Bombings by suicide terrorists in Ankara and Istanbul

2 friends killed in suicide attacks, one by IS, the other by PKK
2 friends killed in suicide attacks, one by IS, the other by PKK

Ozcan Can, a student who was killed in the latest attack, was a friend of another victim of a suicide attack. Ozcan Cans good friend Ali Deniz was killed in Ankara organized in an attack on October 15, 2015 by IS, while he was waiting to join a peace march in protest against state violence in Northern Kurdistan. Below is their last picture together, months before they were killed separately, one by the IS, the other by the PKK. *)

Submitted by Fredo Corvo on March 20, 2016

These bombings affect not only the population in Turkey, they also concerns immigrants in the Netherlands, whether they regard themselves as Turkish, or Kurdish, as Muslim or of any other faith.

The bombings also hit the 'native' Dutch workers, because they could be held here. ‘Immigrant' workers of all backgrounds are their colleagues, as pupils and students from different backgrounds they are classmates and even friends.

Is it important who exactly is behind the attack?
• Islamic State or a group manipulated by the secret service of Erdogan's AK-government, in the hope that the population seeks refuge in the Turkish state;
• TAK, or by way of TAK the PKK, the Kurdish “liberation’ movement as to maintain influence on to their young supporters, and / or to exert pressure on the Erdogan government not to interfere too much with Turkish and Syrian Kurdistan.

The victims will never know for what "higher purpose" they are slaughtered. But the goals are still 'higher'. In the background, behind the war in Syria, the great powers are pulling the strings:

• The European Union, led by Germany - with Merkels pooches Rutte and Samson (Dutch Liberal and Labour government) - supports the Erodogan regime with a bargain on refugees, by which Turkey should decide who is acknowledged as a Syrian war refugee, allowed into Europe, and the refugees without this staus can be exploited as cheap labor in Turkeys own economy. And the workers and students who no longer like it in Turkey, may try their luck without visas in Europe (Germany, Netherlands).
• The United States have pulled the oil-rich and strategically important Kurdish areas of Iraq and Syria within their sphere of influence. The Kurdish forces are acting as ground troops in the war against IS. The US wants Turkey to leave in peace its Kurdish allies in its own country and in Syria.
• Russia has its air force and ground troops withdrawn after the murderous work is done with massive bombardments, so that it can play the role of "peacemaker”, while the Dutch F16’s continue to bombard.

We see that all states, large and small, existing states and states in formation, go to war. It is the only way that capitalism sees as the economic crisis returns with unprecedented destructive power. Massive money and credit have been pumped into the economy. In vain. Massively degradation of social services, benefits and reduced wages. In vain. The capitalist class therefore falls back on nationalism to bind its 'own people', and in particular the working class’, dividing te latter into competing groups along:
• passport
• type of employment contract, fixed or flexible, temporary, self-employed, or illegal,
• towards still working or already unemployed,
• level of education,
• to working in manufacturing or in services such as transport, education or health care
• culture or religion

In short, all things that do not matter when it comes unite for workers' interests.

The workers in Turkey are not defeated. There are regularly strike movements, often organized outside the unions. They now face a choice: either continue their struggles as workers, against all divisions, or fall into the divisions alongside those in the capitalist class, either supporters of a Muslim state, of a secular state, into Turkish or into Kurdish nationalism.

The workers in the Netherlands do not realize it, but here is the choice as well, between either unity of the workers, or division of the workers and break up into warfaring groups.

Dear reader, you probably do not agree with everything in this text.
But do you find the topics we raise important? If so, enter into discussion with your colleagues, family members, friends, neighbours, fellow students.

• If the discussion is important, stop work or study leave for a while.
• End the minutes silence for the victims, led by those who want to send us to war!
• Let's exchange thoughts about these horrible events for an hour or so.

Workers, we have a world to win!

20-3-2016

Spread this text through Facebook, put it under the photocopier, email or hang on a bulletin board.

*) Amongst others: http://libcom.org/forums/news/ankara-bombing-15032016?page=1#comment-573879

reading more: arbeidersstemmen.wordpress.com

Comments

Devrim

8 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Devrim on March 21, 2016

I'd trust the PKK about as much as I'd trust the Turkish state, not at all. I think it's pretty clear that TAK is a part of the PKK. There are lots of reasons for thinking so. One from the Ankara attack was the Karasu, one of the PKK leaders, was talking about the target of the attacks before the TAK statement claiming the bombing.

The PKK's line at the moment is to try to force the state back to the table by essentially saying "if you don't do a deal with us, you'll have to deal with what they do". Of course, for this to work, them and us can't be the same thing.

Devrim

Steven.

8 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on March 21, 2016

jTuba

I am very sorry to read about your friends. It's really a total waste. I would like to mention, though, that the PKK have formally disavowed the recent attacks that have been attributed to them by the Erdogan government and that both the PKK and the TAK have stated that they do not work together. Whether or not any of those claims are credible bears further discussion, but I do think it is worth noting that the two are not synonymous.

"On the attacks by TAK in Ankara, Karayilan said: 'We have nothing to do with the attacks carried out by TAK in Ankara. We never target civilians. We target military positions.

Yeah I get they are not synonymous, but as Devrim says I don't think they are trustworthy. That guy you quote, for example claims "we never target civilians", this is an obvious lie for anyone who has even the slightest knowledge of the situation in the region.

Azdak

8 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Azdak on March 26, 2016

Not wishing to get too involved in a very emotive subject, I do have to say that the PKK is itself deeply divided. Ocalan and his supporters are moving in a more progressive (anarcho-communalist) direction from elements that remain nationalist or 'marxist/leninist' in scope. It is quite possible that TAK are a militant or fundamentalist offshoot similar to CIRA or RIRA in 1990s/2000s Ireland, and in a limited, ideological sense they may even be 'autonomous' in their (flawed) decision-making.

However, it is conceivable that TAK is a 'nom-de-plume' used by regressive elements that have taken over the reins of the PKK in the current situation, where Ocalan is unable to speak to his followers from jail.

And it is also quite possible that the MIT (Turkish intelligence) have infiltrated and/or are enabling the people who call themselves TAK, in order to further polarise the conflict (and the same being at least equally true - or most likely a lot more so - for ISIS).

It could even be that all are true, to a greater or lesser extent.

Whatever the truth, the fact remains that the current situation was avoidable and was engineered by Turkish president Erdogan for his own short-term political ends, which have now backfired. The resurgent repression is causing immense distress and disruption in the Bakur (Kurdish) region and is serving to widen the divisions across Turkish society. The role of the working-class movements should surely be to present a cogent analysis of these motives, to call for their end to their effects, and all the while to continue with the strikes and other activities to undermine the reactionary, corrupt regime that created them.

This does not mean 'taking the side' of TAK (or whoever they may really be). But 'condemnation' is just a clever game played by the establishment to get you to sign up to their supposed 'war against terrorism' (a concept as absurd as if a 'war' against queen's pawn gambit was declared in chess circles - what matters is always the aims!), and by such a process to hijack and neutralise your own legitimate struggle.