Fikret Soydan
November 2024 – Kaldıraç Issue 280
After the May 2023 “elections”, we, as the Kaldıraç Movement, stated that two aspects had changed in the Palace Regime. Before that, we declared that there was no such thing as “elections” and that the elections and their results were illegitimate. Those who chanted “one vote for us and one vote for Kılıçdaroğlu” were, of course, far from listening to us and under the wings of the CHP, which they pursued, they mistook the smell of sewage for the rose scent and they had already fallen into a trance. That’s how it is, scenes in theaters make some viewers ecstatic. Yet for some, not even the theater is necessary, even the most trashy debate can have the same effect on them.
After what was called an election just because it was not called a fraud, we have said that the renewed CHP does not actually contain any “positives”, that by the very essence of the Palace Regime, all political parties had become palace parties, and in fact ceased to be political parties. Like, for example, is AK Party a political party? If Tarık Zafer Tunaya, who is a bourgeois democrat, saw these parties, would he call MHP a political party? CHP is on the same path as well. When the President of the Republic comes to the parliament, which is actually non-existent, which has been completely bypassed, I wonder if one should stand up or not.
We have written and defended that after these illegitimate elections, the Palace Regime has undergone two important changes. These have begun to emerge just as our identifications on CHP. We do not attach special importance to our observations on CHP, because only those who are ecstatic with the “one vote for me, one vote for Kılıçdaroğlu” campaign may not know what CHP is. Failure to understand that CHP led by Özel will follow the same path is related to not understanding what is called the Palace Regime. The case is not about “Özel”, it is about CHP. It is essential to comprehend this correctly. Otherwise you would say “Özel was a good man but he changed”. Whereas that same wheel is mostly adept at generating Baykals and it is one of the parties of the state.
Let us stop here and ask a question: Do you call it the one-man regime? Well, is the one man the head of CHP, the head of MHP or Erdoğan, who is condemned to play a much minor role than them? Who is this one man? The question continues: Do you call it AKP-MHP fascism, so is the CHP “democracy” less fascist, or are those who whitewash imperialism in the name of nationalism more democratic?
The Palace Regime is the extraordinary organization of the monopoly police state and without understanding this extraordinary organization, you cannot understand those who fired bullets at the demonstration in Artvin, those who committed the train station massacre in Ankara with state support, etc. You cannot understand that all political parties have undertaken different roles for the same purpose.
Here in this Palace Regime, there has been a change at two aspects. Not in essence, of course. The Palace Regime, in line with the wishes of its masters who established it, and in accordance with their consensus, (a) formed a war cabinet and (b) handed over the economy to an international consortium. None of these are, as the common expression goes, “local and national”. These are the wishes of the masters, NATO, the USA and the EU. Without recognizing the fact that Turkey is a colonial country, you will find it difficult to understand what is happening.
These two observations are not difficult to see for those who want to see them. And today, they can be seen much more distinctly, much more clearly.
In line with these two observations, we, as the Kaldıraç Movement, were and are saying that a new nationalism, including Nationaleft, will be implemented. New forms of Kemalism are being constructed for this purpose.
The recent visit of the MHP to the DEM Party in the parliament and its statements regarding this visit should be considered at this exact point.
War has spread and is spreading in the Middle East. The Turkish state, with its new organization, has started new preparations to act as a hitman for the USA in the Middle East. The first step is to settle in Iraqi Kurdistan and they have been very active in this regard since September 2023. The ties that bind Barzani and the Turkish Republic are ties on the axis of the USA-EU-UK (and of course another of their hitmen, Israel).
The era of war policy at home and abroad, of creating noise with theatrical curses they call “polarization” and attacks accordingly, is over. By over, it means that it can be put into action at any time. Instead, “national reconciliation” or, in the polite words of the CHP chairman, “normalization” should be put into effect. In this way, the whole society is to be “united” and deceived once again, against the working class and revolutionary resistances inside and in the field of war games in the service of imperialism outside.
This is why Bahçeli has seen fit to make an addition to his usual style of threats and swearing. This is the role and it is played immediately upon request. And there is nothing to be hesitant about.
Bahçeli walked to the DEM Party seats and shook hands with Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan, Group Deputy Chairman Sezai Temelli, MPs Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Sakık. Of course, this seemed to contradict with the old and familiar role Bahçeli had taken from his masters. Bahçeli got furious at those who were surprised and said: “As we are heading into a new era, while we want peace in the world, we need to ensure peace in our own country.” Although it does not suit his language, Bahçeli’s emphasis on peace and brotherhood is specific to this new era.
Bahçeli also made a more comprehensive statement: “If MHP does not take a step, it would not be right to expect anything from the others.” So, this is how the master defined their new role. “Therefore, the fact that I went and shook the hands of those whose ideas I do not accept and whose statements on many issues in Turkey for the last 40 years have been as the terrorist organization extension of the PKK should be seen as a sign of being a cohesive and unifying party of Turkey based on this call. It is not right to infer any other meaning from this. It is also a humanitarian duty to offer condolences for the death of the mother of a co- chairperson.”
Bahçeli presumably will also give a definition of “humanitarian duty”.
But his statements resemble the minutes of a detention: “…the fact that I have shook the hands of those whose statements on many issues in Turkey for the last 40 years have been as the terrorist organization extension of the PKK” is worthy of attention.
Bahçeli continued: “The hand I offered is the message of our national unity and fraternity. The hand I offer is firstly the torch-like light of the Parliament and also of the accurate words of Mr. President (meaning, his curses and threats should be considered as darkness – that’s our note). The hand I am offering is the wish and proposition to become a party of Turkey, to take a front against terrorism. We do not offer a hand haphazardly, out of boredom, momentary impulses and schemes. We don’t give a hand for no reason, we don’t stand up randomly.”
Here is for you the issue of “national unity”.
They call it strengthening the “internal front”. In other words, on the way to the war, instead of “polarization at home,” the language of national unity is being deployed. And of course they must be counting on the Kurds to fall for this.
At a time when the war is spreading, when Israel is trying every means to spread the war in the Middle East, when it is acting as an apparent triggerman on behalf of the USA, Erdoğan has invited the Parliament to a secret meeting under the pretense of Israel attacking us. Thus, under the pretense of an Israeli threat, preparations for war are intended to be accelerated.
In reality, the war is being waged against the targets indicated by the USA.
The USA, along with Israel of course, wants to employ the Turkish state for the war against Iran. For this purpose, it is accumulating forces in Iraqi Kurdistan. Thus, on the one hand it pretends to act against the PKK, and on the other hand it is getting closer to Iran’s borders. They already “love” the Iranian war with a special enthusiasm due to its policy of exterminating the Kurds. Anything that gives the Turkish state, the Palace Regime, the opportunity to attack the Kurds generates great enthusiasm.
The new name of the war policy at home and abroad is “normalization” and “national unity” and now “consolidation of the internal front”.
All bourgeois states in the world are in charge of projecting the interests of the bourgeoisie as “national interests” to the people. In our country, this is even more advanced. If the “national interest” doesn’t function, the politics of “national unity” and “normalization” are put into action under the pretense of a threat of war, while the masses suffer under the increasing economic crisis. All bourgeois parties are in on this. It is not possible for them to prepare for war in any other way. Mentioning Israel as a threat on this matter is actually meant to conceal their real objectives. If Israel is such a threat, go ahead and terminate your economic, military and political relations. Go ahead and close the USA bases. Go ahead and dismantle the Kürecik facilities. This fraud is, of course, convenient for the CHP leadership.
And the international consortium that has taken over the economy does not want to be restricted to spending the budget on war expenditures in order not to be held back from collecting its receivables. Şimşek, the officer of the consortium, immediately wants to implement the decision to deduct 750 TL from credit cards and transfer it to the defense industry fund. The credit card limit is, in fact, not a person’s money. It is the ability of individuals to borrow or a kind of credit that they do not use. And the banks giving a limit of 100 thousand TL is not a big deal. Now they are looking for a way to charge 750 TL per person. This way is actually not even legal. It is a type of fraud. The state collects money from everyone compulsorily. Taxes etc. do not suffice. Tributes do not suffice. On top of that, they are looking for ways to collect money from everyone. This is the way to tax non-existent expenditure, non-existent income. It means extorting money from millions of credit cards.
This is also consistent with Bahçeli’s political initiative.
Now, an abuse called “defense industry” is sought to be introduced and the threat of Israel is being used for this purpose. For if they were to use the threat of Syria or Iran, it would not do the trick. The game never ends in the palace. Once you get a credit card, as the name suggests, then you can get a loan, you can potentially borrow money, which means you have to give a part of it to the state, to the war industry, that is, to the monopolies. Here you have “advanced democracy.”
Against whom is this national unity directed? Against whom is the “internal front” being strengthened? The word “internal front” is also an admission of a covert civil war.
Whatever the threat to the US, NATO, Britain and Israel is out there, this is a preparation for war against it. There is nothing “domestic and national” about this. War is the breaking of peoples against each other. War is the deployment of the children of poor people to the front for the interests of imperialism. For this very purpose, “national unity” and “normalization” have been put into action. Now, in this context, they want to intervene in the left and Kurdish politics.
Lest it be misunderstood, we are not suggesting that the Kurds and the left will take this bait. But this is their objective. And if the left and the Kurdish movement do not take the bait, of course they will get their share of violence coming from the state. In other words, Bahçeli has a poison needle in his hand and his threat is in effect.
On the inside, this “national unity” aims to cage the working class for the interests of a handful of money lords, international and domestic monopolies. This time they want to keep the working class in captivity with the lie of “national unity”. Here is the situation: The bandit has crossed the road, as is customary, they don’t say your money or your life, they say both your money and your life, both your labor and your mind. Giving your money, handing over your wallet and saving your life is not an option. You will both give your money, become a prisoner, and offer your life to the gods of war, to the monopolies, to fight for them.
For this very reason, the working class must rise up.
Today, leaving aside how to organize it, the working class needs to take up the general strike weapon.
Yes, the organization of this is an issue in itself. But if one does not intend to do something, many, many proofs can be found indicating that it cannot be done. And one can never find the answer to the question of how. You must first have the intention to take action, to organize a general strike, in order to have an idea of how to achieve it. Those who do not know what to do will have no idea how to do it.
The working class must claim its own resistance.
In an interview with Armağan Çağlayan, former Minister Hüseyin Çelik says the following: “With the Gezi protests, we got bent out of shape.” It is a correct statement. The one whose shape has bent is the one who tells why it has bent. Gezi is an important resistance in this respect. Yes, it was a spontaneous resistance. For this reason, a line of resistance, a resistance front has been forming since Gezi. From now on, the task for revolutionary socialists is not to wait for a new social explosion. That will already happen when the time and hour comes. But this is class struggle and in class struggle both fronts have to learn. The sovereign is learning for itself. This is what “Gezi events have bent us out of shape” means. The point is in the learning of the working class, of the revolutionary socialists. We the revolutionary socialists, the workers, the working class as a whole, have to learn from this process how to resist and organize. Waiting, leaning towards a new social explosion, is not a revolutionary attitude. The right path for the working class, for the laborers who make up the overwhelming majority of society, is to organize in their own way, in order to build a world without war and exploitation. The possibility for such a course exists. The working class has the means to overthrow the Palace Regime only if it really stands up. For the working class, there is no other way out, no other way of salvation except the revolutionary path.
