November 2009
Turkey’s dark mission in Afghanistan
Turkey’s decision of not sending combating troops to Afghanistan should not over shadow the mission Turkey has undertaken from the first day of the invasion and will undertake in the next bloody phase of the war.
As it is known Obama announced his new plan for Afghanistan and deployment of new 30 thousand troops has appeared to be coming first in his list of measures to win the war. NATO is now working on the contribution of each member states.
Both sides confirmed that US made a direct formal request from Turkey to contribute to new forces. The US Ambassador in Ankara, Mr James Jeffrey, stated that one of the significant agenda items in Erdoğan’s visit to US is troop deployment. Turkish officials have announced that while the number of troops might be increased, the troops would not be utilized in combat operations.
The decision not to involve in combats has been enduring. However, Ankara’s policy should not confuse the minds of the progressive people. Ankara is not fighting but is making fundamental contribution to the war on the side of imperialism. Besides, there are strong indications of Turkey’s involvement into some covert relations and operations in Afghanistan.
Turkey and the Taliban
While Turkey’s policy for Afghanistan of not taking risks has been criticized many times in NATO meetings, the US is happy that among the coalition forces there is an element that is not involved in fighting with the Taliban. Besides everything this is a Muslim country which is able to keep the contact between the coalition forces and the local staff.
Among various missions of Turkish troops, one of the most important one is the training of the Afghan police and military forces. Many of the officers from the Afghan army are being trained in Turkey. Under NATO umbrella Turkey has one of the most experienced armed forces in training the national armies of non-member states in line with the NATO doctrines. Turkey has been carrying out similar missions in other regions like ex-Soviet states of Caucasus region.
In Afghanistan the basic duty of the Turkish forces is to contribute to the security of Kabul. Although, the official explanation describes the duties as protecting civilians and securing some of the strategic buildings, there are a number of assertions with respect to the presence of Turkish forces. It has been frequently stated that as an Islamic country, Turkey is used to “legitimize the occupation and soften people’s reaction”. In addition to this, if it is needed, Turkey indirectly establishes contact with Taliban and gathers intelligence as “special” duties.
Even not confirmed yet, it is widely believed that a bilateral agreement exists between Taliban and Turkey not to use weapons against each other. This claim has been supported by the fact that so far there have not been any attacks on Turkish soldiers. And the nil loss could not be explained by Turkish soldiers not taking part in combat, as most of the loss by the coalition forces come from ambushes and sabotages.
Some sources claim that the Turkish citizens among the Taliban forces may be gathering intelligence and passing on to the invading forces.
As some commentators have been highlighting, Turkey is suggesting that Taliban should be drawn into the political system of Afghanistan and non combatant Turkey would continue with these efforts.
Not only these covert activities but also Turkey’s eagerness to act with coalition forces makes Turkey a partner of those carrying out crimes in Afghanistan. It should not be forgotten that Turkey was among the first group of countries which had replied positively to the call of NATO to invade Afghanistan. From that date on Turkey has not condemned the massacres of coalition forces against Afghan people but keep on with its “clean” tasks.
That is why, the progressive forces, particularly those in the region have to be cautious against any superficial interpretation of Turkey’s stand considering the troop deployment debates. Turkey’s mission in Afghanistan may be much darker than what it appears to be.
Strike of public employees hit the agenda of Turkey
Despite AKP government’s threats and initimidation, thousands of public employees stopped work.
Transportation, education, health services were halted. TKP actively with full force supported the strike.
The one day warning strike called by the Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions and supported by the Turkish Public Union (Türk Kamu-Sen) hit the agenda of the country hard. Press conferences and demonstrations were held in more than 40 cities including big cities as well as Anatolia, which had not seen a demonstration for a long time. The placard “On strike!” was hung in many workplaces.
Transportation, education, health, post and finance services were hindered and there was almost no transportation on railways. According to the statement made by United Trade Union of Transport Employees (BTS), train service was hampered by as much as 90 percent. Railways were the starting place for the strike on the night of November 24th, beginning at midnight. Even though strike had been announced many days in advance, passengers to whom TCDD (Turkish State Railways) sold tickets were not provided with alternative transportation efficiently in preparation for the strike. Despite the adverse effects, however, the determined attitude of strikers kept the validity of strike.
Teachers were the largest group in the warning strike after the railways. Some schools were completely empty; there were teachers who were on strike in almost every school. Parents supported the teachers by not sending their children to schools, thus refuting the charge that “citizens were the victims.” It was remarkable to see that high school students boycotted lessons and joined demonstrations. In hospitals, only emergency rooms were in service. Trade Union agents said that health employees took precautions against swine flu in order to protect patients.
Even though Prime Minister Erdoğan proclaimed the strike illegal, a large number of employees participated. The fact that the strike was also supported by the people disturbed AKP.
TKP actively supported the strike of the public employees. TKP members at their workplaces called their colleagues to go on strike. In many localities branches of TKP attended the demonstrations on the day of strike.
U.S. Marine Corps in Izmir were protested by TKP
The US Navy soldiers were protested in Izmir by TKP members and were greeted "with shoes" in Bodrum.
The USS Bataan (LHD 5) amphibious assault ship anchored Izmir port with its more than 3 thousand marines. The marines met with the protest of the TKP Izmir. The protestors summoned the people of Izmir “to not taking part in the dishonor of hosting occupiers”. The crowd then marched to the part of the city where the marines were wandering. They shouted out: “Occupiers will loose!”, “Yankee Go Home!”. In the press statement conducted “Those marketing their assignment as gendarmerie of the US to Iraq and Afghanistan as great Ottoman, they do not hesitate to serve our lands to the occupier Yankees as entertainment sites”, said TKP Izmir.
“However the US and its collaborator AKP government are mistaken on one point. On these lands there is a patriotic, progressive, revolutionary and anti-imperialist will that is claiming its honor and independence against the imperialists and occupiers”, the press statement continued.
Another protest was in Bodrum where US marines came to relax after their missions in occupied lands. The US marines were protested by the Communist Party of Turkey, Labour Party and Patriotic Front. Citizens protested the USS Higgins military ship, which consists of 285 crews, when it came alongside to the pier.
Members of TKP, EMEP and Yurtsever Cephe unfurled banners writing “Yankee, get off” and attempted to walk to the pier. At the protest, demonstrators chanted various slogans as “We do not want Yankees in Bodrum”, “Murderer US, collaborator AKP”. As citizens got close to the ship, police and security forces stepped in and intervened the protesters to protect US soldiers. The police, it was seen, also molested and attacked the journalists and reporters on the site of the demonstration.
Ayhan Karahan, spokesman of the demonstrators, told that USS Higgins was breaching the Turkish territorial waters. “Previously this ship deployed tree times in Iraq and came here from Israel. The hands of these invaders are covered with the blood of Iraqi children. These occupiers raped hundreds of women of Iraq and looted the whole Middle East culture. The army of torture, rape and massacre is now in front of us. Imperialism’s collaborators are thinking how to do favour to them. This country is not unclaimed. After the show of 'One minute'" said Karahan referring to the Davos summit where Turkish PM Erdoğan first protested Shimon Peres, but half an hour later apologized, "these developments conflict with the former reactions.
At the end of his declaration, Karahan symbolically finished his speech throwing a shoe to the warship. It was noted that the shoe that dropped inside of the pier was kicked by a US soldier with rage.
Protests against transportation hikes
TKP organized a series of strong protests against metrobus fare hikes announced by the Municipality of Istanbul. During one week at nights TKP members gathered in front of a central metrobus stop and passed through the toll bars without paying the fare. The fare strike continued with a high attendance. Large crowds of people who were trying to get home at end of the workday supported and took part in the protests.
The Mayor of Istanbul, Kadir Topbaş, after strong protests organized by TKP and other leftist groups and realizing that the public opinion is turning against his administration accepted the unfairness of the rise. Despite this back step, Topbaş has not announced the withdrawal of fare hike decision yet.
Another affective protest was conducted in front of the buildings of the municipality. TKP warned the municipality that it is decisive to continue to conduct various types of resistance against the hike. The party also called the people to be alerted against other prospective attempts of the AKP government to raise the prices and fares.