The RCIT statement says:
5. "These convulsive events have also provoked the formation of two counterrevolutionary “Holy Alliances”. One is the axis of Russian imperialism, Iran, Hezbollah and the Assad dictatorship; the other consists of Saudi-Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt in close alliance with US and Israeli imperialism. 6. "In contrast to these two counterrevolutionary alliances, some states hope to maneuver between the Great Powers and to advance their interests by exploiting and materially aiding various liberation struggles. This is particularly the case with Turkey which lends limited support for the remaining liberation forces in Idlib as well as for the Libyan GNA government. Another example is Turkey’s tacit support for exiled Muslim Brotherhood leaders who face persecution by the Egypt dictatorship. Qatar, an ally of Turkey, plays a similar role albeit to a more limited degree (e.g. its financial aid for Gaza dominated by Hamas)." ***** In my view Turkey and Qatar are also counterrevolutionary. They constitute a third "holy alliance". Turkey not only oppresses its own Kurdish population. It intervenes in neighbouring countries to suppress struggles for Kurdish rights, and for democratic rights generally. For example, Turkey invaded Afrin in January 2018, and then invaded a strip of land in northeastern Syria in October 2019, as part of its ongoing campaign to crush the Rojava revolution. More insidiously, Turkey used its position as a supplier of aid to the Syrian rebels to co-opt some of them and use them in its anti-Rojava campaign. This has been occurring since the beginning of the Rojava revolution in July 2012. By diverting many rebels away from the fight against the Assad regime, Turkey has weakened the revolution and helped Assad to remain in power. Turkey has also invaded and bombed parts of northern Iraq in its campaign against the PKK. Turkey does indeed "manoeuvre between the Great Powers". Although belonging to NATO, it does not follow the US line on everything. For example, it trades with Venezuela in defiance of the US blockade, supplying food in return for gold mined in Venezuela. The RCIT says that Turkey is a semi-colony. I would say its status is intermediate between imperialist and semicolonial. Its interventions in Syria, Iraq and Libya reflect Erdogan's desire to make Turkey more influential in the Middle East - to make it more like an imperialist power. The RCIT claims that Turkey's military intervention in Libya is an example of "aiding various liberation struggles". I have not followed the situation in Libya closely since 2013, but I am skeptical that either side in the current conflict can be considered a liberation movement. The anti-Gaddafi movement degenerated at a very early stage after the 2011 uprising. An example was its racism towards black Libyans, leading to pogroms and ethnic cleansing. See my article: http://links.org.au/node/3659 Is there any evidence that either of the two main factions in the current conflict in Libya has broken with this reactionary history? Chris Slee ________________________________ From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of RKOB <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, 14 September 2020 9:28 PM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: [marxmail] War Clouds in Eastern Mediterranean War Clouds in Eastern Mediterranean Down with the imperialist aggression of the EU, Israel and Arab tyrants against Turkey! Support the ongoing Arab Revolution! https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/war-clouds-in-eastern-mediterranean/ <https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/war-clouds-in-eastern-mediterranean/> -- Revolutionär-Kommunistische Organisation BEFREIUNG (Österreichische Sektion der RCIT, www.thecommunists.net<http://www.thecommunists.net>) www.rkob.net<http://www.rkob.net> [email protected] Tel./SMS/WhatsApp/Telegram: +43-650-4068314 -- Diese E-Mail wurde von Avast Antivirus-Software auf Viren geprüft. https://www.avast.com/antivirus -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#1698): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/1698 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/76839850/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
