DETUDAK (Committee for Solidarity with the Revolutionary Prisoners in Turkey) speech for September 23 event at Camden Centre, Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE. (Starting 5:30, admission three pounds). DETUDAK unites the supporters of a number of revolutionary organisations in and from Turkey. Dear friends, The 21st century is being declared to be the century of "bourgeois democracy", but when we look at the military coups, the hunger, the growing poverty, the refugee crises, environmental disasters, arms races, injustices in the distribution of income and so on, these show how false this statement is. Whoever says all these things can be resolved within a democratic framework is engaging in bourgeois propaganda. Fascism is continuing in Turkey and countries like it. Imperialism's collaborators and governments are trying to change their image, but in fact imperialism has always continued to finance and support them no matter what they do. Because of that, under conditions of fascism, resolving problems is only possible by carrying out revolution. Our current government, which is the most collaborationist government in our country's history, is very quick to remove anything that might cause anxiety to the American imperialists. As soon as the DSP-MHP-ANAP (Democratic Left Party-Nationalist Movement Party-Motherland Party: in other words, a "left-wing" party, a far-right party and a liberal-conservative party) coalition came to power, they adopted all the laws that imperialism considered necessary. They gave imperialism the message, "You can trust us." The banks and social security reforms were very quickly processed through parliament. Friends, Looking at this framework, it is not easy to see how Turkey's domestic situation is to take shape in the next period. Because domestic conditions and the policies of the oligarchy are mostly shaped by external forces. The situation in our country and also the prospects for the future cannot be correctly determined because of mistakes in establishing what the current world situation is. Well, what is the current world situation? The new world order of imperialism doesn't mean eternal peace and the triumph of democracy. Everyone knows this now. These theories lost their credibility and influence at the beginning of the 1990s. Among some bourgeois ideologues and also among the left, there are still some who defend such views. But the defenders of these theories are put in a difficult position following the attacks on Iraq and Yugoslavia, as well as the instigation of nationalism in other parts of the world. In this world, international laws, democracy and people's rights are not making progress, instead imperialism is engaging in wild pillaging. The cold war has ended, they say. If the cold war has really ended, is your arms expenditure spent on justice and equality? Injustice and inequality have deepened. So here all the theories regarding the new world order have collapsed. It is known that imperialism is worried and anxious about this century. We saw that very openly at the imperialists' Istanbul AGIT summit, in Seattle and in Davos. Their fears are growing. So they apply more pressure and terror. All the imperialist institutions indicate that unjust income distribution all over the world is worsening, but they do nothing to remedy this. On the contrary, the gap between rich and poor is growing because of the ambitions of the monopolies. Especially in imperialist countries, all the laws against terrorism are being strengthened. There is no reason to think that these countries can export democracy to other countries. The aim of establishing the European Union was to create a stronger internal market in Europe and to resist American and Japanese imperialism. What can Turkey derive from this? Nothing will come from the European Union to Turkey, but Turkey is going to be offered to the EU monopolies as an open market. The USA and the European Community, by accepting Turkey's application as a candidate country, want to control the other countries on Turkey's borders and be able to exploit these countries. The imperialists and their collaborators are trying to remove the potential for revolution in Turkey. The results of such operations have been known from the beginning. They are doomed to failure. Economically and politically, Turkey's rulers have no power to destroy the revolutionary movements. This country has so many contradictions, and despite the pressure and harassment it is still continuing to create revolutionaries. But the revolution is going to be more powerful. Analysis of the conditions in our country and the world show that this is the reality. When you look at our countries, since being accepted into the European Community and the Hizbullah operations, the election to the state presidency and the "hope" operations have caused complications in peoples' minds. "Where are we going?" The answer to this question, economically and politically and with regard to military developments, can be seen clearly in day-to-day events. But the direction by American imperialism with the support of European imperialism, and the subjective preferences of intellectuals can also obscure such things. Governments at the uppermost level organise prison massacres. The parliament supports such massacres by remaining silent or conducting enquiries which are just for show, so how can we say that such a country is democratic? Who would believe that there is any democracy even if one only looked at the Ulucanlar events and saw the behaviour of the state and its institutions as well as the attitude of imperialism and international institutions. TUSIAD (Employers' and manufacturers' confederation in Turkey) talked about abolishing capital punishment, it pretended to be defending huamn rights but after the Ulucanlar massacre it did not even say one word. Europe did not want to see Ulucanlar, though when it wants it will devote enormous attention to even one incidence of torture. Imperialism's professional servants will ask questions about everything in a particular country, from the economy to human rights, but they did not ask the state a single question about Ulucanlar. But all these things are still not enough to open the eyes of some people. These people are blind and their brains have ceased to function. We say to them, you cannot flee from the reality of Turkey, if you try to escape from it these facts are going to follow you in the form of our people who were raped, and others who will come after you, bringing their coffins with them. In this case, before they come to you bearing their coffins, you cannot say, we didn't believe it, you must see this reality and frame policies that deal with it. Those who are honest about the revolutionary struggle have to listen to revolutionaries. Saying that the policy of putting prisoners in isolation is a matter of implementing European standards cannot be acceptable. Because all the European bourgeois democracies still use the laws of Hitler and Mussolini against revolutionaries. They are widening their system "of democracy" for opposition movements which are not against the system, but against revolutionary alternatives they are using more and more repression as fascist regimes did previously. Did you say no the IMF? Did you want independence from imperialism? Did you want democracy as opposed to fascism? Did you take part in the struggle for right and freedom? Did you want your rights? Did you say no to YOK (the Higher Education Council in Turkey, which politically controls the education system there)? Did you say "go away" to Eurogold (a gold prospecting firm which is damaging the environment in Turkey)? Did you say no to nuclear power? In short, one way or another, if you oppose the Susurluk-fascist state in Turkey, your road will definitely take you to the F-type prisons. "No to the IMF": IMF's soldiers answer this. "Give up your resistance! Surrender!" People who say no to the IMF have only beliefs and hopes. Those who say surrender have tanks and guns and shells. There are two sides to this. On the one side, IMF's soldiers, on the other, the people and their leaders. Attacks are taking place in order to benefit the IMF and imperialism, and to establish the security of the monopolies. Resistance is based on the revolutionary struggle. The revolutionaries know that the cells are part of the operations to make them surrender. That is why it is not enough to say "no to the IMF". We must also say "no to the cells", because they are connected. The shape and meaning of this resistance is saying no to the cells and taking action against them. The captives already say, we are not going into the cells, we are going to resist. They are going to do what they say, there can be no doubt of that. The servants of the IMF cannot put any of them into the cells without killing them through assassinations or massacres. They have already showed their will during the Unlimited Hunger Strike and the Death Fast of 1996. They said they would rather die than live without honour, and that is what they did. Instead of surrendering at Ulucanlar, they said, we are going to resist with our honour, and they did. Today, with the same will, they said we will not go into the cells. Today the prisons are located physically and morally at the focal point of the struggle for revolution and counter-revolution. The importance of the cells' physical structure is secondary. From September 12, 1980 to 1987, during the military coup, the cell-type prisons were used from time to time. Bursa, Gaziantep, Eskisehir, Sagmalcilar special-type prisons were already built as cell-type prisons and opened. The revolutionaries lived in these cells for many years. But cell-type practices did not take so long. After a time they gained the right to leave the cells and then the prisons became dormitory-type structures. In past years, the conditions in prisons were relatively better because of gains achieved by prisoners' struggles. But today, these events take on a completely different meaning outside the prisons. The problem with cell-type prisons is not an architectural problem, it is a political one. The contra-guerrilla state always creates excuses to enforce its will. The provocation in Burdur Prison (July 2000) is the latest example of that. On Wednesday July 5 at eight o'clock, they asked the revolutionary captives, "Will you go to court?" That question means in Burdur Prison, "Are you coming voluntarily to be tortured?" This is the reality in our prisons. Centrally they decided to carry out a provocation at Burdur. Once this decision was made, it was very obvious that they would attack the prisoners. Yesterday they used as an excuse the dormitory problems in Ulucanlar, today the excuse for attacking them is that they didn't want to go to court. The problem was not that they did not want to go to court, but the prisoners wanted to put a stop to torture. Today's attacks are basically the continuation of the attacks started in 1996. The Susurluk state had to retreat in the face of legendary resistance. But obviously they have not abandoned the policy of the cell-type prisons. The oligarchy used this time for preparation. That preparation is based on the construction of cell-type prisons and trying to legitimise them in the eyes of public opinion. They said there was no money for workers and civil servants, but they spent trillions of lira on building cell-type prisons. This shows us how important the cell-type prisons are for the system. That is why we have to correctly understand the truth about the prisons. The prisons problem will not be resolved with one act of resistance. The prisons themselves will continue to be a problem. Because this is a war of wills. As long as one side does not give up, it will continue all the way to revolution. The rulers will continue their policies to bring about surrender based on the diverse conditions that exist. This could be prison uniforms, forcing prisoners to sing the national anthem or the cells. The 1996 hunger strike was a political triumph over the enemy. Some rights were gained. But the revolutionaries did not think for a moment that the attacks would not resume. The line of heroism which started with the 1996 hunger strike and Ulucanlar will repel new attacks. The people of Turkey can trust the Free Captives forever. They are going to turn the cells into bombs which will explode in the brains of the fascists. Everyone must be sure of that. Because those who are legitimate and right cannot be destroyed or made to surrender at any point in history. What happens in future will be based on facts such as these. Revolutionaries had their arms cut off in Burdur, but their brains continue to function. If we look at past revolutionary history, at the end of the 19th century there were expectations of revolutions in European countries, but these hopes were transferred to the countries of the east. Revolution will definitely take place here or there. And it happened in 1917. The oppressed gained power in Russia. The peoples had to wait 25 years to see another revolution. East European countries, then the Chinese revolution changed the world. It was a very difficult revolution in China. Imperialists and local collaborators spilled an incredible amount of blood to stop the revolution. But the peoples triumphed. To stop Vietnam's revolution America used the whole of its armies but could not succeed. The world was shaken by revolutions. In the 1970s Africa awoke. National independence movements in Africa, revolutionary movements in Latin America. From the Middle East to the Far East, revolution was everywhere. Seventy years of the 20th century were progressive years for national and social liberation struggles. The 1980s and 1990s were reactionary. The reason for reaction was not the success of imperialism but imperialism and the oligarchy were helpless. Reactionary uprisings in the countries which had had revolutions caused the collapse of the socialist system. Socialist governments collapsed, capitalist restoration began. This development affected negatively all those who were fighting for revolutions in their own countries. Some of them sat down at the peace table, some of them abandoned the armed struggle and resumed legal forms of struggle. This period was one in which imperialism made progress. but it did not last as long as they hoped. But today we can say everything is changing in the opposite direction. Yet there are no revolutions that can shake imperialism, but the rulers could not dominate countries as they thought they would. People's movements grew on the basis of economic, democratic, cultural, political and environmental demands. All dynamics show that will grow more and more. When imperialism announced in these years that it had triumphed, the people who did not accept its victory and did not deviate from their aim in the slightest would rise even higher. We briefly explained developments. The rulers are going to become weaker economically and politically, crises will deepen. To play the role of sub-contractor for imperialism can provide some short-term benefits, but that is all. To be a sub-contractor in the Caucasus will narrow the oligarchy's room for manoeuvre and restrict the state's legitimacy. The state's anti-national characteristics are going to be more clearly exposed. The fascist authorities in Turkey rely on imperialism. To continue their power, imperialism is the only thing they can rely on. This is the reason the governments are in the service of imperialist monopolies. But the imperialism the fascist authorities trust lives in fear. Under the philosophy of globalisation, growing injustices in income distribution in most countries between classes continue. Imperialism sees rebellion as a possibility and they are trying to achieve stability in their neo-colonies. This stability is not going to last because every step they take for stability brings with it instability. When they have no way out, they will want more from their collaborators. The arms race in Turkey is the result of this. Complete reliance on imperialism makes the oligarchy feel safe. But still they cannot escape from new political and economic crisis. Little things can come to Turkey from the Caucasus, but they cannot establish economic and political stability. To be a sub-contractor may force you to take part in military interventions, whatever benefits may be derived from it. New and bigger crises are inevitable. Whereas the role of Turkey enforced by the imperialists is going to bring about more rapid political collapse and as a result it will help the revolution develop. The governments are implementing this. All the system parties are purely collaborators with this. The army's claims to oppose the plans of the USA are rubbish, or a new way of being in their service. They have no objection to the role of sub-contractor. Revolutionary politics means declaring Turkey's unlucky role as a collaborator and slaughterer in the Middle East, Balkans and the Caucasus. Our real aim is to bring down this government of imperialist collaborators. Because in Turkey's front, the best thing is to establish good relations with neighbouring peoples and not to be used as a base against neighbouring countries. We have to stop our children from being used as soldiers in the Caucasus to make people enemies of one another. The revolution against the rulers of the new world order's "crumbs of democracy" On the one hand, the bourgeoisie was screaming, "Socialism is dead," on the other it was opening a channel for demands for freedom, independence, democracy and justice. This channel was explained as being about peace, dialogue and agreement. Imperialism was going to establish peace, dialogue and agreement through its interference. The interference of imperialism and its crumbs of democracy were enough to remove some obstacles. It is not even worth discussing whether something can be democratic when it is interference from imperialism. What will happen? What does imperialism say to neo-colonial dictatorships? Is there anything else than the appearance of a few rights, so far? There is no need to repeat revolutionary theory about war and peace. Revolutionaries drew a very clear line many years ago. We are not going to give up our honour for peace. The existence of imperialism means destroying all the honour of colonial countries on a daily basis. The existence of exploitation tramples on human honour every day. That means as long as imperialism is present there can be no peace. We will continue the war. Wouldn't reforms be allowed? They would. But we have much more on our mind. A good reformist can do some management of people's living conditions. But this cannot be revolution, as Che said. Revolution is sacrifice, war, to believe in the future and have trust in it. Revolution has to climb over childish reform programmes. Reforms are by-products of revolutions. If not, we are not dying for reforms, we are not fighting for reforms. Our fight in our country and the world is to create more essential changes. Dear friends and working people, we are optimistic, because: Look at the framework of the world. Is there any reason in this framework to be hopeless or without revolutionary morale? Of course not. Every detail of that framework has revolutionary anger and belief in victory. There are two reasons to be optimistic about revolution in the 21st century. On the one hand, diagnosis of the world and the condition of Turkey. That diagnosis shows us that imperialism and the oligarchy cannot escape from the crisis they are in, they cannot give anything to the people, the period of time under the control of imperialism and the collaborators will continue with more exploitation, more repression. Imperialism cannot stop this epoch of revolutions and also its fascist government cannot remove Turkey's potential for revolution. Imperialism produces unsolved problems. Imperialism cannot run the economy based on the arms trade. Recently on the world's stock markets, information technology and computer shares have gone up a lot, but this does not change the basic character of the capitalist system and they do not solve capitalism's problems. Imperialist competition is not over. The establishment of the EU and the announcement that the USA is the boss of the world have not ended the contradictions, indeed they have deepened. And as long the anti-imperialist struggle of the world's workers develops, and revolutions narrow the room for manoeuvre of the imperialists, these contradictions will inevitably deepen further. Up to today, all the intervention by the new world order created unsolved problems, for example, Iraq and Kosovo. They had to confess that they could not solve them. There is nothing else imperialism can do against resistance to its new world order. On the other side of our optimism, our self-confidence, decisiveness, trust in ourselves and our Marxist-Leninist ideology that we are right and we are defending what is good, morality and justice, and if we have all this, how is it possible not to trust ourselves. This need all over the world and everywhere in Turkey still remains. This old world which was made more ugly by imperialism with every passing day, will only be cleaned up by revolution. The oligarchy can make plans for cells, plans to destroy, but revolutionaries cannot be finished off by massacres. Fighters for justice, quality and freedom can never be finished off. The people's demand for justice, equality and freedom continues everywhere in the world and these people see that the fight cannot be ended and revolution will not be prevented in this world. Revolutions will live and the struggle will continue. Friends, This development increases our hope and decisiveness. Let us ask these questions once more. Has the crisis of imperialism ended? Has the wild character of capitalism changed? In our country or the world, the distribution of income become more equal? Has justice come to our country or to the world? Has democracy come to Turkey? If all the questions asked receive the reply, "No," revolutions will continue. Imperialism is preparing itself against rebellions, the rulers try to destroy the revolutionary organizations, they try to make people unorganised, that means the war will develop, ideas of becoming soft or looking for theories about peace will before long end up in the rubbish bin. Socialism will exert influence as a pole of attraction for the peoples, revolution will connect people together. The guerrillas and villagers start to become as one in the Sierra Maestra. This communal life is not a miracle but an answer to important needs. Those who fought to get rid of the tyrants and who saw the light of freedom and hope, when they connect with the peoples, that means revolution. That's why we trust ourselves. Our opponents stand for filth and have nothing to give the people, economically, politically or culturally, they are stealing from the people's pocket, taking away their rights, freedom and culture. Who can win, in the struggle between these two powers? Sooner or later, what has right on its side will win, victory will be ours, the working peoples. Down with imperialism and it collaborators! Long live the brotherhood and sisterhood of the peoples! Long live international solidarity! _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
