey has a state tradition, and the US has
pragmatic and frank politicians! That is what the responses
say. The man says "do not defy us again", and the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey reveres it as
a "candid approach".

While Wolfowitz brings the good news to those complaining
about the state tradition of Turkey, around the same days
there occurs a phone conversation between Sezer (the
President of Turkey) with Bush. Sezer states that "the
necessary answer to Wolfowitz has been given" while saying
to Bush: "Out strategic partnership with the US should
continue in an even more developed fashion". Wolfowitz
acquiring the approach of "follow our lead", and Necdet
Sezer in line with "we follow your path"

We have been saying this for some time; now it is time to
repeat it: The Turkish bourgeoisie is entering a period in
which it will lack the most character. It is not sufficient
merely to describe this as "the state tradition in Turkey
has ended". Capitalism is ending in Turkey, and since it
will not end until made to end, it is condemned to be
dragged on the floor.

Capitalism's pain is not a problem; but for this country to
be suffering means for its people to become impoverished
and denigrated, and this should not be allowed. From
Wolfowitz's good news, our share is hope and duty.

By Kemal Okuyan
General Secretary of the Central Committee
(From "The Communist" - weekly of the CP of Turkey, No:
114)


In the wake of Bingol: Not an Earthquake, the Capitalism is
the Cause

While tens of thousands of people have come together for
May Day celebrations, the occurrence in the south-east of
Turkey could not be overlooked. On the 1st of May, the
communists and all progressive forces in Turkey have
promise once again to save this country from the parasites
that absorb all the creations and the wealth of the
country. This has a special importance in regard to the
devastating earthquake in the early hours of the 1st of
May. An earthquake that was measured to be 6.4 on the
Richter scale and lasting for 17 seconds has struck the
Bingol area and has left anger and grief in its wake.

Following the earthquake the real tragedy has become
obvious. 176 people, 84 of which were school children, have
been killed in the province of Bingol. This is in fact the
heart of the tragedy due to the fact that these children
died as a result of the collapse of a state boarding school
dormitory in Celtiksuyu village. It was the school for
children who lacked schools in their own village and who
were mostly from poor Kurdish families.

In fact, the scandal reaches a great level when considering
the fact that this was a school building built ten years
ago. It was home for around 200 children from near
villages.

Upsetting events ensued. The people of Bingol have fought
with police and vented their anger to parliamentarians
visiting the province. The police fired shots into the air
and two people were injured when a police car drove into
the crowd, which had gathered outside the provincial
governor's building. This was the time to increase the
tension.

The aggressive attitude of the police, together with the
declarations of the AKP Government, has indicated the
extent of lying in order to hide the public reaction. The
officials described the reasons of all these happenings as
resulting from provocation. Yet the people welcomed
soldiers as opposed to the police, thereby undermining that
claim. This was because only the soldiers reprimanded the
police. The Government has, once again shown its
incompetence and helplessness.

The Diyarbakir District Office of the CP of Turkey has been
one of the first groups to give a helping hand to the
people of Bingol. The Party has aimed to show that whenever
people join hands, there is can be no obstacle that cannot
be overcome. The party members participating in the works
after the earthquake, together with the people in Bingol,
have shown that the real earthquake which would lead to the
collapse of this system permanently is in their hands, and
will occur through their efforts.

Unfortunately these scenes are not new for Turkey. Similar
events happened after the earthquake in 17th August. We
lost tens of thousands of people. Experts warned about the
structural safety of buildings. But nothing has changed,
because the problem was not in fact the earthquake back
then, and it is not the earthquake now.

Turkey is a country where these kinds of occurrences are
highly probable. As the communists of this country declared
since, the real problem is with the system.

Turkiye Komunist Partisi
Osman Aga Mahallesi Nushet Efendi Caddesi No:38 Kadikoy
Istanbul / TURKEY
Tel: +90 216 414 65 04 - Fax: +90 216 346 11 37
http://www.tkp.org.tr - int@xxxxxxxxxx

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