Turkish generals throw down the gauntlet

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Turkish state forces in netion noninet • militanto The political crisis in Tha nalitinal Turkey reached a new level last week after the declaration of warning issued by the armed forces to the political parties.

Signed by all the heads of the armed forces, the declaration was given to Prime Minister Demirel and opposition leader Ecevit by President Koroturk.

Karamanmaras

It goes into recent developments in Turkey and cites left wing demonstrations against the fascist slaughter carried out in Karamanmaras a year ago; the singing of the 'Internationale' in place of the national anthem by students at Ankara's Middle East university: "dangers of separatism" among the Kurdish national minority; factionalism in the state apparatus which has brought "splits in the police force,, teachers, and various other institutions into opposing camps"; and "sterile bickering between the political parties"all of which are regarded as evidence of the need for a firm hand on the helm.

The generals place special emphasis on the developments in the Middle East, pointing to "the imminent danger of a hot war' in the Middle East"

They also warn that in Turkey "anarchists and separatists are preparing for an uprising"

In response to this, the pólitical partieș are told bluntly to find rapid solutions within the principles of parliamentary democracy ... or else.

Though the declaration is carefully couched to read like an attack on both left and right, it clearly reflects the crisis of imperialism in the Middle East and the dilemma of the bourParty against "terrorism".

Indeed a series of "anti-terrorist" policies devised while Ecevit was in power were passed through Parliament last week by the Justice Party.

These are:

*New police powers to search anyone and any place without a court order.

*An increase in police pay.

*An increase in disciplinary measures within the police force.

*A ban on members of the police force joining any association or union other than sports clubs.

20 left' RPP members voted against some of these new measures, despite a binding If effects and consequenmandate to support them. Ecevit has promised they will be disciplined.

But though Ecevit grovels to. the Justice Party the capitalists know that there is no real solution to the Turkish economic crisis short of a full scale offensive on the working class-which poses an end to the trappings of parliamentary democracy.

The military declaration is little more than a declaration that the generals recognise the task on the agenda, and that their patience with the politicians is growing a little thin.

Of course it is certain that the sabre-rattling will produce still further concessions from To tar as the bourgeois RPP and persuade Ecevit who has the - political support of Stalinist and reformist leaders in Turkey to redouble his efforts to hold back the workers' movement so as not to "provoke" the army.

Wretched arguments Such: wretched arguments have been retailed in the workers movement for decades by cynical reformist and Stalinist leaders.

They paved the way for the Chilean catastrophe of 1973. And years of such class collaboration have allowed the Turkish fascists to consolidate a mass party, to wage unceasing provoEcevit cațions against the labour movement and minorities in Turkey, and demoralised and politically disarmed the still powerful working class.

Now, even after the army declaration, none of the workers parties in Turkey has grasped its implications. The -TLP, TSIP and TSDP limply opposed the declaration as "undemocratic".

That he wang not man main Maoist : party, the "the warning must remain as a warning and should not be developed further"

With such empty phrases and passive acceptance of the action of the military there is no way forward for the Turkish working class.

The rich peasant-i idlord The fact is that the new move is the beginning of an all-out confrontation against the working class and Kurdish movement in Turkey.

It is vital that the working class break from Ecevit and the RPP and make the political and organisational preparations to mobilise against this threat.

Armed workers militias must be formed by workers' organis ations, which must establish a united front to defend the working class against fascist and military violence through the defeat of Demirel and the establishment of a workers and peasants government in Turkey. to defeat the working class during the period of the 'Emergency' The militancy of Indian workers was at worst 'muted" during the 18 months under the draconian powers of the state during the Emergency and since then has shown itself as the force which will resist the attacks on the oppressed sections in India generally....

Their weakness is in their leadership, invested in two Stalinist parties, the CP and the CPI (Marxist).

The former, though still the larger party, with 600,000 members, enters this election with no nationally co-ordinated The CPI(M), posing as more 'radical' than the CPI-on the basis that they refused to tail the Congress Party as the CPI did-continues with the disastrous Stalinist strategy of the The CPI(M)'s power-bases are in Bengal, Kerela, Tripara and North Bihar, and the party will undoubtedly make gains through this election; (though Bengal is under a tremendous onsiaught from Indira's However, as they emerge as a national political force, their developing image as incorruptible administrators and responsible trade unionists means that whichever personality the ruling class consolidates, accomodation from both sides in the name of 'austerity' is entirely