TKG (Turkey

ANTI-IMPERIALISM IN TURKEY:

A HISTORICAL LEGACY SHAPED BY COMMUNISTS

One of the most fundamental common value of the left in Turkish politics has always been the anti-imperialist struggle. The Bolshevik support to the foundation of an independent Turkish state accelerated the revolutionary process that led to the overthrow of the Ottoman regime and the foundation of an independent bourgeois republic. The anti-imperialist core of the Turkish struggle for national liberation constituted the main pillar of the active solidarity coming from Soviet Russia. Soon, Turkish war of independence became a spark and inspired anti-imperialist struggles for national liberation in different parts of the world. This historical legacy has put its mark on the future progressive movements in Turkey. Starting from the very beginning of its first organised activities in early 1920s, the Turkish communist movement has always actively contributed to the progressive changes and represented the will to carry progressive steps further to the ultimate liberation of the working class. The history of Turkey is full of countless examples of anti-imperialist struggle. From the establishment of the Republic to the present, the anti-imperialist struggle has always been at the center of socialist and communist politics. Turkish revolutionaries have always opposed the pro-NATO and collaborationist Turkish bourgeoisie. They have always rejected both physically and politically the political impositions of imperialist centers and pro-EU liberals. While the Turkish bourgeoisie was trying to join NATO in the early 1950s, Turkish revolutionaries organised in the TKP-led Peace Association and waged both an anti- imperialist and internationalist struggle against the collaborationist Turkish government. The most influential intellectuals of the time were judged and condemned for prison for taking place in the campaigns of the Peace Association against Turkey’s participation in the Korean War. We communists, who embrace this heritage, base our strategy and consciousness on this historical legacy. Opposition to the USA and NATO has always been in the focus of the Turkish youth. For instance, the student manifestation against the arrival of the 6th Fleet of the US Navy in Istanbul in February 1969 still holds its special place in the Turkish public opinion. In the 1970s, a significant part of the youth was politicised within the ranks of socialist and anti-imperialist struggle. While legendary youth leaders such as Deniz Gezmi and Mahir Çayan struggled against imperialists and fascists at the cost of their very lives; communist intellectuals such as Nazım Hikmet and Yılmaz Güney donned their poems, songs and films against imperialism. They may have all become targets of bourgeois governments and fascists, but today, decades after their death, they are still the most popular figures in the eyes of the Turkish society. It is an encouraging fact that the anti-imperialist historical consciousness is a commonly shared motivation within the working class and intellectuals in Turkey. This common sense showed itself in the activism of the organized struggle of the youth movement and the working class against imperialists and their local collaborators. Thanks to this awareness, the

establishment of anti-imperialist patriotic fronts generally found legitimate grounds in workplaces and popular districts. Meanwhile, Turkish bourgeoisie was conditioned with anti-communism and NATOism in these years, as an inevitable outcome of the Cold War. Various paramilitary gangs and nationalists were supported by the government as a force against the activities of the socialists and the working class. The origin of the current nationalist parties in the Turkish parliament finds its explanation on the close cooperation of Turkish bourgeoisie with imperialist centers, who produced together various political projects against communism during the Cold War. In the 2000s, while imperialist occupations continued in the Middle East, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) organised numerous actions to promote internationalist patriotism against imperialist warmongering. For protesting the probable participation of the Turkish government in the Iraqi War, TKP was asking, “Would you like to see Iraqi soldiers in Ankara?” Communists knew the multifaceted danger of involvement in imperialist plans and reacted with all its forces, with petition campaigns, massive manifestations and grassroots organisation of anti-occupation committees. The 2010s were marked by the necessity of internationalist solidarity against imperialist projects of destabilisation in neighbouring countries. While pro-EU media promoted the so- called Arab Spring by creating false expectations of democracy, from the very beginning, communists raised the slogan “Hands off Syria” all over the country. Today, political tensions in Turkey have come to an uncontrollable level. Despite its illusionary conflicts with imperialist forces, the current Islamist government has never taken a serious step against them. On the other hand, the bourgeois opposition always seem proud of their strong ties with the EU and US. Under these circumstances, the Communist Youth of Turkey stands out with its anti- imperialist activities in schools and universities. The TKG represents the political will among the youth, demanding leaving imperialist associations like NATO, confiscating foreign bases, chasing their military personnel, and putting an end to any Turkish military presence abroad. We know that such a programme cannot be carried out without the internationalist solidarity of the world youth. For organising this solidarity, the WFDY stands out with its great historical heritage from the past and great revolutionary potential for the future.

Communist Youth of Turkey TKG

Turkey