LET US UNITE, FIGHT AND WIN AGAINST IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION
WHAT IS THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST FRONT? The Anti-Imperialist Front is an international institution that wages a struggle for the unity of revolutionary, democratic, socialist and anti-fascist organisations against imperialist aggressiveness anywhere in the world. Its aim is to be on the side of the peoples of the world resisting imperialist attacks and to establish a Revolutionary International against imperialism.
year, about 18 million people die directly from hunger, and 70 million die from hunger-related causes. According to United Nations (UN) data, only $ 50 billion is needed to lift this hunger completely! That is, it's not even the annual profit of one of the world's monopolies! The amount needed to completely remove hunger from the earth is 50 billion dollars, but only 596 billion dollars of the military expenditure of the year 2015 of the American imperialism alone. Today, US imperialism alone has 10,000 nuclear warheads by official figures, and even these weapons alone are enough to destroy the world many times over. Imperialism, military spending in the name of defence, is intended to suppress all the resistance that the peoples may make to imperialism.
Imperialist attacks are carried out in many countries of the world by the United States, NATO, the European Union and the state of Israel. NATO and the states within the EU are also supporting the imperialist attacks as collaborators in this aggression, offering all military and logistic opportunities. Military aggression around the world causes millions of people to die and leave their homeland, just like In the face of this aggression of imperialin the wars of Syria and Iraq. ism, every revolutionary organisation, every national liberation struggle, regardless of what Imperialism is at the same time one of the country in the world it is, has to target the fundamental causes of the famine of the people. American empire to target imperialism. It canEvery day about 25,000 people die of starvation not be patriotic, revolutionary, without resisting of whom more than 17,000 are children. Every imperialism, fighting against imperialism. It is the most basic duty of all anti-imperialists to ensure that imperialist attacks on the peoples do not go unanswered. Within the AntiImperialist Front are different ideological organisations advocating different forms of
3
revolution and struggle. The fundamental idea is that these organisations, together with all the differences, are necessary for ensuring the unity of the people against imperialist aggression and the support of all anti-imperialist forces which resist imperialism.
* Bolivarian Continental Movement
How was the Anti-Imperialist Front formed?
* World Social Forum (representative)
* Venezuelan Communist Party * Radical Workers’ Front (Greece) * New Left Current (Greece)
* Committee For Freedom Of Expression And Organisation (Belgium)
The establishment of the Anti-Imperialist * 23rd September Movement (Bulgaria) Front and putting it into operation have been the main targets of the symposiums held every * Martyrs’ Families (Palestine) year since 2009 in Turkey in the poor and rev* Democratic Resistance Front (Honolutionary neighbourhoods of Istanbul. The International Symposium For The Unity Of The duras) Peoples Against Imperialist Aggression, which (Moreover artists and socialists from a we name after our revolutionary martyr Eyup number of countries participated.) Bas, hosts dozens of revolutionary and socialist organisations every year. II. International Eyup Bas Sympo-
International Eyup Bas Symposium sium For The Unity Of The Peoples For The Unity Of The Peoples Against Against Imperialist Aggression Imperialist Aggression 25-26-27 February 2011 in Istanbul, held The first symposium took place after years of preparations and a short time after our worker comrade Eyup Bas was martyred, on 4th, 5th and 6th December 2009, in the environmental theatre in Istanbul Kocamustafapasa.
Participants; * Halk Cephesi – People’s Front (Turkey) * Lebanese Communist Party * Hezbollah (Lebanon) * Popular Front For The Liberation of Palestine - PFLP * Democratic Front For The Liberation Of Palestine * Forum Opposing Normalising Relations With Israel (Jordan)
4
in the Turkan Saylan culture centre Participants; * Halk Cephesi (Turkey) * Tunisian 14 January Front (Belgium) * PFLP * Bolivarian Continental Movement (Venezuela) * Egalite / Equality Party (Belgium) * Anti-Imperialist Forum (India) * National Democratic Front Of The Phillipines / * NDFP (Netherlands) * KHIAM / Rehabilitation Centre For Victims Of Torture (Lebanon)
* Communist Workers’ Party (Bulgaria)
Concert organised by the Grup Yorum music group every year, was the first assault by the * NAR (Greece) AKP’s killer policemen, and the workers who * Iraqi Communist Party Union Of The put up the tents were arrested. However, the symposium was not abandoned, the workers People (Syria) were supported and the tents were re-estab* Kurdistan Freedom And Justice Party lished and a symposium was held. (Iraq) This symposium was attended by dele* Arab Ba’ath Socialist Party (Iraq) gates from Germany, Ireland, Syria, Lebanon, * Jabha Al Mukawama we Al Tahrir / Re- Palestine, Greece, Bulgaria, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Philippines, Italy, Iraq, sistance and Homeland Front (Iraq) Colombia and Honduras. * Democratic Workers’ Party (Tunisia) * Sarahui People – Western Sahara * P.R. Pant (Nepal)
V. International Eyup Bas Symposium For The Unity Of The Peoples Against Imperialist Aggression
16-17-18 April 2014 in the Gazi District (Moreover a number of Palestinian phoBuyuk Kent (Great City) Park Square, tents tographers and refugees took part.) were established in a festival. Organised symIII. International Eyup Bas Sympo- posiums continued in organised neighboursium For The Unity Of The Peoples hoods where revolutionaries and people lived out their values. Representatives from GerAgainst Imperialist Aggression many, Ireland, Syria, Lebanon, Greece, Bulgaria, This took place in Istanbul Mecidiyekoy India, Italy, Colombia, Honduras, Argentina, culture centre on 2, 3 and 4 March 2012. Portugal, Bangladesh and Guyana participated In this symposium, delegates from Iran, in this symposium. In this symposium, a deciRussia, Bulgaria, Greece, Britain, Ireland, Hon- sion was taken to establish an Anti-Imperialist duras, Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal and India Front. participated, as well as from Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt.
VI. International Eyup Bas Symposium For The Unity Of The Peoples IV. International Eyup Bas Symposium Against Imperialist Aggression
For The Unity Of The Peoples Against Imperialist Aggression 16-20 April 2013 – held in Cayan neighbourhood’s Huseyin Aksoy Park (Istanbul). The symposium was held in a tent in the Huseyin Aksoy Park, where people from the neighbourhood were gathered from the halls, as it was thought the symposiums should be accessible to the public. The first day of the symposium, which was held after the Independent Turkey
On April 12-18, 2015 in Sarıgazi, the AKP carried out fascist attacks. Once the tent was destroyed by the cops, there were clashes all night. A Grup Yorum concert was the pretext for the attacks on the first and also the last day of the Symposium. A decision was taken to clarify the formation of a stronger union at the point of imperialist aggression, as well as to build the Anti-Imperialist Front.
5
VII. International Eyup Bas Sym- ance House of Death Fast martyr Senay posium For The Unity Of The Peoples Hanoglu, despite all the prohibitions on Grup Yorum. At the symposium, a decision was taken Against Imperialist Aggression
to organise a campaign against imperialism and On April 15-16, 2016, the Symposium was to establish a committee. held at the Hasan Ferit Gedik Struggle And Rescue Centre For Combatting Drugs, located in Gazi Neighbourhood. Representatives from Our aim is to build the Anti-ImpeColombia, Peru, Mexico, Greece, Italy, Russia, rialist Front! Ukraine, Donbass, Basque Country, Czech Republic, Lebanon, Morocco, Ireland, Bulgaria Imperialism is killing people both with and India participated in this Symposium. It military offensives and by arming and training was decided to organise solidarity visits with a sharia organisations in the Middle East. On the delegation of Anti-Imperialist Front delegates other hand, the left creates a basis for military against the aggression of imperialism in Syria attacks by influencing the socialist, democratic and against AKP fascism in North Kurdistan in sectors ideologically, creating allies for itself. the symposium with the slogan "We are not vic- That is why our aim is to strengthen the unity tims of imperialism, we will be its executioners�. against the US, the enemy of the peoples, which In October visits to Damascus, Beirut, Adana, divides the peoples with artificial distinctions Antep, Maras - Terolar village took place, and and makes them fight one another. The sympoAmed (Diyarbakir) was also visited. The last siums that we have been holding for years are visit of the delegation was in Gazi Neighbour- not just simple panel discussions, but also dishood where AKP fascism had launched a dev- cussions about what should be the anti-imperiastating attack in September. Workers at the alist attitude towards the people living in the Hasan Ferit Gedik centre, and patients who world, allowing the ideology of society to be were attacked by the AKP's killer police when shaped, and at the same time decisions are they turned it into a police station, were also reached. Therefore, with the symposiums that visited. we insisted on every year despite all the attacks, this unity has become a field of struggle at the VIII. International Eyup Bas Symsame time. Despite all the attacks by AKP fasposium For The Unity Of The Peoples cism in Turkey, the symposium continues to Against Imperialist Aggression show the resistance and spirit of resistance, which is increasing every year, to show all peoThe international symposium was held in ples our belief in the struggle. Bosphorus Cemevi and Cultural Centre Conference Hall in Kucukarmutlu, on April 21-22, The Anti-Imperialist Front has now 2017, while the people of Turkey were being reached the state that it can develop common governed by KHK and OHAL (state of emer- attitudes and policies in the face of imperialist gency) laws. attacks. Our next goal is to ensure the participation of all the anti-imperialists who are fightRepresentatives from Greece, Ireland, ing in unity in this world and to transmit Ukraine-Donbass, Italy and Bulgaria particiinternationalism. The unity established is the pated in this symposium. On the last day of the combination of the forces engaging in struggle. symposium, all the delegations attended the Each organisation is a place where they share concert performed from the roof of the Resist-
6
their experience of struggle, learn from each It is an important opportunity for us to enother, and share their lessons at the same time. large the Front against imperialism through the decisions we have reached. Because we have no For this reason it is the duty of all con- alternative than to put into effect all the ideas stituent parts to bring to life decisions reached drawn up and dealt with in the sessions. Othand to follow up on them at the same time. On erwise, the symposiums that we organise will 21-22 April 2017, the VIII. International Eyup become a routine and not a vehicle for striking Bas Symposium For The Unity Of The Peoples blows at imperialism but turn into a means of Against Imperialist Aggression arrived at these sending the struggle into reverse. decisions: We are aware of the way ahead and do not 1- It was emphasized that the greatest need dream of easy victories. However, it should not is a committee. Of course, each organisation is be underestimated that for the destruction of different in terms of power and practice, but a the ideological hegemony of imperialism, it is committee has been decided upon so that more necessary for imperialism to be called by its organised work can be done. The establishment right name and denounced. Our struggle of the committee was assessed with regard to against imperialism, which we will step up with which organisations will take part in which confidence and faith, will be one of achieving committees. great goals with small steps. 2- To make the Anti-Imperialist Front The symbol of our internationalism, the more of an institution, it was decided to write a Commandante who the bourgeoisie have tried booklet that introduces ourselves so that every to corrupt but will never succeed, said, "Be reorganic part can disseminate this association at alistic, demand the impossible." With this faith any international conferences in which it par- and determination, they realised the revolution ticipates. in Cuba. We know that imperialism wants to 3- Our basic goal is not just to organise the delegates in solidarity, but also to organise campaigns that expose and strike at imperialism in their own countries. The most important decision taken at this symposium is to launch a common campaign against US imperialism in each country we live in, according to local conditions. 4- We learn of all developments in the world from the imperialist news monopolies. Each representative has decided to send a declaration to the Anti-Imperialist Front about developments in his or her own country and to issue a monthly newsletter. 5- It was decided to establish a network of solidarity between the prisoners and to provide correspondence between them.
prevent weapons from being directed at itself by killing people, making them hungry and making it impossible to tell friend from enemy. We declare that we will not remain silent in the face of imperialist attacks, we say that we have directed our weapons at imperialism and that our struggle is a war for freedom and justice. And we declare that imperialism can be defeated in the Middle East, Anatolia, Europe and Asia. We have started out on this road to unite the peoples against imperialism, we will continue on this road by stressing that even a single stone thrown at the imperialists is hope for the oppressed peoples and accelerates our progress. We declare that we will not be the victims of imperialism, we will be its executioners, we will never bow to the imperialists.
7
JERUSALEM BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE! US President Trump announced that he recognised Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and the Palestinian people responded to this with stones in their hands. When Israelis attacked them with weapons as they emerged from prayers in Al Aqsa, the people resisted and continue to resist!
There can be no legitimacy for a decision not accepted by the people of Palestine. The Palestinian people have replied in the West Bank and Gaza by fighting, dying and resisting. Jerusalem is Palestine and no people of the Middle East can be free, until Israel and the imperialist USA have been removed from the Middle East!
The argument about Jerusalem is not new, Greetings to the Palestinian child generals Israel, the guarantor of imperialism’s presence who replied to bullets with stones… in the Middle East and its regional gendarme, Greetings to the Palestinian youths and has been OCCUPYING Palestinian soil since women who lacking other weapons, advance on May 15, 1948! soldiers with knives in their hands… They could not finish a people with masJerusalem belongs to the Palestinian peosacres and repression, and are now trying to use collaborator Arab states to surround them on ple! four sides and destroy them. DOWN WITH ISRAEL, DOWN WITH The statement by Egyptian president Sisi US IMPERIALISM! and the Saudi prince in particular talking of a Halk Cephesi (People’s Front) Internapeace process is an attempt to legitimise what tional Relations Committee is going on and amounts to a massacre of the antiemperyalistresist@gmail.com Palestinian people. The only peace in Palestine can be from the removal of Israel from its land! 08.12.2017
8
WE WILL BUILD THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST FRONT! As the Anti-Imperialist Front, Revolutionary Offensive from Greece, 23rd of September organisation from Bulgaria, Italian Anti-Imperialist Front from Italy, People's Front from Turkey and the academic and lawyer Hasan Jouni from Lebanon participated in the 1st Anti-Imperialist Front meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey between 1st and 3rd of September.
Subjects that were discussed in the meetings were how to introduce the Anti-Imperialist Front to the wider sections of the people, how to support resistance in the world and how to organise the campaign against imperialism. We are publishing the topics and the decisions that were taken as a result of the discussions:
During the 3-day programme, meetings IMPERIALISM: were held to evaluate how and who will establish an International that will deal a blow to imImperialism is the exploitation of the peoperialism under current conditions and to the ple, of working class labour, and of all underimperialist aggression in the world. ground and surface resources for the benefit of
9
the monopolies. Because the direct occupation of other countries by imperialism has been stopped by the people's liberation wars, the exploitation continues via different means.
years, today, as the Anti-Imperialist Front, we emphasize that Lenin's definition of imperialism has not changed and remains valid. Imperialism is in a deep economic crisis. Even if it changes appearance from time to time, its By the means of ideological attack, the im- essence and spirit remain the same. perialism is using people's demands for democracy, freedom and independence for its own Imperialism is rotten and parasitical. Imbenefit. The two fundamental methods used for perialism's only way out of the crisis in which the exploitation of the people and the working it finds itself is to make the peoples fight each class are military and financial aggression. other. As for the only solution for the people, it is to take the side of all the forces that fight Especially in the Middle East, it cannot against imperialism, without paying attention tolerate any force that resist it. With this aim, in to the mutual differences, not to be the means countries such as Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, etc. it of war of the imperialists and to reject it by the causes bloody wars in the region via coups or means of class brotherhood, and to organise by arming reactionary groups. By dividing peo- against the aggression in the widest union that ple and making them fight each other, the was established against the common enemy. biggest military power in the world seizes the The Anti-Imperialist Front was established with world's underground and surface resources for this goal and by the means of meetings and the American imperialists. symposiums it holds, this unity takes a more orImperialism continues exploitation of the ganised form. people by learning from its own experience. In INTERNATIONALISM: particular, after the Second World War it developed the tactic of neo-colonialism. The impeAs a result of the dissolution of the Soviet rialists have started a significant ideological Union and the isolation and weakening of the offensive against the people, with think tanks socialist countries by the means of embargoes, established in Europe and the ex-socialist bloc the people remained defenceless against the imcountries and with the associations established perialist ideological, economic and military agwith material help from capitalists like George gression. Imperialism is not as powerful as one Soros. thinks, it takes its power from the division among peoples and their lack of organisation. Especially in Europe, exploitation, raids against the immigrants, putting workers and Internationalism is a struggle of the worklabourers into debt and violation of the rights ing class against fascism all over the world. Inof the people that have been won continues. The ternationalism belongs to the class, it is a imperialists from the European Union, the ex- brotherhood of the workers of the world, it is ploiters France and Germany, confiscate the based on class unity. At the present, imperialism rights for independence and freedom of people continues to attack the identity of the people in in places like Italy, Bulgaria and Greece via fi- particular. Internationalism is opposed to the nancial-economic dependence and debt rela- efforts to break the internationalist class identity tions. with the concepts of imperialist globalisation and multiculturalism. Internationalism based However much the bourgeois ideologists on class and takes its unifying force from proclaim that imperialism has changed in 100
10
letarian identity. By the means of the First and Third Internationals, the people and the working class of the world dealt a great blow to imperialism. The socialist ideology spread across the whole world with the First International and settled upon a scientific foundation. As for the Third International, as a result of the resistance of the Soviet people and the people of Europe and Asia under fascist occupation it dealt a blow to the imperialists. It was the cause of the foundation of the socialist states in the world, and of the liberation of the people and the working class of the world from the yoke of fascism. As the consequence of the resistance, ideological and political strength, a death blow was dealt to fascism.
By isolating and separating organisations and peoples, imperialism is doing away with them one by one. They aim at making them ineffective. As for us, we take our strength from our unity and from partnering in the experience of the struggle in every country. The established Anti-Imperialist Front Committee is the guarantee of the continuity of that unity. The Anti-Imperialist Front Committee, by stimulating the division of work, will follow the labour of every representative that has undertaken a responsibility and will be held responsible for the results on Committee meetings every four months.
Sub-committees for the campaign and propaganda work that will be carried out are As for today, there is no International that aimed at making the way the work is managed would shield the working class and the people more effective and systematic. of the world from the imperialist ideological at2. "Resistance": General responsitacks. Reformists and revisionists continue with the ideology of surrender and failure to assert bility - Greece, Technical duties -Turkey oneself on the international plane. and Bulgaria The only hope, the only force that can guarantee that the left can stand up on its feet again is the establishment and the prevalence of an International that will ensure the ideological and political unity of those who resist in the world.
The decision was made to start publishing a magazine every three months, at first in English and over the Internet, which will explain the struggle in other countries and Anti-Imperialist Front's political evaluation related to the current developments.
Fundamental topics for the magazine's arTHE DECISIONS MADE IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE ANTI-IM- ticles: PERIALIST FRONT: - News from the other countries The decisions made in order to expand the Anti-Imperialist Front that was established in 2014 during the International Symposium of the Popular Unity Against the Imperialist Aggression "Eyup Bas" and to make it more organised:
- Political prisoners – prisons
1. Committee of the Anti-Imperialist Front:
- Culture - Art
- Articles of opinion - Analysis – articles of evaluation - Caricatures
- Martyrs of the revolution (examples
11
from the world struggle)
3. Education Committee: General responsibility – Bulgaria and Turkey The imperialist ideological attacks are primarily established in order to take over the minds of the people. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the fundamental reason for the hopelessness of the armed organisations for the revolution and getting stuck in the swamp of parliamentarism one by one, is ideological abandonment. It is not a defeat of socialism, it is a defeat of reformism. In Vietnam, Algeria and Korea, imperialism was defeated in spite of all its military might. Today, the ideological clarity and the spirit of common struggle against the imperialism that will be created, bear great importance for the Anti-Imperialist Front. It was decided that for the internal education, the Anti-Imperialist Front's library and film archive will be formed and shared with all members. It was decided to designate the commonly read books and movies from the world cinema which show the path of the struggle and share the people's experience. This labour aims at creation of the Anti-Imperialist Front's cadre to work on the subject of internationalism.
the socialist ideology. As an ideology, imperialism is powerless and lacking foundation, it is working class ideology that is historically and politically powerful. The fundamental labour in order to make socialism become again the might and the hope of the people is propaganda. It was decided to make Anti-Imperialist Front campaigns and activities become more widespread by the means of various activities. Propaganda works that will be supported by concerts and seminars will be handled together with the campaign against US bases.
5. Campaign against US aggression: With more than 800 bases placed on five continents, the USA is at present the biggest military power in the world. The number of countries on the face of the earth where the USA does not have military presence is just 43... The total surface of its bases in the USA and outside of its borders is 120,000 square kilometres. This wrongfully seized land is bigger than the surface of many countries in the world. The total surface of the US bases in the world is nearly the same as the total surface of North Korea.
344 buildings, 184,000 structures, 48,000 Besides, opening of the Anti-Imperialist service structures in property of US bases Front's offices in different countries was discauses the Pentagon to hold the title of being cussed. The first office will become active in the world's largest holder of real estate. Italy. According to the official information 4. Propaganda and presentation: given by the Defence Ministry and Defence General responsible–Italy Manpower Data Centre, in Germany there are 40,000 US soldiers and 179 US bases; in Japan, Under the name of civil society organisain 109 bases there are over 50,000 soldiers, in tions that imperialism established and gave maSouth Korea since 1957 until today, there are terial resources to, they are trying to establish over 28,000 US soldiers in 85 bases. Italy is a ideological hegemony in the world by the country with the second biggest US military means of international media organisations. presence in Europe after Germany. Imperialism is weakening the people's liberation struggle in the world and by making soIn 2016 the US military expenditure was cialist organisations drift to the right, it weakens 596 billion dollars. More than half the total mil-
12
itary expenditure in the world.
will be made clear within two weeks.
US soldiers are present in 157 countries in Every action and meeting that takes place the world. within the scope of the campaign will be evaluated in the magazine. Since September 11, there are 13 new US bases in seven countries. IT'S NOT THE FORCE OF THE WATER THAT MAKES A HOLE IN THE STONE, IT'S Lastly, the USA is the owner of eight mil- THE PERSISTENCE OF THE WAVES! itary strongpoints besides two airbases in Syria, in the PKK/PYD's area. In the 100th year of the October Revolution, we greet our struggle against imperialism The USA is the owner of 702 bases and with the aim of enlarging the Anti-Imperialist military assets in the world. Besides, within the Front. We welcome the Soviet people and its USA it has 6,000 bases. leaders who created the biggest victory of peo95% of foreign military bases belong to the ples against imperialism, not by glittering salon activities but by popular anti-imperialist resistUSA. ance. Imperialism fears the people who are exA single stone thrown against the imperiposed to its weaponry. On one hand while imalists who turned the world into a lake of blood perialism tries to render the people ineffective ideologically, on the other hand it definitely is more powerful than tonnes of explosives. Bedoes not remain unarmed. The information cause the force hits the right target. that we mentioned above, all by itself, creates Because of that, every campaign we organthe legitimacy and the necessity of the anti-im- ise, every labour added to the Anti-Imperialist perialist struggle! Front is our greeting to the martyrs of the revAs the Anti-Imperialist Front the slogan olution. for the campaign that will be organised was deWith our struggle we continue to keep cided by a common decision at the meeting Karl Marx and Engels alive, who created the held between 1 and 3 September in Istanbul. First International, we keep Lenin, Stalin and Georgi Dimitrov alive who extended the Third Campaign slogans: International all over the world via internation- USA, get out of our land! alism and who won the socialist victories, we - People of the world, let us unite against keep Che alive who calls out from Cuba's mountains and paths. the US bases! Campaign materials: - Poster design: Italy - Proclamation text: Turkey
WE WILL HOLD OUR SECOND MEETING IN LEBANON ON 18-21 JANUARY WHICH WILL ORGANISE OUR STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND ITS COLLABORATORS.
- Proclamation design: Bulgaria
IMPERIALISM WILL BE DEFEATED, The first activity within the campaign THE PEOPLES THAT RESIST WILL WIN! framework will be carried out in Italy. Its date
13
IMPERIALISM "This war of life and death does not recognise any limits. We cannot stay indifferent to what is happening elsewhere in the world. Because the victory of any country against imperialism is also our victory; in the same way, if any nation is defeated, it is a defeat for all of us. It is not only a mission but also an inevitable necessity to implement proletarian internationalism for the peoples who fight for a better future." (Che)
one of the most fundamental aspects of the struggle of the peoples.
The peoples of the world cannot win victories without raising the banner of struggle against imperialism and Zionism. This is so obvious. It is one of the needs of the people today to ensure the unity of peoples against imperialist aggression and to enlarge an anti-imperialist front within this unity. An anti-imperialist front on an international scale opens the road to the We say that in today's world, revolution- liberation of the peoples of the world. ism, progress, democracy and patriotism all enWe cannot even think of liberation withtail being against imperialism and Zionism! out being "anti-imperialist". During the 1990s, We see this meeting as a step towards the one of the most important factors that weakestablishment of an international Anti-Imperi- ened the struggle of the peoples was the politics alist Front. Our steps, our endeavours must that bound the various progressive, democratic continue until it is established. Because there is and leftist forces, in the name of democracy, to a very clear need. Anti-imperialism must be collaborationist regimes or American or European imperialists. This distorted understanding caused imperialism’s Gulf attack in 1990-91 to be ignored on the pretext that the USA and the EU would break down dictatorship in the Middle East and open the way for democracy. This distorted understanding also targeted only Bush when Iraq was occupied, but did not target imperialism. This distorted understanding also supported membership of the imperialist European Union, in the belief that it would develop democracy.
14
All this, it is clear, has strengthened the imperialist system, has created confusion in the consciousness of the people and weakened and pushed back the struggle of the peoples. The developments in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Iran showed once more to all the peoples of the world and to all the organisations in the world that liberation is impossible in today's world without being "anti-imperialist, anti-Zionist". Without being "anti-imperialist anti-Zionist" we cannot even think of liberation. Any non-anti-imperialist movement will finally seek reconciliation with the system. In today's world, the basic stance of being progressive, patriotic and revolutionary is to stand against imperialism and Zionism. In this sense, one of the purposes of this meeting is to call for the ANTI-IMPERIALIST CLARITY of all the progressive, democratic, anti-American organisations of the Middle East and all organisations of the world. Clarity in anti-imperialism is also the first condition of anti-imperialist unity. WE MUST UNITE ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD, ALL REVOLUTIONARIES, PATRIOTS AND ORGANISATIONS, AGAINST IMPERIALISM! The aim of this meeting is to bring together anti-imperialists, revolutionaries, antiAmericans from all over the world, from the Middle East to Latin America. For decades, imperialists have made the peoples accept the policies of exploitation, occupation and tyranny with lies. The bombs raining on top of the Iraqi people in the fight to destroy the so-called "chemical weapons" in Iraq were watched as if it was a film performance for the peoples of the world. Previously never before used weapons, rockets, airplanes, anti-aircraft, anti-aircraft missiles, missile ramps were used in this war, and live broadcasts of these weapons being used on the Iraqi people were like advertisements. Again, Libya was in-
vaded, occupied and levelled to the ground on pretexts that were lies. Thousands of Libyans were turned into refugees in their own countries. And they were drowned in the Mediterranean. Imperialism is responsible for this. Since 2011, imperialism has followed the same policy. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians were murdered. The body of the baby Aylan, washed up on the shore of US collaborationist Turkey, is engraved in our minds. Millions have been made to leave their country. However, imperialism could not make the the peoples of Syria surrender. This boosted the morale of the peoples of the Middle East and was a source of horror to imperialism. But imperialism has not yet given up on its policies. Iran, Lebanon and Palestine are imperialism's targets. These countries and their peoples are where anti-imperialist anti-Zionist thoughts are very strong. Imperialism continues to expand the occupation of Palestine through Zionism and to make the pain in people's lives worse. We believe that the small generals of Palestine like Tenim will continue to strike blows at imperialism. * In the world, in Turkey, we are fighting for socialism and paying a price. We are revolutionaries from this people and this soil. But ours is not a struggle limited to the soil of a country. Our fight for a socialist homeland is national in form, but the content is internationalist. This is in ideological terms, and it has to be so in terms of the objective conditions of the world. It is in ideological terms that revolutionism, being socialist, is able to perceive the pain of someone being slapped, no matter where in the world it is. It is therefore internationalist. Internationalism is a necessity in terms of ultimate liberation. Because the victory of socialism in a country will not be the ultimate victory for the peoples of that country. The ultimate victory of socialism can only
15
be achieved by erasing imperialism through the world. And only then can humanity live in security in a classless world free of exploitation. We are thinking internationally with this consciousness. Not only for the liberation of our own people, but also the liberation of the peoples of the whole world. The anguish of other peoples inspires our fury, and their victory becomes our own victory. We know that the common enemy is imperialism. Hence, we know that every blow struck at imperialism and its collaborators, no matter where in the world, every action that makes imperialism lose power is ours. Every position that the peoples of the world oppose imperialism from is also ours. And every attack imperialism committed against the revolutionaries of other countries against other peoples is an attack on us. In Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Syria we resist occupation. We are guerrillas in Colombia, Nepal and India. We are Cuban doctors around the world who tend the wounds of the poor. We are sacrificial fighters who blow up tyranny wherever it is found. A miner who resists with Molotovs in Bolivia, a peasant who occupies land in Zimbabwe, a child dying of starvation in Africa, a striker in Europe. We are fighting shoulder to shoulder on the same front, all of us. Internationalism is one of the strongest, most fundamental aspects of the revolutionary tradition. Every revolutionary should consider internationalism without breaking away from the feeling of homeland and see himself or herself as a fighter in the war against imperialism by the peoples of the world. Today we defend internationalism as the purest, the most disinterested, the most determined state on earth. We must defend it. Nothing else can be done in the face of the war imperialists wage on the peoples, making them spit blood, condemning billions of people to poverty and hunger. In the face of such an unjust "world order", the people will resist with all
16
forms of resistance, and war is legitimate and just. The fact that the oppressed peoples have a common international organisation around the world against the common enemy, imperialism, strengthens the peoples of the world. We must be united like one fist, in opposition to the common enemy, imperialism and Zionism. This is a necessity. If we do not unite, imperialism wins, imperialism and Zionism seem strong if we are not united. The peoples cannot get the results they want in their struggles because of being isolated. If somebody deprives another of a piece of bread and leaves them hungry; if someone work another to death in front of everyone's eyes, it is at least “immoral, murderous, sadistic, barbarian�, they say. But when it is the imperialist monopolies that do this, none of these adjectives are used. Moreover it is not a single person starved to death, but billions of people exposed to hunger! 642 million in Asia and the Pacific, 265 million in the southern part of Africa, 53 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 42 million in East and North Africa ... Imperialists and their collaborators cause them to hunger. 1 child every 6 seconds on earth, starving to death. This is starving EVERY DAY. 14,400 children are dead. We repeat: In this vile world, 14,400 children are starving every day, in the world of corruption, where everything is reversed! Can a greater sadism, a greater slaughter, a greater torture exist than that? Everything aside, only this; by itself it is enough that 14,400 children per day die of hunger, to give legitimacy to every rebellion against the imperialist monopolies, to give legitimacy to all kinds of war and actions. The air, water and soil in the world are enough to feed
all of humanity. There is enough human potential. There are enough seed fertilisers and medicines. What is lacking is the power to bring all these together. Imperialist forces cannot provide it. The proof of what they cannot provide; one in six of the world's population has been ABANDONED TO HUNGER. These are the imperialist policies that create hunger. It is their politics that leave people unemployed in Asia, Africa, and the Far East. It is the largest imperialist monopolies that condemn them to work at not even the level of half the minimum wage. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation announced last year that the number of "hungry or malnourished people" increased by 100 million more than in previous years. With this figure, the number of hungry in the world has reached the level where it is in the billions... - The income of the three richest monopoly bourgeois is equal to the income of countries in Africa. - The richest 10 monopolist bourgeois is worth 133 billion dollars. This figure is 1.5 times the annual income of the poorest 48 countries. - The wealth of the world's 225 wealthiest people equals the wealth of 2.5 billion poor people.
The world is such an unjust place. And in this tableau of injustice, it is inevitable that the people of Egypt, the people of Tunisia, engaged in the legitimate, right, inevitable uprising against Mubarak and Bin Ali and rebelling against the oppression by the imperialist monopolies of the peoples of the world. Hunger is growing, poverty is spreading, injustice is growing. A world in which the income of the bloodsucking parasitic bourgeois is more than the income of the 2.5 billion poorest is a world that needs to be rebuilt. Because the imperialists will
not be able to solve this hunger, rebellions and people’s wars of liberation are legitimate! Hunger reaching its highest level of the last 20 years, the number of hungry reaching more than 11 billion, is an indication that the problem is not limited to just a few countries or a continent, but here it is the proportional increase in poverty. This increase is the reality of the entire imperialist, capitalist world. The other striking figure that the research reveals is the huge injustice in income distribution. While the wealthiest sector receives 47.6 percent of the total income of the country, only 5.6 percent of the poorest people receive this share. That is why it is hard to rise up and fight against hunger. That is why it is obligatory, inevitable and consistent to overthrow the oligarchic dictatorship, which is supposed to continue the robbery and exploitation regime that makes people go hungry. The history of the world since the early 1990s, the imperialist system, is unable to solve the problems of hunger, poverty and injustice (whether it is the new world order, globalisation or globalism) and there is no such possibility for the future. So the people will solve these problems on their own. They will solve them themselves, with their revolutionary governments. There is no other way. we must ensure that all peoples under the exploitation of imperialism and their political representative organisations are united. Taking the fact that united organisation will magnify the struggle of the peoples, we must quickly begin concrete steps to create the anti-imperialist unity of the people. We must do this in the consciousness of internationalist solidarity. We stand for martyrs fighting against imperialism and Zionism, and we salute all heroic martyrs who sacrifice their lives. The glorious way of all the revolutionary martyrs is our way, our guide. We respectfully salute our comrades in person who have worked hard to establish the
17
Anti-Imperialist Front and who are held captive by AKP fascism, the collaborator with US imperialism and Zionism, and who have been imprisoned for working for their peoples and homeland. We salute all the fighters waging a struggle in the mountains and cities everywhere in the world. Our suggestions:
- Prisoners in Turkey are setting fire to their cells to oppose the attempt to impose prison uniforms.
There must be the immediate and unconAs the Anti-Imperialist Front, what can ditional release of all prisoners who have been we do against it? It is imperative that we create captive in the struggle against imperialist and solidarity, otherwise new deaths in the prisons Zionist collaborators and dictators will be inevitable. - Turkish revolutionary Musa A o lu was - We must unite the resistance of revolucaptured by German imperialism. He is threat- tionary and patriotic prisoners. We recommend ened by American imperialism a hunger strike for 1-3 days in support of all - Turkish revolutionary Erdal GÜko lu Palestinian prisoners and in particular against was arrested in Belgium and was extradited to attacks and assaults on prisoners, including the Germany, he is accused of organising concerts. attempt to impose prison uniform on revolutionary prisoners imprisoned in Turkey. - The immediate release of nine comrades - In relation to Turkey, there are prisoners arrested under torture and imprisoned by the Syriza government in Greece, which claims to from Grup Yorum, Dev-Genc and the People’s be left-wing. We must organise solidarity for Law Bureau... We recommend opposing the rerevolutionaries and patriots who are held in the pression and attacks against them by visiting the People’s Law Bureau and the Idil Culture jails of imperialism. Centre, visits can be conducted as organisation We have to be a barrier to the Zionist Is- representatives or even individuals. A press reraeli and American aggression in Palestine. lease can be issued. We must show that we support oppressed peoples against imperialism. We must take onto our agenda the regime change in Iran that imperialism is planning, and We recommend making a live connection what we are going to do against this as the Anti- with Nuriye and Semih... Imperialist Front.
18
LES ORGANISATIONS-LE PEUPLE-L’IMPERIALISME ET LES GOUVERNANTS-AU SENEGAL relations fraternelles entretenues par les autorités religieuses et culturelles.
Le Sénégal est un pays ouest africain laïc avec comme capital Dakar, il dispose d’une superficie de 196.722 Km carré et une population de 14 millions d’habitants composée de plusieurs ethnies qui s’acceptent dans la différence. Il a acquis son indépendance de la France en 1960 après des décennies de lutte jalonnées de plusieurs péripéties. C’est un pays également qui a un encrage religieux très fort bâtis autour de la religion musulmane (95% de la population) et chrétienne (5% de la population). Mais ces deux religions vivent en parfaite harmonie du fait d’une tradition séculaire basée sur le culte de la tolérance mutuelle et des
En dehors des organisations et/ou partis politiques qui foisonnent en raison du pluralisme politique ; il existe des associations, des organisations d’aspiration différente de lutte contre (l’impérialisme, la pauvreté, l’immigration clandestine, le pillage des ressources, les accords commerciaux illégaux visant à appauvrir d’avantage nos populations, les changements climatiques, la mauvaise distribution des richesses du pays, l’accaparement des terres, les dérives des chefs d’Etats africains etc.) ; et d’autres organisations dont la mission est orientée sur le respect des droits de l’homme, de la démocratie surtout au regard de la constitution, de la bonne gouvernance et des élections présidentielles et législatives. A l’instar des autres pays africains, le Sénégal a un passé politique fondé sur le
19
refus de la domination interne et externe des populations, soutenue par les mouvements sociaux. Ce qui fait que les relations entre le peuple, les impérialistes et le gouvernement sont très difficiles par moment. Les Sénégalais sont bien informés par les médias privés (radios FM, télévisions, journaux, presses en ligne) ; ainsi que les réseaux sociaux qui n’hésitent pas à expliquer aux populations par l’intermédiaire des langues nationales tous les dossiers sociaux, économiques et politiques conduits par le gouvernement. L’élément déclencheur référence du refus de domination des sénégalais a été les manifestations du 23 Juin 2011 au cours desquelles le peuple s’est levé comme un seul homme pour demander au Président à l’époque de ne pas tripatouiller la constitution pour avoir un troisième mandat et/ou nous imposer son fils comme successeur. Ces manifestations ont enregistré des morts d’hommes, mais la loi en question était abrogée enfin de compte. Les impérialistes dont le chef de fil est la France sont mal vus par la quasi-totalité des Sénégalais, parce qu’ils sont responsables de la pauvreté que vivent les sénégalais et poussent les jeunes sans emploi, sans espoir à se jeter sur les chemins de la migration avec tous les dangers que cela comporte. Ils ont pillé toutes nos ressources (halieutiques, minières, forestières) durant des siècles, et s’attaquent maintenant aux terres de nos pauvres paysans par le biais de leurs multinationales avec la complicité des autorités sénégalaises. Les populations sont organisées en mouvements sociaux concernant ces domaines pillés par les impérialistes, accompagnées dans la lutte par les Organisations de la Société Civile pour dénoncer les politiques impérialistes et leurs collaborateurs (les gouver-
20
nants) par des séries de conférences de presse, de manifestations qui font que dans la majeure partie des cas, les autorités reculent par rapport à la décision de céder certains domaines essentiels, vitaux aux impérialistes. Comme exemples récents, nous pouvons citer l’Ambassade de la Turquie à Dakar qui voulait acquérir un terrain en bordure de mer sur la corniche ouest pour la construction d’une nouvelle ambassade. Les mouvements sociaux composés majoritairement de jeunes activistes se sont battus contre l’acquisition de ce terrain et le gouvernement a reculé. La visite de Macron le 02 Février 2018, dans le cadre de la conférence internationale pour le financement de l’éducation a été un moment fort, une occasion pour le FRONT ANTI CFA-ANTI APE dont je suis membre et qui mène le combat pour la sortie de la France de la monnaie nationale (le CFA) et la renégociation des Accords de Partenariat Economique (APE) qui feront perdre énormément d’argent à l’économie sénégalaise dans son état actuel ; de manifester autour du slogan «FRANCE DEGAGE» en bravant l’arrêté ministériel interdisant les manifestations en centre-ville. 12 personnes parmi nous ont été arrêtées par la police et libérées le même jour la nuit grâce à la pression des organisations de droit de l’homme. Le gouvernement sénégalais est conscient que le peuple est mûr et n’acceptera pas la soumission à un ordre mondial incarnait par les impérialistes et tient compte de ce paramètre, de ce baromètre en signant des accords dans tous les domaines.
DIOUF DU SENEGAL LE PAYSAN NOIR
NURIYE AND SEMIH RESIST FASCISM IN TURKEY
Nuriye Gulmen and Semih Ozakca put up resistance in 444 days, 324 of them on hunger strike, they wrote history showing it is possible to resist fascism…
2016 in Turkey, the AKP government of Tayyip Erdogan has extended repression to every area of life in the country. As the British newspaper The Guardian noted on July 5, 2017:
The hunger strike part of the resistance voluntarily ended on its 324th day with a political victory, on January 26, 2018. This resistance won a political victory, carried out by Nuriye and Semih, two education workers consciously seeking their rights, expressing class anger, defending their honour and seeking justice. But matters went well beyond two people, the power of the resistance showed the way to the peoples of Turkey and gave hope to the peoples of the world.
“Gulmen and Ozakca’s case has become a symbol of the suffering of tens of thousands of Turks dismissed or detained by the government’s attempts to root out the followers of Fethullah Gulen from the civil service, media and academia. The government accused the exiled preacher’s movement of orchestrating last year’s coup. The purge has gone far beyond the perpetrators to encompass various dissident groups and even lawmakers in the opposition.”
Instead of resigning themselves to being Since the failed military coup of July 15, fired, seeking to flee abroad or even committing
21
out of work. They exposed what AKP fascism is. They showed that imprisonment, isolation and torture cannot crush the revolutionary personality. This was so great a resistance that mothers, spouses and siblings created the basis for more resisters. Our people have borne witness to how love can strengthen the fight. Held in separate cells, Nuriye and Semih remained part of the same action, showing the strength of comradeship. suicide, Nuriye and Semih chose to resist, beginning a hunger strike on March 8, 2017. It was not long before repression was directed against them. They were arrested on May 23, 2017, on terrorism charges. Ozakca was released on probation on October 20 and Gulmen on December 1, 2017.
TWO EDUCATIONALISTS RESISTED WITH THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HONOUR AND BROKE THROUGH THE STATE OF EMERGENCY.
Mehmet Guvel and Feridun Osmanagaoglu, two members of the prisoners’ support organisation TAYAD, announced that they would join in the hunger strike of Nuriye and Semih. Many other people were arrested while in solidarity with them and some are still in jail, such as Nazife Onay. Those who resisted won victory. Because fascism sought to crush these 444 days of resistance with tyranny, wanted to silence them, arrested people, imprisoned them, threw them out of work or out of universities and prevented people from exercising their profession, yet we shook all sections of society. We showed all the people that it was possible to resist. We set up a barricade to their attacks, coercion and sanctions… AKP fascism has to reckon with this kind of resistance to all the attacks they will attempt in future. Because a consciousness of resistance has been created among the people. Nuriye and Semih attained their political aims with the resistance.
550,000 MEMBERS OF TMMOB, 141,000 MEMBERS OF DISK, 236,000 MEMBERS OF KESK (the aforementioned are associations of engineers, architects and trade union federations in Turkey), BAR ASSOCIATIONS WITH 96,000 LAWYERS COULD PRODUCE NOT A SINGLE ACT OF RESISTANCE, NOR DID THEY SUPPORT THE RESISTANCE OF NURIYE AND SEMIH; BUT TWO EDUCATION WORKERS, NURIYE AND SEMIH, RESISTED USING HUNGER To answer the question of how the resistAND WON. ance achieved political victory we must evaluate Because an academic like Nuriye and a existing conditions. The AKP government has teacher like Semih became the agenda of been in power for 16 years. In the last two years, Turkey. Two educationalists became one re- after the coup attempt against the AKP on July sister. They taught resistance to the 130,000 or 15, 2016, a state of emergency (OHAL) was deso public sector workers who have been thrown clared. During OHAL 36 paragraphs of KHK
22
(“legislative decisions”) have been issued. 130,000 public sector workers have been fired on various pretexts. Newspapers, magazines and radios have been closed down. Under deep censorship, the range of channels delivering truthful news to the people has been sharply narrowed. Nuriye and Semih fought an enemy hiding behind laws and KHK and covering its face with the mask of democracy but despite this it has been deprived of popular legitimacy. The name of this enemy is fascism… AKP fascism.
political quality of the victory lay in ideological superiority. The resistance of Nuriye and Semih is not one to be evaluated based on whether or not they got their jobs back. The resistance began with such a demand but went beyond that. This was not the demand of two individuals, it was the demand of tens of thousands. Beyond the demand, they became a symbol of resistance to AKP fascism. Showing that they could resist under the conditions of OHAL brought hope and morale to all the people. AKP fascism showed that it was powerless to get two individuals to give in when they were determined to resist. There was no method the AKP did not use in its efforts to break the resistance. Torture, arrests, imprisonment, threats, isolation, psychological warfare, plots… Yet the resistance carried on.
FASCISM IS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, AS IT FINDS ITSELF IN PERMANENT NATIONAL CRISIS IT ATTACKS WORKING PEOPLE AND THEIR ORGANISED FORCES, USING VIOLENCE
Tayyip Erdogan said that Nuriye and Semih “stirred up the world”, and this was not accidental. The representatives of fascism do not exaggerate the creation or the success of a revolutionary action. On the contrary, they seek to belittle it. Despite this, the statement of Erdogan shows how deeply they were worried. Revolutionism means creating politics in The image of Nuriye standing alone in front of opposition to the politics of the enemy. This was the monument on Yuksel Avenue, entered hismade concrete at every moment of the resisttory. ance. We were not without politics… The enemy never lost sight of the resistance, it conThe resistance of Nuriye and Semih untinually had to produce politics of its own and dermined theories that under OHAL nothing there was a constant battle of wills in progress. could be done. It showed that resistance was possible and that a resistance that fought from The resistance and victory of Nuriye and day to day was feasible. It opened the way for Semih developed under these conditions. The the democratic struggle. Tens of thousands
23
joined actions in solidarity with Nuriye and Semih. Even those who said, “Nothing can be done under OHAL” were forced to do something.
(name given to Fethullah Gulen organisation blamed for 2016 coup attempt). In reality the target is not FETO, it is the elimination of revolutionism. This started to be obvious from the first with the action by Nuriye and those like her. They imprisoned educationalists for going on hunger strike. The AKP’s attack was aimed at liquidating the revolutionaries, and this was proved once again when the trial dossier of Nuriye and Semih was made public.
The resistance also achieved serious resonance abroad. The resistance in Turkey to AKP fascism became identified with Nuriye and Semih. The anti-democratic faces of imperialist institutions and their falseness were revealed yet again. The sided with AKP fascism and not with Nuriye and Semih. But the world’s revolutionThe AKP was aware of the effect revoluaries, progressives, democrats were on the side tionaries were having upon the people, and so of the resistance of Nuriye and Semih. wanted to eliminate this effect by liquidating the revolutionaries. Of course this is not something Yuksel Avenue in central Ankara wit- the AKP came up with through its own thought nessed the creation of a human rights legend processes. It is imperialism that is ultimately beday by day, as Nuriye and Semih prepared to hind the politics of liquidation, surrender and build up the resistance yet further. The position negotiation. of the Human Rights Monument was won and this position saw thousands of people dancing The resistance of Nuriye and Semih is not the halay shoulder to shoulder in resistance to simply the resistance of two personalities. It is fascism. Moreover, resistance and arrests have a very powerful reply to imperialism’s ideologcontinued on Yuksel Avenue since Nuriye and ical siege operations, its attacks aimed at bringSemih ended their hunger strike. ing about ideological liquidation, negotiation and surrender.
OHAL IS NOT AN ATTACK AIMED The supporters of the Front (Cephe) are AT FETHULLAH GULEN, IT IS AIMED AT LIQUIDATING THE REVOLUTION- the greatest barricade in the path of imperialist liquidation. This is the reason why we are payARIES
ing the greatest price. We know very well that
OHAL was claimed to be aimed at FETO
24
we will not be able to achieve victory without paying a price. The problem is not a matter of two KHKs being issued. The problem is the ideology they seek to enforce. The repression by fascism is aimed at making people feel resigned to it. So in this way resistance is resistance to liquidation.
the economic crisis on its shoulders. Of course it is the people who bear the weight.
With every passing day the economic crisis gets worse and class contradictions deepen. Under double exploitation the living conditions of the mass of working people worsen from day to day, hunger, poverty, unemployment etc. deThe problem is not one of resisting a cou- velop into a social crisis. ple of KHKs. The aim is one of confining matThe continual national crisis means conters within the lines drawn by imperialism. There is a continual national crisis in countries tinual repression of the people. Because the like Turkey that are neo-colonies under impe- rulers do not want the peoples to rebel against rialist hegemony. So there is a constant revolu- exploitation. A corrupt, decayed, selfish people tionary situation, meaning that stages of cut off from popular values, forgetting its own evolution and revolution continually intermesh. history, cut off from its own struggles is cerFascism wants to destroy and conditions that tainly not going to unite against fascism. This is might make the people pull down the existing the aim of fascism. system, and to stay alive it has to practise reThis is the basis for attacks on education pression and exploitation against the people. workers. They want the educationalists who edAs crisis deepens, fascism fears losing ucate the children of the people to surrender power and as popular displeasure with the sys- their minds to local collaborationists in the tem grows it resorts to armed force. So there is belly of the imperialist beast. Under OHAL a impoverishment, corruption, isolation, intimi- large number of educationalists are among the dation, fascist terror etc. Imperialism’s general 130,000 public sector workers who have been recession is magnified in neo-colonial countries fired, 4,100 members of the KESK trade union and reflected in continual economic crisis. The among them. imperialist crisis is transmitted to neo-colonial Since the 1980s serious steps have been Turkey by imperialism making it accept its eco- taken, universities, national education, all the nomic programmes, and it bears the weight of areas of workers and civil servants, there has
25
been a lot of liquidation going on but it did not end. Now there is total liquidation going on. The question is not simply one of FETO. They want to bury revolutionary hopes, revolutionary thoughts, our future. They say, “Either change how you think, or die!” They could not finish us by killing us, so they attack our beliefs. The supporters of the Front set up a barricade to imperialism’s efforts to reshape itself, paying a price in doing so. Those who won’t face up to a price cannot practise revolutionism. Those who surrender and seek to negotiate can make no claims to revolutionism. They have no chance of making revolution.
THE RESISTANCE OF NURIYE AND SEMIH PASSED HONOURABLY INTO HISTORY AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT SIEGES CAN BE BROKEN!
The secret occupation by imperialism is not something that is invisible, on the contrary it is an encirclement that is present in every area of life. Economic, political, social, cultural encirclement, depriving the left of breath. The wish is to suffocate the left with surrender and liquidation. Against this, our resistance gives the peoples a chance to recover their breath. Imperialism and fascism have created a so-called “intelligent left”, and not just in Turkey. This is a left that does not resist. They do not have one foot in revolution and one on the system, both feet, their minds and their hearts dwell within the system. European and American imperialism have turned obvious sections of the left into their own reserve forces, while nurturing them politically, materially and militarily, and want to liquidate the left. THIS IS LEFTISM THAT IS NURTURED BY IMPERIALISM.
A resistance that started with resistance all on their own in Yuksel Avenue in central Ankara, hunger striking for 324 days, body cells eroding, mobilising thousands and tens of The ideological struggle against liquidathousands, making our country and the world tionism and nurtured leftism cannot be thought stand up: the political results are not just rele- of as separate from the struggle for revolution. vant to the 444 days but to the years to come. In this resistance, we presented a positive There are three important results of the re- experience not just for the revolutionaries of sistance by Nuriye and Semih; our country but for all revolutionary move1. The first is the rightfulness and legiti- ments, on the subject of the struggle of the peoples of the world against liquidationism. macy of our line.
In the struggle between liquidation and 2. The second – our persistence and deREVOLUTIONISM, revolutionism will tritermination in the democratic struggle. umph. 3. The third – our ability to unite. Such a left will not dominate in our counThe left in Turkey, with the accumulation try. of history, is today stronger than it looks, and THOSE WHO RESIST HAVE WON. has potential to grow stronger. But the left has to believe in itself. For nearly the last 40 years it FINAL VICTORY WILL BE OURS. has to get rid of the stamp of making no claims. RESISTANCE WILL CONTINUE IN The left in Turkey and all revolutionaries in genMANY AND VARIED FORMS… eral must see their own strengths…
26
ANTIIMPERIALIST SYMPOSIUM IN GREECE
Comrades, We send our warmest greetings to the anti-imperialist symposium that is taking place in such a crucial moment both in international and regional level. We express our solidarity to the Turkish and Kurdish people that are called to face the fascist regime imposed by the bourgeoisie of Erdogan's Turkey. This imperialist and fascist crisis is a really crucial matter for the global revolutionary movement, which requires the proper theoretical analysis because there is no "revolutionary movement without a revolutionary theory" so as the working peoples prepare themselves for battle, organise their anti-imperialist struggle that will lead to the anticapitalist overthrow. In these days, imperialism goes through one of the biggest crises in its history, which come from the constantly intensifying capitalist contradictions. These contradictions are reduced to the inequality in production and consumption, they are a result from the constant instability in stable and variable capital, contra-
dictions that abolish the free competition of capitalist system's first years leading to competition between the monopolies, contradictions that consist in the unregulated way of capitalist production. After the global fiscal depression that broke out in 2008, which was really the outcome of the financial oligarchy's function, the global capitalist system has not managed to overcome the crisis that it created itself. A capitalist crisis that broke out in the USA and then passed into Europe, affecting in all ways the European Union with Greece being the main field of the debates between imperialist powers. Because if this crisis will not be overcome with the fiscal mechanisms of impoverishing people, with the devaluation of workforce, the ruling of the most powerful capitalist interests through the concentration of production, then the risk of a generalized war will be really close for the "elimination of mismatch between the development of productive powers and the gathering of capital on the one hand, and the distributing of colonies and the spheres of capital's influence on the other."
27
Nowadays, the international geopolitical environment is in turmoil due to sharpening of imperialist aggressiveness in fiscal, political and military level. The USA, the leading imperialist power, seem to be willing to use all means so as to ensure their interests. Trump, having composed a cabinet full of reactionaries, far-right militaries, billionaires of Wall Street, the greatest supporters of the American capital, having a clear command from his country bourgeoisie threatens the North Korea with war, escalates dangerously the fiscal and geopolitical confrontation with China, threatening it with declaration of an open trade war whereas at the same time increases the military presence in the South Chinese Sea making an "accident" seem more and more possible. Thus, the trade and fiscal war between the USA and Germany exacerbates with the latter having China as the best trade partner. Trump accuses Germany for its surplus, which is a result of euro and its hegemony inside the EU. Now, although America helped in the reconstruction of Europe after World War II, doubts openly the imperialistcapitalist construct of the EU so as to weaken one of the most powerful imperialist countries such as Germany and its allies. Considering the international events, it wouldn't be an exaggeration if someone stated that actions of war are being rehearsed for the overcoming of crisis. The Euro-Atlantic imperialism sharpens the conflict with the nuclear super-power Russia, which 26 years after the collapse of its existent socialism, claims an upgrade of its geopolitical/fiscal role. The NATO, the USA and the EU did not hesitate, after the annexation of Crimea, to arm the Ukranian fascists, surrounding this way Russia (decision of NATO's council last July in Warsow) with the biggest after the Cold War's end gathering and transportation of troops in the countries of Eastern Europe. At the same time, the Balkans are being politically destabilised, as the confrontation with the Russians increases the pos-
28
sibility of regional conflicts and the redefinement of borders. Also, the competition for the exploitation of the natural gas and oil resources in the Arctic is intensified, and the military involvement of USA is deepened with the launch of 59 Tomahawk rockets in Syria and the launch of the "mother of all bombs" in Afghanistan. Because the American and the European imperialists will not hesitate to butcher peoples and demolish countries (such as Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria today) making unholy alliances as well as the reinforcement of the ISIS proves. All the above show us that the danger of a nuclear holocaust might be nearer than we think. In this historical context the EU, 60 years after its establishment, is going through vivid changes and triggers that have come from the competitions between the imperialist powers that threaten its consistency. The "Europe of the many speeds" is an outcome of the conflicts between the bourgeoisies that are claiming a bigger part in the market, of the uneven economic development between the countries-members of the EU with Germany, France, Netherlands and Belgium being the hard core of it. BREXIT was an example of economic competition, through which Britain does not ask for a "soft" exit from the EU but desires to increase its influence in the global market. A union of the capitalist countries of Europe could not but be reactionary and suppressive for the peoples as the constant battle between the imperialists for the conquer of markets will always exist. The foreign policy that is being followed connecting to the economic competition means the strengthening of the reaction inside the capitalist countries. ISIS' terrorist attacks (with ISIS being reinforced by west imperialism) have contributed to the impose of a new "law and order" which represses the democratic rights. The militarization is increased with the working people and the revolutionary movements being
in the firing line. Moreover, xenophobia, racism and anticommunism is increased as well as farright powers such as Trump, Lepen and other powers in Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, Italy and Greece with the Golden Dawn. Because when imperialism goes through a crisis the fascists who express the most reactionary and repressive forces, will take the role of the bourgeoisie's supporters and protectors. One of the fields that this crisis is expressed more violently is Greece where there is a social genocide going on by the imposal of the most shameful memorandi. In the global partition of work, Greece is in the middle level of capitalist development having as a consequence the deepening of its dependence from the EuroAtlantic imperialism (Greece is third behind the USA and the EU in NATO expenses). These three horrendous memorandi -with a fourth and fifth coming up- have brought huge decrease in wages and pensions, the unemployment is rampant, the workers relations are flexible, thousands of people are homeless, the health and social insurance are broken and the country's wealth is being sold out. All these neoliberal programs drive people to suicide because they are impoverished.
about this huge capitalist crisis we realize that we live in a world of imperialist aggressiveness, in a world that in every continent, in every country, in every corner imperialism reveals its true face which is no other than the raw, economic violence. Because imperialism is the highest level of ravenous capitalism, the level where it gets more and more fascistic so as to ensure the monopolies' interests. Comrades, as anarchists and communists we must realize what our duties are because as Marx used to say: "History the first time repeats itself as a tragedy and the second as a prank". Because comrades, imperialism is not invincible but goes through economic and political crises. Because comrades, 100 years after the October's Revolution, we learn that only the organised working class can win, no matter the defeats, the retreat, the constant contradictions of the class struggle and the auto-criticism, the social revolution is not only possible but also necessary and in the case of Greece, the most weak link of the imperialist chain, the transformation of the crisis to an armed insurrection is the only way out of this brutal system, a change that could open the way for all the repressed proletarians. Because comrades, every people must organize the antifascist/anticapitalist struggle of its country in order to fight for freedom, peace, independence, bread and work, in order to smash the imperialists and their puppets, the fascists. Because only then we will be able to build a society without exploitation, without classes and states, an anarchocommunist society. Because comrades the peoples have the right on their side and they will win the arms on hand.
This brutal redistribution of wealth from the lower to the upper levels was not done because Greece was under a financial crisis but it was for the ensuring of the oligarchy's interests. When the global crisis broke out, it found the big private banks of Germany, France, BENELUX and Austria, as well as some smaller banks of Greece, in a great danger that could only be fixed through the recapitalization of banks. Greece, by signing usurius loans from UNTIL THE VICTORY COMES the EU and the International Monetary Fund so as to arrange its debt, was turned into a Statement from Greece- Organisation colony of debt, a mechanism that broadens the Class Fightback gap between the rich countries of the north and Eyup Bas- Antiimperialist Front Sympothe poorer countries of the south. sium Istanbul April 2017 Comrades, after examining all the above
29
CONDITION OF THE WORKING CLASS IN ITALY for workers.
Introduction This contribution is our attempt to describe the condition of the working class in Italy with regard to the crisis of the capitalist mode of production. We'll synthetically examine the main measures that Italian governments adopted in the last 30 years against this country's workers, trying to trace a possible solution. When talking about “Jobs Act”, we refer to the deepest and most devastating counter-reform ever applied in Italy. And actually much more than that, as it not only deals with nowaday usual neo-liberistic recipes (e.g.: real wages' and retirement benefits' compression) but it represents the main social slaughter since WW2. “Jobs Act” not only operate in the field of labour market and its rules, but extends its evil influence in a variety of workers' life's aspects, regardless of which kind of work contract they have.
“Jobs Act” was not born by chance. It represents the last stage of a more than thirty years lasting path. The governments that followed one another during this path, regardless of their colour, carried on a degenerative process of counter-reform that charged workers' shoulders with the load of the crisis, reduced workers' rights and deprived them of dignity and of the right to a life barely decent. In this game Right and Left, employers' organisations and trade unions played in perfect harmony, as members of the same team against a proletariat each day less combative and each day more fragmented and black-mailed.
Background the framework of what's been written is a crisis so deep and acute that did not forgive any branch of work and deeply and negatively influenced the Italian productive fabric, which is at 90% composed of small or medium companies. Many of them didn't survive the shockwave of 2008 crisis explosion.
The following are the numbers of this drama in December 2016: Unemployement: 12% (+0,4% from the beginning of the year), unemployed: 3,103,000 (9 thousands more than previous month and 144 thousands more from the beginning of the year), youth unemployrUltimately we can say, despite Prime Min- ment raising at 40% (0,2% more than previous ister Matteo Renzi's declarations, that “Jobs month, the highest level reached since June Act” is far from rationalise and simplify the 2015). enormous variety of work contracts typologies, This is the humus that generated the “Jobs for instance abolishing the most absurd and dangerous for the workers: its aim is to create Act” that is the son and nephew of previous more precariousness and less defense and rights counter-reforms that during these years hit
30
each sector of our society, from economy to sidered dangerous for their combativeness. school, from immigration to wellfare and work The “Jobs Act” as a reactionary and ensured the continuity of the politics kind of cultural battle through left-wing or right wing governaments whose measures fit one togethe ther like pieces and the “newspeak” issue of the same puzzle. In the ongoing class conflict is correctly And a law like “jobs Act” could indeed considered of great importance the use of lanhave been written only in a rotten society pass- guage. The weapons capital uses against proleing through a deep crisis not only economic but tariat are not only of legislative and repressive social as well. kind, but cultural as well. We can say capital is pushing on a counter revolution also through a The role of trade-unions misleading use of language, reversing the The political, economic and social situa- meaning of concepts and words in order to reeducate proletariat to a passive acceptance of tion we've got to face is bleak. its sole and ruling thought. The political class in Italy directly reflects In this “newspeak”, those who are trying the will of the “Strong Powers”, and is totally subdued to it. Politicians did everything in their to defend their class rights and interests become power to guarantee the profits of their masters. “conservatives”, people who think ideologically But they couldn't have done so much without and struggle for old ideas. Meanwhile, those the support from trade-unions which have who push on unrestrained neo-liberalism beplayed the complicit role of “firemen” trying to come the pioneers, those who are reforming the put out the fire of workers' unrest each time it system making it more flexible and modern. Actually, these pioneers are those who carried came to a start. out a counter reform that brought back the poA role that CGIl, CISL, UIL, UGl and a litical, union e social situation to that of decades plethora of smaller trade-unions excellently ago. played signing agreements with their counterBehind the political struggle, there's also parts that progressively eroded all the achievea cultural battle aiming to convince proletariat ments that workers gained in years of struggles. Those achievements were erroneously thought that all classes are in the same boat, that each of to be permanent, but these agreements between them should do its work to get out of the crisis, employers and trade unions, fully compatible and that social peace and harmony are needed and complementary to the government's poli- to reach the target. tics proved the contrary. It’s our task to retort against bourgeoisie the weapons now pointing to us; it's our task to These trade unions, in fact regime's partners, designed together with employers the new understand and make people understand that rules for employment and industrial relations nowadays the battle is not only on the field of in which there's no room for democracy in trade union demands any more, but it is above work place, it becomes possible to avoid collec- all political, because only overcoming the capitive labour agreements, there are new rules for talistic society and its mode of production union representatives' elections that are dis- workers and exploited will solve their problems criminatory towards those organisations con- once and for all.
31
FREEDOM FOR MUSA ASOGLU
EVEN JUST ONE MARXIST-LENINIST IN THE WORLD IS A BIG DANGER FOR IMPERIALISM, BECAUSE IMPERIALISM KNOWS THAT EVEN ONE MARXISTLENINIST CAN BE THE SPARK THAT ENDS IT
After the coup attempt in Turkey, it was stated that its “democracy” was destroyed and rights were violated, this could not be overlooked – Musa Asoglu needed to be judged as a danger not just to the security of Turkey but to the security of other countries and the world.
JUST ONE MARXIST-LENINIST CAN An imperialist state like Germany has to SET THE WORLD ON FIRE prevent one revolutionary from threatening the security of the world, seven billion people on In the second court hearing for Musa earth have to be “protected” from this revoluAsoglu, held on January 30, 2018, it was main- tionary, in order to safeguard their future. tained by the arbitration court that “Musa Asoglu is a danger for the security of the world” A court in imperialist Germany and the and it was necessary to put him on trial to avert behaviour of the panel of judges practises the this “threat”. politics of imperialism the world over towards all peoples, all organisations fighting liberation
32
wars and in particular the politics of Marxist- were left homeless. Leninists. This is politics that can end imperiMore than 6 million Jews and Commualism’s system of exploitation and tyranny, so every thought of independence, power and so- nists were exterminated in their gas chambers and crematoria. cialism has to be liquidated and destroyed. Germany also has its plans in the Middle Imperialist Germany thinks it can delete any memory of the history of its own repression East, in particular playing its diverse games in and exploitation directed at the peoples of the South Kurdistan. It is supporting the fascist world, past and present. Imperialist Germany regime in Turkey. thinks it can ignore the past and the present.
It is in the first degree guilty of exploiting and torturing the Kurdish, Turkish and all the Imperialist Germany has a history full of hate and anger. The very home country of fas- peoples of Anatolia. cism thinks one revolutionary, one MarxistAs a NATO member, in 1988 Germany Leninist, must be judged to “safeguard the took a decision as part of the NATO “anti-tersecurity” of seven billion people. rorism committee” that “we must hurry to enIMPERIALIST GERMANY SHOULD sure that political relations in the prisons are TAKE A LOOK AT ITS OWN HISTORY AND isolated and rehabilitation is practised. Either WHAT IT DID TO THE PEOPLES OF THE thought alterations or death…“ So it is responWORLD BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THE sible for the repression and massacres practised PEOPLES OF THE WORLD CAN RECKON against revolutionaries, progressives, democrats WITH THROUGH VICTORY IN WARS OF and those who struggle against imperialism and INDEPENDENCE – A RECKONING WILL happened to be imprisoned. BE DEMANDED FROM IMPERIALISM FOR EXPLOITING US TO THE MARROW. BY TAKING BACK EVERY SQUARE FOOT OF SOIL TAKEN BY IMPERIALISM, THE WORLD’S PEOPLES WILL DEMAND A RECKONING FROM IMPERIALIST GERMANY
Hundreds of attacks were organised on the anti-imperialist RAF organisation and its leading cadres murdered. On these subjects Germany impudently ignores its own executions.
Ignoring the common sense of the German people in opposition to fascism, anti-fascist liberation organisations from the Middle Germany is an imperialist state that has East are banned and revolutionaries are hunted. occupied all of Europe from Greece to France, Severe conditions of repression have been from Bulgaria to Poland, and when people resisted, they were subjected to unheard-of tor- the order of the day for years in German prisons tures and genocide. Fascism wanted to trouble and torture and executions occur. Amnesty Inall of the peoples of the world, and in the Sec- ternational has documented torture in the poond World War 52 million were killed and 35 lice stations and prisons of Germany. million people left maimed, for which it is guilty German imperialists lurk behind neoin the highest degree. Nazi organisations that attack foreigners. This In the Soviet Union alone, 1,718 cities and is shown concretely by the German state itself towns and 70,000 villages were destroyed, 22 in the NSU trial still ongoing today, in which million people slaughtered. 25 million people the intimate connections between the German
33
state and Nazi gangs attacking foreigners are on three struggle to fend off hunger. display. In the world, 1.2 billion people, that is, one Germany is a police state. State organisa- person in five, are condemned to live on less tions like the BKA (Federal Criminal Office), than 1.6 lira a day. Food, clothing, shelter, The Verfassungsschutz (Constitutional Protec- health, every need must be met from this. tion), GSG-9 do not heed their own laws if they Africa is one of the places where deaths of think it necessary, all rights of revolutionaries babies and their mothers are most widespread. and anti-imperialists are shelved away and democratic rights ignored. Using the excuse of The African country of Sierra Leone has the terrorism threats, an undeclared state of martial highest incidence of infant deaths, every year 282 out of 1,000 children die before the age of law is in force. five, so one in four. IMPERIALISM IS THE DANGER FOR Angola, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Liberia and THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD Somalia are next in order (of infant deaths). What danger can be greater than imperiThe Democratic Republic of Congo has a alism for the peoples of the world, when its politics, its education system, health system, population of about 60 million of whom only system of exploitation are all geared towards about 10 million get enough to eat. 50 million profit and it thinks it means death for itself if Congolese are condemned to hunger. things are any different? Looking at all that, it can be seen how hypWith NATO, imperialism points its ocritical EU and US imperialists are when they weapons at the peoples of the world, its bases seek to pontificate about who is a danger. With are a threat to the peoples of the world, and it all the powers that imperialism possesses, it has sought to have cultural hegemony over all turn them on one human being, Musa Asoglu, the peoples of the world to open the way to claiming he is a threat for all humanity. leaving millions ignorant. Narcotics are used by it to increase the alienation of the peoples of the world, it consumes all the natural resources of the world as its own property, like any exploiter it uses its own army and even acts as a guard over its own people, and is responsible for thousands of massacres. Imperialism is responsible for hunger.
IN GERMAN COURTS, IT IS SHOWN ONCE AGAIN THAT DECISIONS ARE NOT ABOUT NUMBERS BUT ABOUT IDEOLOGY The EU consists of 27 countries and has a population of 550 million, and there are 7 billion people in the world…
And German imperialists are deciding In the world today, 24,000 people die of who in the world constitutes a danger. hunger-related causes every day… The USA, murderer of the world, is a Every day in the neo-colonial countries, handful of monopolies. A greedy handful who 800 million people go to bed hungry. That exploit 80% or so of the world… means one in seven people struggle against And they decide who is or is not dangerhunger. ous for 7 billion… In South Asia one in four, in Africa one in So does one Musa Asoglu threaten exactly
34
what world security?
the poor, friend and comrade to the isolated, the TRUTH for those who have been deceived, NATO, the UN, nuclear weapons, heavy AN IRRECONCILABLE REVOLUTIONARY weapons, planes, missiles… On a world scale, towards imperialism and fascism. there is every kind of weapon, hundreds of thousands of them in the hands of exploitative And this is why they make big claims armies of imperialism, we can even talk of mil- when putting him on trial, though they have lions. Yet it is Musa Asoglu who is a threat to nothing to hand: this is why imperialism sees the world. Musa Asoglu as a danger. The threat that Musa Asoglu constitutes, according to German imperialism, is not a threat to the security of the world. It is imperialism itself that destroys the security of the world. From the point of view of imperialism, Musa Asoglu is seen as dangerous because of his ideology and because of what it has done for the people and the world’s peoples.
IN CONCLUSION:
A single Marxist-Leninist is certainly a big danger for the world, because the world we live in is an empire of imperialist exploitation and one Marxist-Leninist means the end for imperialism’s exploitation and tyranny based on wringing profit out of the backs of billions. This is why one man causes you fear. Yes, be afraid. Musa Asoglu wanted independence for his For that human being is a Marxist-Leninist. people and organised for it. Fear just one Marxist-Leninist. He waged a struggle and organised against But this fear does not give you a right to racism in Europe. target people, put prices on their heads, and jail He organised support for his homeland in them in isolation conditions for years. Europe. By establishing associations, he worked Societies going back thousands of years do to organise people from Turkey to deal with the not give you that right and we do not. problems they face, especially racism. Immediately, withdraw from the minds of He read books to young people and played football with them. He pondered the future of all the peoples and leave their homelands, pay the world and his country. And found solutions the price for your crimes. Or history and the in favour of the people and in their interests. He world’s peoples will bring you death and dethought, made propaganda with his thoughts struction as you deserve. and gave organisational expression to his REVOLUTIONISM IS NOT A CRIME thoughts. BUT A DUTY! He used all the rights that have been won REVOLUTIONISM IS AN HONOUR! by thousands of years of human societies for MUSA ASOGLU IS A SON OF THE people, and that a foreigner in Europe could PEOPLES OF THE WORLD AND WAGES AN have… IRRECONCILABLE STRUGGLE AGAINST If there was an attack, he RESISTED… IMPERIALISM AND FASCISM! If he saw a problem, he ORGANISED…
RELEASE MUSA ASOGLU IMMEDIProperty to those without it, liberation for ATELY!
35
PRIVATE PROPERTY IS THE REASON FOR EVERYTHING NEGATIVE IMPERIALISM IS THE REASON FOR ALL THE PROBLEMS OF THE PEOPLES THE CHIEF ENEMY OF THE PEOPLES IS AMERICAN IMPERIALISM At the start of the 1990s, the imperialists announced that the class war was at an end, capitalism had won certain victory, imperialism had changed and was no longer the old aggressive imperialism, democracy and human rights had been brought to the world.
head of the imperialist camp.
American imperialism used all sorts of sophisticated technological weapons to attack Iraq, threatening both the peoples of the world and any in the imperialist camp who might develop conflicts of inHowever, it terest. The American has been reEmpire was essenvealed that imtially defined during perialism is this period. This defiagain the same, nition has two imexploitative and portant meanings. aggressive impeThe first expresses rialism, that dethe mastery of Amervelopments are ica over the imperialnot as has been ist camp; the second claimed, that the is that American imrhetoric of impeperialism is responsirialism changing consists of lies and deceit. The ble for the exploitation of the peoples of the rhetoric of imperialism and the conquest of world, poverty, hunger, occupation and mascapitalism was in fact a major attempt to intim- sacres. idate the peoples of the world, Marxist-Leninist The basis of the attacks by American imorganisations and organisations that fought for perialism against the peoples lies in its leadernational liberation, and was also imperialism’s declaration of its own sovereignty. The imperi- ship of the imperialist camp, and the interests alists, at the very beginning of the 1990s, first of the American monopolies are at the root of attempted to attack Iraq and endeavour to con- what it does and these imperialist monopolies solidate their own claims to sovereignty. In this are essentially occupying the throne of the emperiod, American imperialism had already pire. Because wars are primarily class struggles, emerged from the first and second imperialist and at the core of class struggles lies the interwars with the greatest gains and the least dam- ests of classes. Today, the United States, which age. Therefore, at the beginning of the attack on has only 6% of the world's population, has 50% Iraq, American imperialism was also at the of the world's total income. That is, 50% of all
36
ploitation and plunder.
the world's income flows to America, to the American monopolies. According to reports published by the economic magazine Forbes, the wealth of Bill Gates, head of the list of only the 400 richest American entrepreneurs, at $ 86 billion is greater than the GDP in 2016 of more than 140 countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Colonialism has brought hunger, poverty, blood, and tears to the people, no matter what form of crisis it has been in since its history. Imperialism, whichever countries it goes to, has transmitted all the riches of those countries to its own country. Today, the great majority of the wealth is poured into the coffers of American monopolies. While the wealth of the richest 400 American monopolies 400 is around $ 1.5 trillion, according to the United Nations, the amount of investment required to fundamentally solve the world's hunger problem is $ 50 billion. That is, even half of the wealth of a single American monopoly can surely find a solution to hunger in the world.
Lenin’s produces a definition of imperialism as the "highest stage of monopoly capitalism". This definition implies another very important reality of imperialism besides it being the last stage of capitalist society. This is the economic, political and cultural sovereignty of the monopolies in the world. This dominance is almost a decisive factor in virtually every area, from thought to clothing, from the books that are read to what we eat, from TV programmes and entertainment to the policies of government, and even the ties of intellectuals to the people, revolution on the left and armed struggle – almost all factors are affected to a decisive degree by it. All of this means the plunder of lands by imperialist aggression under the domination of the monopolies. While this looting and pillage continues at the economic, political and cultural level, those who do not recognise the sovereignty of imperialism, those who fight against it, organisations, countries and peoples who do not accept the rule of imperialism are declared to be terrorists, massacred and occupied, many tonnes of bombs are dropped on them to intimidate them.
That heads America's greatest crimes against the peoples of the world. The power that a handful of American monopolies have in the world economy is derived from this brutal ex-
37
Imperialism continues to plunder by all means at its disposal. Imperialist looting and plunder is why 70 per cent of the world's population of seven billion is living below the poverty line, 1.2 billion people live below the hunger threshold, and every 5 seconds a child dies of starvation and hunger-related illnesses. More than 17,000 children die every day, 25,000 people starve. Every year, 18 million people die directly from hunger, and 70 million die from causes related to it. According to United Nations (UN) data, only $ 50 billion is needed to lift this hunger completely! Not even the annual profit of one of the world monopolies! The amount needed to completely remove hunger from the earth is 50 billion dollars, while the military expenditure of American imperialism alone for 2015 was 596 billion dollars.
If the capital is profitable, the blood is fed; Profits are equal and today the greatest capital is gathered in the hands of American monopolies, the head of the world's flowing blood is American imperialism. These are the most basic evidence that the discourses of imperialism have changed are lies and deceit. Imperialism has not changed, nor is imperialism exploitative and repressive. According to the report of the British "charity" Oxfam; In 2016, 70 million people, equivalent to 1 percent of the world's population, have more servings than the rest 99 percent of the world - about 7 billion of the world's population. One rich one percent, the other 99 percent hungry and poor people. Or equal to 70 million 6 billion 930 million people.
If capital is to be profitable, it must be fed with blood; Profits are equal to blood and today the greatest capital is gathered in the hands of American monopolies, and American imperialism also spills the most blood. This is the most basic evidence that the discourses claiming imperialism has changed are lies and deceit. Imperialism has not changed, nor has imperialism lost its exploitative and repressive character. According to the report of the British "charity" Oxfam; In 2016, 70 million people, equivalent Balzac said that "behind every major for- to 1 percent of the world's population, have more servings than the other 99 percent of the tune there is a crime�. world - about 7 billion of the world's populaMarx says, "The capital consists of blood, tion. A rich one percent, the other 99 percent sweat and tears!" The spilled blood is the blood hungry and poor people. Or 70 million equals of the peoples of the world, the sweat the sweat 6 billion, 930 million people. of the peoples of the earth, the tears are the tears The wealthiest eight monopolies in the of the peoples of the earth. The crime underlyworld own more wealth than half the world, ing this exploitation and brutality is the crime that is equal to the income of 3.6 billion of the of the imperialist monopolies.
38
world’s poorest people! This means that one wealthy person equals 450 million poor. In the neo-colonial countries, every day one billion 200 million people go to bed hungry, eight monopolies received half the world’s income. In South Asia in in four people struggle with hunger, in Africa one in three. According to UNICEF's statement for 2016, the number of children facing starvation is 1,400,000 in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, an increase of about 200 percent in 2016 compared to 2014.
ance in social life. It has been private property that removed this balance and class stratification emerged from it. Before private property, man was living as a social being, and each man's own interests were independent and not separate from the community he was in. At the same time as each person earned a living for himself or herself, he was involved in the struggle for survival in the local community. This situation has changed with private ownership, and the interests of those who possess it now have become their own private interests, breaking away from the interests of society. This is the beginning of the exploitation of human labour.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's March 2017 statement, 30 million people are in danger of famine because of wars in the Middle East and North Once society divided into classes of rich Africa. Famine is death, and 30 million people and poor, exploiter and exploited, history conare struggling with it right now. tinued as a struggle for the interests of these classes, and imperialism, the last stage of capiThis is the truth that does not change, the talism, continued to the empire of today's fortunes of the imperialist monopolies versus American monopolies. the hunger and poverty of the world’s peoples. It is exploitaton and tyranny. The source of exThis is the unchanged reality of the impeploitation is private property. Marx defined pri- rialist and capitalist World, and American imvate property as the root of all evil. perialism, which sits on the throne of empire is in the first degree responsible for exploitation Why? and the results of exploitation. Because: division into classes emerged in society with private ownership. As societies divide into classes, there is conflict between classes and conflicts that depend on these interests. In classical societies, primitive communal society, people's problems and interests were shared. The resources for living and the distribution of these resources were in common. There was a bal-
39
THE ROLE OF MILITARY AGGRES- its sovereignty both on the imperialist camp SION IN AMERICAN IMPERIALISM and on the peoples of the world, and attacks the people who resist them by declaring them to be And this is also why the anger of the peo- "terrorists" ples against imperialism and the picture of hunger and poverty created by the exploitation It builds intelligence organisations, builds of the imperialist monopolies is growing. To contra-guerrilla organisations, sets up juntas in keep this anger within bounds, and to maintain various parts of the world, arms and supports the sovereignty of imperialism, the imperialists fascist killers, violently overturns governments are on the one hand conducting their ideologi- if they are not seen as serving its interests or are cal and psychological warfare, while on the outside its chain of exploitation and establishes other they engage in attacks, occupations and its own governments in their place. It increases massacres, conspiracies and coups. its resort to arms and aggression day by day. According to a report by the American National Intelligence Strategy Programme for 2009, more than 200,000 agents were working for 16 different US intelligence organisations and since that year their annual budget total 75 billion dollars. In 2016 US military expenditure was 596 billion dollars, over This is why hundreds of billions of dollars have been set aside for military expenditure. half the world’s total military expenditure. Missiles, warplanes, brand-new military vehi- There are American soldiers in 157 of the cles, weapons, bombs… Everything so that the world’s countries. monopolies can remain sovereign and continue - There are no American military assets in their exploitation and plunder 45 countries. Since 2016, 900 billion dollars have göne - There are American troops and bases in into military expenditure on a world scale, and 596 billion of this is by America. As soon as the 63 countries. new US President Trump took Office, it was de- Since September 11th, there have been clared that 6 trillion dollars had been poured 13 new American bases established in 7 couninto the Middle East so far and this could have tries. rebuilt the USA twice over. The reason why -We have to add 7 new bases in the Rojava American imperialism pours 6 trillion dollars into the Middle East is a matter of consolidating (Kurdish) region of Syria. world domination. The US is trying to impose - According to a report of the US Depart-
40
ment of Defense, there are 702 US military these weapons alone are enough to destroy the presence sites in 130 countries. It also has 6,000 world many times over. bases within the US. So why? - By numbers, US military industry has The reason for this gigantic military 845,441 buildings belonging to the Defense Despending is to compel the domination by partment. American imperialism, to make the exploita- The budget of the 25 countries with the tion by American monopolies infinite. Today, highest military spending equals the military American imperialism is responsible for all the expenditure budget of the United States. evil, massacres, exploitation and hunger in the world, national humiliation, backwardness. For - In the US budget, the second-ranked ed- this reason neither independence nor democucation budget is $ 45 billion, while the defence racy nor a humn way of life can be established budget is $ 596 billion. without a struggle against American imperialThe reason for so much military expendi- ism. ture under the name of defence is aggression Between December 1998 and September against the peoples of the world. The reason for 1999 the USA and Britain rained 8,000 tonnes aggression is to secure the exploitation by the of bombs on Iraq. imperialist monopolies. Statistics show that American imperialism is the dominant force for As a result of UN sanctions and embaraggression against the peoples of the world. Be- goes, by 1999, a total of 1.5 million people, incause the principal imperialist power that ex- cluding 300 children, were murdered. Today, ploits the interests of the peoples of the world children are being killed with chemical is America, American monopolies. THE weapons in Syria. The US, which has increased CHIEF ENEMY OF THE WORLD’S PEOPLES its aggression against Syria with its lies, slaughIS AMERICAN IMPERIALISM. America has tered 300,000 children with embargo in Iraq. also shown this is ints leadership of aggression Imperialism is a liar, two-faced. They are trying against the peoples. to hide their crimes with lies, psychological warfare methods, to show themselves as human Between 1946 and 1975, American impe- rights defenders. Yet today 25 thousand people rialism resorted to military aggression a total of die every five seconds in the world, 17 of them 215 times in order to protect the interests of its monopolies. During this period, the use of nuclear weapons has been threatened 19 times. Today, only US imperialism has 10,000 nuclear weapons in its hands, according to official figures, and even
41
children, starving to death every day, the Amer- 1950-59: 60,000 people were killed in ican monopolies are exploiting the exploitation. Cuba by US-backed Batista troops. History is full of crimes committed by Ameri- In 1961 it organised the Bay of Pigs incan imperialism against the peoples of the vasion of Cuba. world. - In 1965 it dropped its paratroopers on the Dominican Republic and massacred 10,000 Dominicans. - In 1973, 30,000 people were killed by the CIA's coup d'ĂŠtat in Chile. When it was expelled from Vietnam in 1975, it left behind 2 million dead and AMERICAN MILITARY AGGRESSION millions of disabled people. 638,000 tonnes of bombs were dropped by the USA on the people IN THE WORLD of Vietnam, that is, half of the total bombs that - It invaded Mexico in 1898, and entered were dropped on Europe and Africa during Cuba the same year. World War II. It is said that there are about five - In 1921 it occupied Nicaragua. Sandino, bombs dropped per person. the leader of the anti-imperialist resistance, and - In Cambodia and Laos between 1970-75, 300 people were massacred. It started a cycle of the USA massacred one million people. terror that lasted for more than 40 years. It or- It attacked Lebanon in 1983. Thousands ganised sabotage and assassinations. of Lebanese were massacred in the operation, - In 1945, it bombarded Japan's Hiroshima in which 14,000 marines took part. and Nagasaki cities and brutally murdered - Again in 1983 it made a second attack on 250,000 people. Lebanon. The warships of the US 6th Fleet - Between 1950 and 1953, hundreds of rained bombs on Lebanon for days. thousands of patriotic Koreans were slaugh- In 1986, it exhibited an example of intertered. national banditry and bombed Libya, killing - In 1954, it killed thousands of about a thousand civilians. It applied the emGuatemalans. bargo to the country as well as a sea blockade. - In 1955, it carried out numerous CIA op- In 1989 it sent troops to Panama and erations in Indonesia, Laos and Cambodia. slaughtered 5,000 Panamanians.
42
- In 1991, Iraq invaded Kuwait and imperialist forces turned on it, dropping bombs on the Iraqi people. US planes made 12,000 sorties attacking the Iraqi people during this first Gulf War.
- There is no war, massacre, human rights violation of the United States that has not been inflicted on Latin America. The torturers who escaped from Nicaragua supported the antipeople organisations and attacked the Nicaraguan people.
- In Somalia, using the situation in the country, other imperialist forces followed suit - In many Latin American countries, it orand occupied it. ganised, trained, financed, armed and attacked the people under the name of the National - The embargo against Iran and the threat Guard. Lastly, the United States has killed hunof attack have been continuing for years. dreds of thousands of Muslims in Iraq and - 1999 When Serbia refused to withdraw Afghanistan, sexually assaulted many women from Kosovo, heavy NATO air strikes were or- and systematically tortured tens of thousands of Muslims in prison. ganised.
- launched an offensive against the peoples - 2001 NATO troops were sent to Macein the Middle East and North Africa under the donia. name "Arab Spring". Condoleezza Rice, US Sec- "Fight Against Terror" - It invaded retary of State, announced that they would enAfghanistan in 2001 with lies, the occupation is gage in regime change in 20 countries in these still ongoing. regions. Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Syria were - In 2003, the air, land and naval forces among the leading countries. This aggression in pre-bombed Iraq and then invaded it. Ameri- Syria still continues. can imperialism, which later withdrew its troops from Iraq spent spent 1 trillion dollars on attacking and invading Iraq from 2003 onwards. When America made a statement that "our losses were worthy of democracy to Iraq," the table left behind was like this; - 1,300,000 Iraqis were slaughtered.
It is seen that American imperialism has not left any part of the world or even the country of the World untouched, especially in the last 60 years. In Vietnam, Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Somalia, Liberia, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sierra, Leone, Zaire, In Congo, Cuba, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Latin America, Turkey, Greece... Millions of people were killed.
- 30,000 Iraqis were raped. - Five million Iraqis were emigrated. - 2 million Iraqi homeless, 4 million children were orphaned. - 3,000 academicians and intellectuals were killed.
43
ists. The imperialists who lost their markets with the national and class liberation wars that could not find a solution to their crises through war, on the contrary, had to go through changes in the forms of exploitation and the relations between them. This integration between the imperialist nations naturally brought about new developments in economic, social and political relations. The most important and major ones of these new developments emerged during the third crisis period with the militarisation of the imperialist economies that have been put into practice with the "cold war strategy" developed by the USA and neo-colonialism. With neo-colonialism, NEO-COLONIALISM IS AN INTERNAL the open occupation of the periods of the first MATTER FOR IMPERIALISM and second crises of imperialism were replaced The riches of the imperialist monopolies by secret occupation, and imperialism has beare the poverty and hunger of the peoples. This come an internal phenomenon after being an situation has brought about the fury of the peo- external phenomenon. ples of course, along with the growing injustice Imperialism has become an internal phethere are growing calls for justice from class and nomenon in the neo-colonial countries, withnational liberation movements around the out targeting imperialism cannot be won, world. liberation cannot be achieved, people's hunger Together with this, the crisis of capitalism and poverty cannot be abolished. crisis has forced capitalists to go to world war The first reason for all the evils in the twice to overcome their crises. As the imperiworld is private property, the source of all the alist wars could not solve the capitalists' crises, problems of the people of the world today, from a sixth of the world in the first war and a third health to poverty, from occupations to masof the world in the second war joined the sosacres, from unemployment to infant deaths, is cialist camp, putting an end to the imperialist imperialist exploitation. The gendarmerie and yoke. master of this exploitation is American imperiThis deepened the crisis of the imperial- alism, which sustains its military presence in
44
156 countries of the world and confiscates 50% rialism and its collaborators from the World of all world revenues. and from Turkey, to fight, to pay the price. We continue to raise the armed struggle in the All this is the truth that American impe- World and in Turkey at a time when those who rialism is the chief enemy of the peoples of the give up fighting against imperialism, bury their world. American imperialism is the enemy of weapons under the ground, and leave the hopes the peoples with its monopoly corporations, of the people at the mercy of the imperialist embargoes, economic military sanctions, with monsters. its military presence all over the World like the tentacles of an octopus, Asia, Africa, the Middle And we make a call to the whole world. East, Balkans, Latin America, taking 50% of the The only way is the armed warfare of the people world income. For this reason, without fighting against imperialism, resistance. For every paagainst imperialism, without fighting against triot, the first duty of every socialist, is to resist the chief enemy American imperialism, inde- and fight by using all kinds of ways and methpendence cannot be won, freedom and democ- ods against the chief enemy America and its racy cannot be achieved. collaborators. Every revolutionary organisation, organiDOWN WITH IMPERIALISM sation, country, institution and person that DOWN WITH THE CHIEF ENEMY wages a national liberation struggle, regardless of which country of the world it is today, has to AMERICA target imperialism and the American empire. LONG LIVE THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST RESISTANCE OF THE PEOPLES, ARMED It is impossible to be patriotic and revolutionary without resisting imperialism and fight- AND UNARMED ing against imperialism.
LONG LIVE INDEPENDENCE, DEMOCRACY AND SOCIALISM Today we continue to fight against impe-
45
DOWN WITH IMPERIALISM LONG LIVE THE FRATERNITY OF THE PEOPLES