Opening speech from the Communist Party of Turkey

Opening Speech by TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan

 

Dear comrades,

Representatives of the European Communist Action (ECA) parties who are here with us or participating in the meeting online, I greet you all comradely.

The decision to hold this meeting was taken while the massacres in Palestine and Lebanon were ongoing and while there had not yet been a change of rule in Syria. It is evidently a period of rapid developments which we live in. For us communists, the question is if we can devise necessary responses to the speed of this moment, or if we will allow events to drag us down towards the void.

On behalf of the Communist Party of Turkey, I extend a warm welcome to you once again. Today, I would like to highlight some critical points regarding the developments that have been unfolding in our region for some time and summarize our party's approach to these issues. This summary will also include some political, theoretical and practical propositions.

First of all, we need to have a clear view of the main dynamics of these global and regional developments. The first of these is the historical operation initiated by the United States and its allies—utilizing tools such as NATO—against the political structure that emerged directly or indirectly as a result of the October Revolution and the Second World War, including the dissolution process of the Soviet Union. This process brought the end of the international structure based on two opposing social systems centered on the USSR and the USA, and imperialist countries sought to eliminate the obstacles restricting the freedom of movement of multinational monopolies and capital in general through wars, occupations, blockades and sanctions. The fragmentation of countries, the European Union's restriction of national decision-making powers, widespread privatizations, the erosion of workers' gains, counter-revolutions, and color revolutions are interrelated features that characterize this period. This process still continues, even today. The disintegration of Yugoslavia, the invasion of Iraq and the recent developments in Syria are inseparable events. Throughout this process, various centers of resistance against the intervention of imperialist countries have emerged. Apart from the struggles of the working class and revolutionary forces, which vary in influence across regions and countries, a counterweight emerged in countries such as Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Syria. This counterweight reflected the interests of a segment of the bourgeoisie and was often rooted in nationalist or religious ideologies, aiming to preserve the status quo achieved in the 20th century. One of the reasons this resistance occasionally strengthened was the growing contradictions among leading countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and France, which had been acting in alliance with the United States during this historical process. Other countries sought to leverage these contradictions in order to ease the pressures they faced.

The second fact that we have to take into account in today's developments is that the contradictions and rivalries within the imperialist system have acquired a new content. In the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States felt threatened by the economic competitiveness of Japan and then Germany, but managed to maintain its own alliance system and hegemony. However, after a while, the rapid rise of China as an actor outside this alliance system created a new dynamic affecting the international arena. In addition to China, Russia, trying to stop the expansion of NATO over a wide area of influence including Eastern Europe and the Soviet Republics with counter moves, has positioned itself against the bloc led by US imperialism, and joined by some other capitalist countries that desired a bigger piece of the pie. The new axis that has emerged and is attempting to consolidate through platforms like BRICS is, on one hand, trying to strengthen its position in the midst of fierce competition and conflict within the imperialist system, while on the other hand, attempting to gain an advantage by gaining over some bourgeois governments, or countries like Cuba that are directly targeted due to ideological and class-based motivations, which have been apprehensive about the continuous assault of the New World Order since the late 1980s. Every single development in the world today is either a direct product of this struggle within the imperialist system or is within the sphere of influence of this inter-imperialist conflict. However, the contradictions and confrontations within the imperialist system have not meant the end of the U.S.-centric aggression that has been ongoing since the dissolution of the USSR. On the contrary, they have added a new dimension to it.

Although not as intense as the two dynamics we mentioned, there is a third phenomenon that also affects the developments happening in the world today. The conflicts of interest among different groups of capital in individual countries stem from the greedy nature of capitalism. With the imperialist phase, the acceleration of capital movements, the constant relocation of companies, and the disruption and reshaping of partnership structures have created an environment where the national identities of companies are eroded. In such a context, it is natural for multiple states to become involved in these conflicts of interest. Never before in history, however, has there been such a level of tension within the capitalist class of the leading imperialist countries. In particular, the course of the ongoing tensions in the US will have serious implications both in the US and in the rest of the world. We must recognize this dynamic which we have to take into account when dealing with international developments.

Developments in the Middle East must be evaluated considering all these dynamics.

The over-a-year-long Israeli aggression in Palestine, which has taken on new and unique dimensions, should be seen as an extension of the imperialist countries’ pursuit to rid themselves of everything that remained from the world in which the USSR existed. Our party, by emphasizing the class nature of the events in Gaza, had pointed out the errors that would arise from evaluating the issue on religious or national grounds. The source of Israel's immunity on the international stage lies in this state's backing by the power of money, with Jewish capital being far stronger than Palestinian capital, and the Palestinian bourgeoisie having no connection with the impoverished people of Gaza. Aside from some countries’ symbolic protests or Iran's stance, which tries to support the resistance for its own agenda, Gaza has not witnessed a battleground for a competition or conflict within the imperialist system through this period, and the Palestinian people have been left to fend for themselves.

There will likely be no, if any, significant opposition to the so-called solution being imposed on the Palestinian people. The continuation of Israeli aggression, even focusing on the West Bank, the expansion of the occupied zone in Syria, airstrikes on Lebanon, and the potential for Israel to refresh its image through a change of government and renew relations with regional countries, including Turkey, will not be surprising. Indeed, the massacre in Gaza has not hindered the covert or indirect relationships between Israel and many Arab countries, as well as Turkey. Turkey’s close ally, Azerbaijan, maintains deep relations with Israel, particularly in the energy and arms industries, which should certainly be noted in this context.

The elimination of Hamas's more resilient leadership, which had been closer to the impoverished Gazans, and the organization's return under the control of the Turkey-Qatar duo will likely result in a more compromising stance in the Palestinian resistance. In this scenario, the only way for progressive, revolutionary, and communist forces in Palestine to regain influence is for the impoverished Palestinians, who experience the harsh realities of class struggle daily, to launch a strategic renewal in their fight for an independent Palestinian state and shift the struggle from a national and religious platform to a class-based grounds. In fact, this is emerging as an urgent task for the entire region, as evidently seen in the developments in Syria.

In this context, the recent developments in Syria are of great importance. The process that led to the overthrow of the Baathist government in Syria is linked to the counter-revolutionary period that began with the collapse of the Soviet Union on the one hand and to the contradictions within the imperialist system on the other. It is not surprising that those behind the operation initiated against Syria 14 years ago are almost the same as the organizers of the final and "successful" operation. Together with the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Turkey, and other actors, they have now achieved the outcome they sought after many years.

Many people emphasize that the current target is Iran. The fact that certain figures representing or close to the Turkish government openly express this should be taken seriously specifically. Azerbaijan’s escalating tensions with Iran, given its close relationship with Israel, should also be seen in this context. Iran’s Azerbaijani and Kurdish populations should be considered sensitive points for any operation directed at the country. Undoubtedly, Iran’s main issue lies in the fact that a government hostile to the people has condemned the country to darkness and poverty for years. Much like in Syria, the willingness and determination of large segments of the population to defend the country against imperialist aggression have weakened.

All these developments are linked to a section of the Turkish bourgeoisie’s efforts to increase its regional influence through a Neo-Ottoman perspective by exploiting the Islamist character of the AKP. In this context, it is noteworthy that there are two different interpretations within capitalist circles in Turkey. The first points to Turkey's unstoppable rise and celebrates the developments with a festive atmosphere. On the other hand, there are those who argue that Turkey has been trapped and claim that, after Iran, Turkey will be next.

Both of these outcomes complement each other. We know that Turkish capitalism is undergoing an imperialist trend, that despite vulnerabilities in its economy, it possesses a serious industrial infrastructure, and that Turkish monopolies have a significant presence in Asia, Europe, Africa, and even Latin America. Additionally, the presence of the Turkish military in various countries and the developments in its arms industry further strengthen this trend. While there is no turning back from this, it is clear that it is very difficult for Turkey to become the dominant country in the region by creating a Sunni-Islamic axis and a so-called Kurdish peace. This region is a sharp conflict zone, and no regional or global power will accept Turkey as a strong actor here. For this reason, the TKP warns that "a Turkey trying to expand will shrink, or even disappear." This should be seen not only as the TKP's political and moral stance against expansionist policies but also as a realistic assessment.

 

We believe that the following issues should be discussed in detail by the ECA parties:

In a period when borders are being altered by imperialist operations or are being brought into discussion for potential changes, what should be the stance and methods of struggle for communist parties in response to this scheme?

What measures should be taken to prevent Muslim migrants from following jihadist movements, which has also become an internal problem in Europe and will soon become an important social reality in countries such as Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands?

Is it time to revisit and re-evaluate the principle of the Right of Nations to Self-Determination, which was placed at the forefront when addressing the national question and at times has overshadowed a class-based perspective?

We are confident that our parties will do their part to answer these and similar questions in a courageous, principled and creative way. TKP will also be part of these collective efforts.

In our region and in the world, the future belongs to the working class, the future belongs to the communists.