Why are we against AKP?
Why is the Nation Alliance not a solution?
Why should we prepare for 2023?
We are against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
We were against the ruling AKP yesterday as well.
We are against the ruling AKP since the beginning.
What does that mean?
This means that the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) does not act one day like this and one day like that towards AKP and that TKP has drawn a thick and permanent line at AKP.
Turkey had a parliamentary system in 2002 when AKP formed a government. Until July 9, 2018, when the Presidential System of Government was adopted, there was a hefty attack against the laborers of our country, the weight of international monopolies on our economy increased, underground and aboveground wealth was plundered by capital, public enterprises were transferred to the bosses under the name of privatization, agreements were signed, and partnerships were established to the detriment of our people and neighboring countries. In the same period, secularism was completely put aside and the darkest, most reactionary period within the country’s history began.
All these had happened before the AKP government changed the parliamentary system to the Presidential System of Government. For this reason, reckoning with AKP cannot be limited to the goal of “returning to the parliamentary system.” It should be known that AKP’s counter-revolution took place under the parliamentary system.
THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM ALONE
The Communist Party of Turkey is absolutely against the presidential system. TKP is in favor of the singularization of the power in the Parliament, the election of the government from within the Parliament, and its inspection by the Parliament. Instead of fake democracy, which defends the so-called separation of powers and grants extraordinary powers to the government by separating the legislative and executive organs, TKP aims to establish a political structure where all authority is gathered in the Parliament and people participate in decision-making processes.
So what stands in the way?
The obstacle to this is the capitalist class, that is, the capitalists.
Capitalists, not only in Turkey but all around the world, want to reduce the functions of parliaments under the pretext of the “acceleration of work” and the governments to act with greater authority. For decades, various arrangements have been made in this direction, and the function of the parliament has been made almost symbolic. The capitalist class does not want to be controlled, have rules and restrictions and is horrified by the fact that the representatives of the working class and people, no matter how small their number, are speaking the truth in the Parliament.
For this reason, today’s social order must change in order to establish a political structure in which people participate in decision-making processes and the Parliament becomes a real power organ. The reign of money is the enemy of freedom and democracy.
This freak system in Turkey today did not come into force out of the blue or because of Erdoğan’s personal preference. It has been a process. First, they tried to close the Parliament to the working people with various prohibitions, electoral thresholds, and an unfair election system, and then to render the parliament dysfunctional by constantly increasing the powers of the governments. In the end, this was not enough, the parliamentary system was shelved, and the presidential system was adopted.
For this reason, Erdoğan and his supporters constantly say that the current system is very efficient, fast, and effective.
From efficiency, we must understand letting the capitalists exploit the country’s resources; from speed, the capitalist class doing whatever it wants without any control; and from effectiveness, closing the resistance and opposition channels of the working people.
This is why we are against the Presidential System of Government. But we are also against an ostensible parliamentary system that serves the capitalist class.
Freedom and justice will only develop together with an egalitarian order.
An egalitarian order entails the overthrow of the dictatorship of capital.
WE WILL NOT SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR THE ORDER TO CHANGE
Yes, TKP says “this social order must change.”
“Are we going to wait until this order changes?” is one of the most common questions we encounter.
The struggle against inequity, injustice, tyranny, high cost of living, reactionism, and imperialist projects cannot be sat around and waited for. Why wait! Every application of today’s order means an attack on the working people.
We are against both these practices and the order that is the source of those practices.
We all know that the question of “Are we going to we wait?” means “Are we going to wait for the order to change in order to get rid of AKP?”
No, we will not wait. However, we will not allow people to be deceived once again.
Let’s go step by step. Why are we against AKP?
We are against AKP because AKP is a capitalist party. Not just any but a party that knows no boundaries to serve the interests of the bosses.
We are against AKP because AKP is a reactionary, counter-revolutionary party. AKP carried out a systematic and planned activity to eliminate secularism, which is one of the historical achievements of the Republic.
We are against AKP because AKP has made our country a part of a bloody reckoning by following an expansionist practice, sometimes with neo-Ottomanist policies, by cooperating with imperialist countries in the international arena. AKP’s current negotiations with NATO and US imperialism are proof that the government is taking many bigger risks.
We are against AKP because AKP is an enemy of labor, women, children, nature, science, art, and all forms of freedom.
So, there are many reasons for us to be against AKP.
While trying to get rid of AKP, shouldn’t it be necessary to get rid of the reasons that created it or made us turn against it, at least weaken the source of the problem as well?
We do not believe in an “emancipation” that would undermine or put an end to AKP’s rule while doing nothing about the domination of international monopolies in the country.
We do not believe in a “solution” that would put an end to AKP’s rule but keep the country in the dark while secularism falls through the floor.
We do not believe in an “alternative” that would put an end to AKP’s rule but keep Turkey under the domination of NATO, EU, and US imperialism.
AKP stole 18 years from our country, from our people. We should be awake for not losing another 18 years.
We cannot forget why we are against AKP.
THE NATION ALLIANCE IS NOT A SOLUTION
Today there is a wide opposition that says “let AKP go and then we’ll see.” The name that this opposition now calls itself is the Nation Alliance.
In addition to those who are clearly in it, the Nation Alliance is a very important political project together with the parties and political forces that feel close to it or are implicit members of it.
The Communist Party of Turkey is often asked “Why don’t you support the National Alliance? Why are you not a part of it?”
It is true, we do not support it. We will not support it. We will not be an obvious or shy element of this alliance either.
Why should we support it?
Why should we accept the features we oppose in AKP with another “outfit”?
It is clear that the Nation Alliance has no objection to the domination of international monopolies and the market economy. On the contrary, we know that the representatives of the Nation Alliance are trying to give confidence to the big capital circles both internationally and in the country, saying “we will serve you better than AKP.”
There is no such thing as secularism in the Nation Alliance. Far from standing against the reactionary moves of the political power, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) is busy silencing those who try to raise a voice in this direction. The Felicity Party (Saadet Partisi), an element of the Nation Alliance that is currently negotiating with AKP, is a representative of a tradition that has fought against secularism for years. Ali Babacan, the new star of the opposition, recently said that “the conditions are not yet suitable” to remove the principle of secularism from the Constitution.
The Nation Alliance has no problem with NATO, US imperialism, the European imperialist countries, and their European Union. On the contrary, the Nation Alliance criticizes AKP for breaking away from the west. Knowing that AKP owes its victory of 2002 to these powers, the opposition is now calling on the same forces to support them.
The Communist Party of Turkey was not created to depersonalize inside an opposition that resembles AKP more and more each day.
In addition, it is doubtful whether this opposition will be successful against AKP.
Because AKP can find new allies in the opposition that resembles itself.
Because the opposition has no words other than “being against the palace regime.”
Because the opposition thinks that imitating AKP is the key to success.
Because among the opposition, which adopts unprincipled politics, there are forces that can or even sit at a table with AKP at any time.
Because the opposition has neither a joint program nor a direction that will create an alternative to the AKP government and create excitement in the public.
Because the opposition wants unorganized, inactive people who only vote from election to election, whereas AKP wins as long as the people do not stand up.
Because the opposition does not go beyond the words of the capitalist circles who want “reconciliation,” say “a broad-based government would be nice,” and try to “let the opposition agree with Erdoğan.”
THERE IS ANOTHER OPTION
Turkey does not have to make a choice between the People’s Alliance (led by Erdoğan) and Nation Alliance. To impose this choice on our people means pushing millions of people who are tired of AKP and throwing their anger into despair, and worst of all, exploiting this desperation.
Like everyone else, we are overwhelmed by AKP, we are fed up and our anger has no limits.
AKP is preparing for 2023. They will want to register AKP’s Turkey which was shown to be unwanted by our people on many occasions, especially at the Gezi Resistance. The opposition is waiting for the elections to be held in 2023 or before. They just put aside the fact that an electoral prescription for “emancipation” will not be successful because they are not aiming for a true “emancipation.”
We, as the laborers of this country, the patriotic intellectuals, the independence and enlightenment soldiers, the revolutionaries who want to wave the flag of equality by destroying the exploitation system, must prepare for 2023 too.
In the 100th year of the Republic of Turkey, we need to ensure the shape in flesh and bones of the “Republic Again” idea. A Secular, Independent, Socialist Working People’s Republic.
Let’s roll up our sleeves so that the Socialist Republic will become a real option in 2023, and not hand over our country to the conflict between the pro-market, reactionary, and pro-establishment forces. Together…
We call on the citizens who adopt the approach and program of the Party to organize in our Party and become TKP Volunteers.
TKP also calls on political forces with similar sensitivities and those who think differently on some issues to act jointly with TKP and to create an alliance of the working people.
There are many people who want to act independently outside the parties within the order, boss organizations, reactionists, imperialist countries, liberal lobbies, and nationalistic conditionings. Moreover, the Communist Party of Turkey is not the only political formation with this sensitivity.
However, TKP favors drawing a thick line at the opposition of the order. Otherwise, it cannot be ensured that a large segment of people, who have to choose the lesser evil in despair, take their future into their own hands.
For this reason, the Communist Party of Turkey calls on the forces in favor of the following to create a decisive front before the big turn of 2023:
1- Secularism, republicanism, and enlightenment against the determination of social and public life by religious rules, and the use of religious references and symbols by political parties and institutions;
2- Independence and patriotism against imperialist institutions such as NATO and the European Union, the sovereignty of international monopolies and all imperialist powers, especially the USA;
3- The establishment of a political structure in which people participate in the decision-making processes and the Parliament becomes a real power;
4- Socialism, which is an egalitarian order dominated by social interests and makes plans against exploitation and market economy, and the capitalist order.
This front must:
- Advocate for absolute break from system parties and system politics,
- Reject a concept of politics limited to elections, based on the fact that the organized struggle of the people is above all else,
- Clearly declare that there will not be a pursuit of democracy and freedom with foreign states, congregations, and the elements associated with it,
- Take a stand against imperialist wars, bloody showdowns of international monopolies, neo-Ottomanist foreign policy practices,
- Undertake the representation of the masses of laborers who accumulate anger against impoverishment and heavy exploitation, but who are prevented from pouring this anger into action and organization, seeking their rights and raising their voices, and ensure the problems and wishes of the working people enter the agenda of politics in the first place,
- Challenge with all kinds of liberalism and nationalism, which are two different sides of the same coin that complement each other.
This is what will elevate and excite our people.
The Communist Party of Turkey is calling to build the future together and holding out its friendly hand.
We, as the laborers of this country, the patriotic intellectuals, the independence and enlightenment soldiers, the revolutionaries who want to wave the flag of equality by destroying the exploitation system, must prepare for 2023 too.
In the 100th year of the Republic of Turkey, we need to ensure the shape in flesh and bones of the “Republic Again” idea. A Secular, Independent, Socialist Working People’s Republic.
Let’s roll up our sleeves so that the Socialist Republic will become a real option in 2023, and not hand over our country to the conflict between the pro-market, reactionary, and pro-establishment forces. Together…
We call on the citizens who adopt the approach and program of the party to organize in our party and become TKP Volunteers.