Capitalists rally behind new Turkish junta

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The new Turkish National Security Council i one of a number of important features on the extreme right in US t (the anti-fascist magazine). Readers are urgad to subscribe to Seal 2 issues) are available from A.F&R Publications, 21 Great Western B The only indication so far of disquiet among the ranks of European capitalism at the imposition of military dictatorship in Turkey has been from Belgium.

They have staged a protest pull out from the NATO exercises now being carried out in the western areas of Turkey as part of imperialism's rehearsals for war against the Soviet Union.

A USA-led campaign of discreet approval for the new Turkish junta's rule, presenting it as "peaceful" the democratic credentials of the Generals has ensured a sympathetic response from the hypocritical "freedom-loving" governments of the West.

With few exceptions their stakes on the regime's success are the huge loans made over the years in a vain attempt to bale out Turkey's ravaged economy.

Creditors

The country's international creditors are looking for proof that General Kenan Evren and his National Security Council are ready and able to get to grips with the problem.

But Evren and his fellow Generals will not find things easy, as their first week in power has begun to show.

Despite emphasising at every opportunity his determination to retain and strengthen Turkey's alliances with imperialism (lest there be any fears that he was a dictator in the mould of left-nationalist Gadaffi in Libya), Evren's initial steps to consolidate military rule have not all gone smoothly.

Deadlock

His early assumption of the Presidency put an end to many months of deadlock in the now closed-down National Assembly.

More than a hundred votes had taken place in efforts to fill that vacant position, all proving abortive.

Yet already the junta has itself twice failed to agree on a civilian candidate for Prime Minister, which now makes it likely that Even will take on that office as well.

After more than a year of virtual civil war before the coup it is not surprising that the divisions which have wracked all aspects of society during that period should permeate even into the clique which has now taken control.

At the root of these clashes have been the activities of the fascist Nationalist Action Party, specialising in provocations and ruthless armed attacks on their opponents.

The decision of NAP fuhrer Alparslam Turkes to give himself up, having initially avoided being arrested with the other Parliamentary leaders, was. a shrewd move aimed at boosting his 'law and order' image among the despairing petty bourgeoisie who form the social basis of his mass following.

His long and deep relationship with the army establishment means he is well aware of the favourable conditions the latest measures have given him.

His closest collaborators among the top brass, notably General Necdet Uruq, commander of the First Army are as unconvinced as he is that the future of capitalism in Turkey can safely be left in the hands of those who style themselves latter-day Attaturks.

That does not mean that the junta's present policies are not ruthlessly repressive.

Heavy clashes have already been reported between the army and Kurdish nationals in the eastern district of Sivarek -with many Kurds dead.

Death sentence

In the southern city of Adana a left-winger accused of being involved in the gunning down of an army captain last week has been sentenced to death, even though the military court accepted that he had not fired the shot. A second man was jailed for 11 years.

The exact number of arrests under the new dictatorship is unclear, but it is certain to be not far short of 10,000, perhaps a good deal higher.

So far the reaction of the working class to the Generals' abolition of the right to strike has only been seen in the effect it has had on the 50,000 workers in engineering and other. industries who were forced back to work.

Any confidence that gives the new government that they Will be able to impose their policies without resistance is premature and misplaced.

Despite the capitalist propaganda about the necessary nature of the coup, demonstrations and opposition are building up outside Turkey.

Following on the London demonstration reported last week there has been a protest demonstration of 5,000 in Athens and opposition to the Turkey coup was one of the siogans of the anti-NATO demonstration in West Germany.

In Britain a unanimous vote of the national conference of the 1½ million strong AUEW condemned the coup.

US The article below is one of t published in Searchlight (the ant Subscriptions (£5 for 12 issues) : 6, Livery St., Birmingham 3. im 3.

Once again a Federal undercover agent 'has been exposed as being involved in a violent Ku Klux Klan attack; during preliminary hearings at the trial of six Klan and Nazi Party members charged with the murder of five left-wingers at a demonstration in Greensboro last November, it was revealed that Bernard Butkovich, an agent of the Treasury Departments Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was actually involved in planning the For some reason Butkovich is not listed to appear as a prosecution witness, and defence lawyers for the Klansmen have announced that they intend to call him as part of an 'entrapment' defence.

Butkovich had been involved in infiltrating a Nazi group, some of whose members participated in the murders.

Now other Nazis are claimthey will escape.

The selection of the jury has already drawn much comment. Jurors were questioned: by a defence lawyer, and any who showed "prejudice" against Nazism or the KKK have been excused.

Thus men have been excused because they fought in the Second World War. One who was selected was Octavio Mandulay, an expatriate Cuban businessmen, a member of the far-right emigre group Twentieth of May', who considers the Klan and the Nazis to be 'strongly patriotic. He was approved not only by the defence but by the judge, and incredibly, by the prosecuting district attorney.

Other "approved" jurorsall of them white-include one who agreed with a defence suggestion that it was less of a crime to kill a communist than anyone else, another who wondered "why the charge is Make of extreme right in US politics to subscribe to Searchlight.

21 Great Western Buildings, first degree murder" when "communists are the enemy" the wife of a deputy sherrif, and a Vietnam veteran truck driver.

Defence lawyers have also made a point of asking black potential jurors to confirm aloud their addresses-while Klansmen in the court make it clear that they are committing the addresses to memory.

The prosecution's attitude is best summed up by the questions which the DA directs at potential jurors. They are asked whether "the fact that the alleged victims were communists who held views which are un-American and repugnant to us all" or "the fact that the alleged victims tried to form labour unions and to overthrow the government" would affect their verdict.

The stage is set for one of the most disgraceful whitewashes in the history. of American racism.