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Join the mailing list: info/subscribe/unsubscribe mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] . ===================================================================================== CP of Turkey, ,Speech to the BAN-c Meeting March 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------ From: Communist Party of Turkey, Mon, 15 Apr 2002 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] , http://www.tkp.org.tr ===================================================================================== Balkan AntiNATO Coordination Center BAN-c Views and actions of Balkan movements Tel: [+3]0310 286580,[+3]010 2592298 - Fax: [+3]0310 286581,[+3]010 2592298 e-mail:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TKP COMMUNIST PARTY of TURKEY Osman A�a Mahallesi N�shet Efendi caddesi no:38 Kad�k�y/�stanbul Tel: +90 216 414 65 04 fax: +90 216 346 11 37 - [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.tkp.org.tr The Ban-C Meeting-March 2002 Dear comrades, It is a pleasure for me and my comrades to be in this lovely city again, although we would all prefer to be here under the circumstances where there existed no NATO, no imperialism, no destructive weapons and no exploitation. Well, let's continue to work for this, for cleaning up this beautiful region, the Balkans. I will try to deal on both issues namely the role of Turkey in NATO's enlargement process and the recent development on the Cyprus problem. Dear friends and comrades, You already know that the U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney came to Turkey after visiting several countries in the Middle East. Communist Party of Turkey and some other anti-imperialist forces organized demonstrations in very hard conditions when thousands of special police units and their fellow CIA personnel invaded Ankara and other cities. Our task was and still is to prevent a new war against Iraq. The first results of Cheney's visit might easily make us relieved, as all the leaders of different countries that he met openly criticized a possible military operation to Iraq. However one must take into account that, it is not easy to know what happened behind the closed doors. There is no official joint statement on the issue, there is only rumor and speculation. Thus, we have to be clever enough to work on details which are in total a clear evidence that there is a very dirty bargaining going on between the United States and it allies in the region. As the Communist Party of Turkey, we have been trying to focus on this bargain since last December when Turkish government announced that �U.S. should take into account the losses of Turkey during the Gulf War�. Then the government added that they cannot accept an independent Kurdish state in Northern Iraq. I don't think that there is a need to say something about my countries relation with U.S imperialism. This relation became even more close after the 11th of September events. Objectively speaking, there is a limit for the capitalist Turkey to resist a specific U.S. plan. It should be clear that, the Turkish government's concern about a military operation to Iraq is real. However their strong inclination to play the major role in U.S initiatives in the region is something more actual. So the bargaining points here are the following: � To increase the price for participating a war against Iraq. � To overcome the effective obstacle of a lobby in U.S. Senate which does not permit some hi-tech weapons to be sold to Turkey. � To get the support of U.S. to organize a security belt or even an occupied region inside Iraq. Every day we have to read several articles in the daily press about the developments on these three issues. Although the public opinion is against a new war, we already know that this might easily change over a night. Plus the monopolies don't care the public opinion when they realize that, there is no organized action against their projects. A few words should be said here about the NATO influence in the Caucasian republics and the Central Asia. If we realize what Turkey is doing in that area clearly, than we will be aware of the real possibility of an aggression against Iraq. Turkish military is playing a very important role in the enlargement process of NATO in the region. Just one year ago in the Ban-C meeting I did have a chance to give examples of Turkish Army's engagement in the Balkans and in Azerbaijan. It is pity that now I have to speak about a broader area. Please follow these figures carefully: � Turkey has signed agreements with 32 countries to help them in military training. 13 of them are members of Partnership for Peace. � The first training center of PFP is in Ankara where US advisors are also working. � Turkey has educated ten thousands of officers from PFP countries, the Mediterranean Dialogue Countries and some other countries including Croatia, Egypt, Pakistan and Afghanistan � In the process of achieving the so-called NATO standard in the organizational matters and in equipment quality, Turkey is guiding the former republics of Soviet Union. � Turkey has military advisers, officers or soldiers in Albania, Kosova, Ghana, Somali, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Uzbekistan, Kuweit. � Turkey has 30 000 soldiers in Cyprus, and some thousand in Iraq. This is why we don't believe that �there will be no operation against Iraq�. If we do not get rid of the war lords, the NATO and its dirty chain, than there will always be war or a threat for war. Now let's move to a warmer island, to Cyprus. Our position on this question is clear. As a party we have made several statements on the issue. TKP is trying to help the forces that are struggling for an independent and united Cyprus. However, things are getting complicated as the involvement of EU and USA is increasing. Although the so-called peace talks are going on without any concrete result, it is a possibility that a formal unity of the island such as a weak federation can be achieved. We have to answer this question: What happens if we face with a united Cyprus which is a member of EU, still having British and even US military bases? What shall we do if the same ruling circles, or even the mentality of Denktas and Klerides still continue to dominate the island? TKP Central Committee in January, decided to promote a more anti-imperialist and class-based policy on the issue taking into consideration that although Cyprus problem has so many things that are unique, the illusion that EU membership will help for a democratic and free Cyprus harms the struggle not only in the island but also in Turkey and in Greece also. I think we will have to continue to discuss this issue with our friends in Cyprus and Greece. Thank you all for listening. I wish you great success in your struggle against imperialism. Kemal Okuyan General Secretary of the Central Committee *End* --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
