[Imc-uk] Turkey: DHKC Statement 258 on the European Union debate

[TAYAD Scotland]

DHKCEngland at aol.com

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DEVRIMCI HALK KURTULUS CEPHESI
   Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Front
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Date: July 4, 2002                     Statement: 258


The system parties who are European Union supporters "in the name of
democracy" and EU opponents "in the name of independence" are telling lies

THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE ABOLISHING DEMOCRACY AND INDEPENDENCE
LET US UNITE FOR THE SAKE OF AN INDEPENDENT AND DEMOCRATIC TURKEY!

Our people have been artificially placed in conflicting camps when it comes
to discussion on entering the EU, for in reality there is no fundamental
difference between the camps. In this discussion, where on one side there
are opponents of the EU and on the other side there are EU supporters, the
identity of those who defend democracy or fascism, independence or
dependence on the IMF, has become confused and is continuing to be confused.
The sides and their colouration must be clarified. Without doing so it is
impossible to come to a correct decision about the EU. The advertisements
placed by the contending sides can be seen on TV and in the newspapers. The
people are presented with truth and falsehood, correct and incorrect
statements, all mixed together. The false democrats and patriots are
marketing their policies among the people, policies which amid confusion
deliver Turkey up to fascism and imperialism. We are condemned neither to
imperialism nor to fascism. There is an alternative, which can bring
independence and democracy to the peoples of Turkey. This alternative has no
room for exploitation by the monopolies and the fascist methods of their
collaborators. And so the media contain nothing about the REVOLUTIONARY
alternative. What the peoples of Turkey are having presented to them is
nothing other than two alternatives, both compatible with the system, called
"the EU supporters and the EU opponents". We call on all true democrats and
patriots to unite for the sake of an independent Turkey. This clash between
opposing camps is just a way of distorting what is really going on. The true
clash is between those loyal to the system, opposed by those who are against
it. What the bourgeois media present as different sides, consisting of EU
supporters and EU opponents, is in reality the same side, to a very large
degree. It is the pro-system side. This is clear if one takes a proper look
at the contending sides.

The EU supporters: These are political parties which are part of the system:
ANAP, DSP, CHP, DTP. They have put their signatures to every conceivable
massacre, implemented every single policy of pillage and exploitation.
Parties like the AKP and SP call themselves "Islamist", but getting into
government is what their belief system is really about, and they are eager
to prove themselves to the system and imperialism. (The DYP and suchlike are
trying to manoeuvre for reasons of internal politics but they are
fundamentally pro-EU. This party approved Turkey joining the EU Customs
Union.)

Reformist, left groupings like the ODP and HADEP no longer hope to win
democracy through struggle and so they do not trust in their people, instead
they trust in Europe, TUSIAD* and the system's strength. A large proportion
of the INTELLECTUALS have lost their trust in the people and have become
influenced by bourgeois ideology. These layers of intellectuals, artists,
teachers have become gripped by admiration of the "West". A great many of
the TRADE UNIONS and NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS are in the pro-EU group;
they could not properly defend the layers of society that they represent and
now they support the IMF programme and work closely with TUSIAD, so as not
to lose their place in the pro-system status quo. Those who give the
impression of being "EU OPPONENTS" include the MHP**; it is a partner in the
most collaborationist, most pliant government in Turkey's history but it is
now trying to refurbish its image by giving the impression that it opposes
the EU. The MHP is not against the European IMF. It is not against
exploitation by European monopolies. It is not against Europe attacking Iraq
and Afghanistan. But by putting on a show, it wants to conceal its
collaboration by using chauvinism. When they followed the commands of the
IMF with the loyalty of a guard dog, they did not make a single statement
about the will of the nation being spurned. As for the General Staff, it is
actually using the MHP to express its wishes. It has no major dispute with
either European imperialism, nor with US imperialism. It is the
representative and guardian of the IMF and NATO in our land. It wants to
continue in power even if Europe takes over leadership. That is its only
problem with the EU. The Kemalists, the advocates for independence and
intellectuals, advocate a policy of secularism and independence, but because
they can see no connection of that with democracy, they seek false alliances
in the wrong places, with advocates of the system who depend on imperialism.
It would be more accurate to talk of opponents "who are not opposed".
Through the efforts of the bourgeois press and some intellectuals, these
people too were called "EU opponents" while in principle they are not
anti-EU. This designation itself is a service to the MHP. It is what the MHP
wants.

Let us put an end to this shadow boxing. Let us remove the mask they have
adopted to appear patriotic and democratic and to legitimise dependency and
fascism: let us see how far they defend democracy, how much they want
independence. EU defenders: Most of you justify supporting the EU because
there will be "more democracy, rights and freedoms". Just in case democracy
is what you really want, there are some questions we need to ask you. Where
do you take part in the struggle for rights and freedoms in our land? Where
are the democracy, rights and freedoms of the Europe that you defend? After
all, this country has been a lake of blood for 22 years. This Europe, openly
or indirectly supported the military coup of September 12***, which spilled
the people's blood on a massive scale. From Ozal to Yilmaz, Demirel and
Ecevit, this Europe has supported all regimes, economically, politically and
militarily. This Europe supported the laws on terrorism. All its criticisms
of Turkey for "human rights" violations are simply means of putting pressure
on Turkey on behalf of the monopolies. Today Europe's role is much clearer.
It had the F-Type prisons built and encouraged December 19. Could you defend
the December 19 massacre in the name of the EU? You cannot say, "We are for
the EU but against the F-Type prisons." Because the F-Types cannot be viewed
in isolation. They, isolation and the isolation policy all reflect the EU's
mentality. This democracy they talk of would like to secure the rule of
monopoly capital and prevent the people from marching along the road to
power. The peoples who would like to march along this road are "punished"
with F-Types, isolation cells and massacres. Is that the democracy you
defend and want? As for those who claim to be against the EU: if you are
really against the EU because you wish for independence, what do you say to
the USA, IMF packages, programmes and directives? What do you say to the
deeds of the General Staff, which you see as an ally? For 50 years it has
helped the imperialist monopolies and their collaborators to engage in
exploitation. For 50 years there has not been a single execution, massacre,
torture or imperialist plunder which the General Staff did not know about.
And isn't it the same General Staff that you see as a guarantee of
independence and secularism that strengthened the Islamists, built up and
supported governments to carry out IMF policies and used MGK **** decisions
to apply pressure and declare bans in order to suppress opposition from the
people? We ask: what do you say to the F-Types and the IMF? What do you say
to the massacre on December 19-22, carried out by the General Staff?

THOSE WHO ARE NOT AGAINST THE F-TYPES, TORTURE AND EXECUTIONS ARE NOT
CAPABLE OF TRULY DEFENDING DEMOCRACY! THOSE WHO ARE NOT AGAINST THE IMF,
NATO, THE USA AND IMPERIALIST PLUNDERING ARE NOT GENUINELY IN FAVOUR OF
INDEPENDENCE.

Whoever relies on the democracy of the EU supporters and the independence of
the EU's opponents, all parties and intellectuals who genuinely want
independence and democracy should stop trying to stand up on one leg.
Whoever separates independence and democracy from one another is deceiving
others or being deceived. If you want independence, you must also defend and
fight for democracy, and if you want democracy you must defend and fight for
independence. In a neocolonial land, which depends on imperialism in all
things, there can be neither independence nor democracy. Just as entering
the EU will not bring democracy, neither will it mean independence if Turkey
does not enter the EU. The discussion is deliberately being held within a
distorted framework. The much-praised European democracy is a democracy for
the monopolies. For our part, we speak of a democracy led by the people, a
people's democracy. "European prosperity" has been achieved by exploiting
the peoples of the earth. We reject a prosperity that depends on exploiting
the rest of the world, plunging them into hunger while distributing some
scraps to other EU countries. When we talk of prosperity, we mean a system
of equality and justice, which puts an end to exploitation. Democracy means
putting an end to fascism. The power which stands behind fascism is
imperialism and the oligarchy. These are also responsible for dependence.
Therefore the fight against imperialism and the oligarchy is the fight for
democracy and independence. Whoever is for democracy and independence should
not trail behind the pro-system parties like ANAP, DSP or exploitative
bosses like TUSIAD, those who want independence should not enter into
alliances with the General Staff but should be on the side of this struggle.
This is the way to independence and democracy. From July 12 ***** to Sivas,
from Ulucanlar to Diyarbakir and the F-Types, the history of our country is
full of bloodbaths. There is nothing that is not given to imperialism, while
the entire people, the workers, the peasants and small business are left to
go hungry. The responsibility for that rests with none other than those
forces now talking about democracy and independence. The struggle against
the tyranny of fascism and the plundering and depredations of imperialism -
this is the main point in the behaviour of a patriot or democrat. Those who
are not part of this struggle are not democrats or patriots. To all patriots
and democrats; to our entire people who are for democracy and independence;
the road to an independent and democratic Turkey is not  via the "EU
supporters" and "EU opponents" but via the anti-imperialist,
anti-oligarchical struggle. While on the one side there are revolutionaries
who for years struggle for independence and people's democracy, who
sacrifice their lives, these others stand for nothing other than
exploitation. For they do nothing for the aims which they claim to want so
much. They have not paid any price for democracy and independence. There is
no democracy that can be achieved by fleeing to the European monopolies and
the General Staff.

Devrimci Halk Kurtulus Cephesi
(Revolutionary People's Liberation Front)

*Employers' federation in Turkey
** Also known as the Grey Wolves, a party of the far right
*** September 12 has become a synonym violence and cruelty
**** MGK= National Security Council
***** Massacres that were perpetrated. On July 12, 1991 leading cadres of
Devrimci Sol (Revolutionary Left) were murdered, in Sivas in 1993, 37
intellectuals belonging to the Alevi faith were burnt to death, in Ulucanlar
and in Diyarbakir, security forces stormed the prisons, murdering many
inmates in cold blood. The F-Types are isolation prisons, and prisoners were
put in them after their existing prisons were stormed by guards who showed
unprecedented brutality in December 2000. Twenty-eight prisoners were
murdered, of whom six were burnt alive.