Barış Derneği

Contribution of the Peace Association of Turkey

Thessaloniki, 1-2 March 2008

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, imperialistic aggression entered a new phase. The first main target was the Balkans. Wars that lasted almost throughout the whole 1990’s ended tragically with the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

The main target moved further east with the beginning of the new millenium, to the Middle East. For more than half a century the Middle East has been a centre of conflict and imperialistic aggression. However, the new phase that began after the 9/11 attacks, showed a more systematic character. This new aggression was entitled as the Greater Middle East Project. This project mainly aimed at “stabilising” the region according to the benefits of the USA. It started as a so-called “war against terror” and claimed that it would bring democracy to the countries which were “rogue states”.

The occupation of Iraq has been the highlight of the project. This occupation has also been the fact that showed the limits of this new type of aggression.

The way to look at the Balkans and evaluate the developments taking place in this regions cannot be complete without taking into consideration what is happenning in the Middle East and surrounding regions.

There are many similar characteristics of the imperialistic aggression in the Balkans and the aggression in the Middle East. The basic one, of course, is the military presence of the US armed forces and its allies. This takes different forms in different countries.

One of the other basic characteristics is the disintegration of countries, which is actually a classic rule of imperialism: “divide and rule”. One of the most distinctive results of this process is the formation of collaborator states. For instance, some of the new states formed after the disintegration of Yugoslavia have this distinct character. Unfortunately, the latest additon to this process has been Kosovo.

The creation of a so-called independent Kosovo is the long term result of the imperialist aggression imposed on former Yugoslavia. After the end of the NATO bombing against Yugoslavia in June 1999, a protectorate regime "under international administration" was established in Kosovo. The 1244/99 resolution of the UN's Security Council, that established the US-NATO protectorate, did not question that Kosovo constituted an integral part of Serbia. Independence of Kosova is also another fact that undermines the basic principles of the United Nations.

Division of countries by imperialism will be having its very similar effects also in the Middle East. Several countries are apparently at the target for parallel developments.

A recent issue has entered the agenda only days after the declariation of independence for Kosovo. The so-called “Kosovo model” started to be discussed regarding the Palestinian question.

US plans for installing NATO forces in the West Bank after Israeli withdrawal, has been revealed in an Israeli newspaper. The USA is trying to establish a basis in European countries for the formation of an international military force to be installed in the West Bank, according to a plan made by James Jones, a retired NATO general and the US special envoy in the Middle East. This US plan involves the installment of NATO troops in the West Bank on a “temporary basis” after the withdrawal of Israeli troops and until the Palestinian Authority takes control.

Unfortunately, the unilateral Kosovo independence has risen some hopes within the Palestinian authority. An advisor to Mahmoud Abbas has stated that if no result is obtained from the negotiations made with Israel, teh Palestinians should consider declaring a unilateral independence, just like it has happened in Kosovo. Although this idea was later denounced by Abbas and other Paliestinian officials, it is apparent that with imperialist enforcement, the Kosovo model will continue being a threat to peoples in the Middle East and in other regions of the world.

The discussion about a unilateral independence and revealing of NATO intervention plans on the same days should not be considered a coincidence. The USA is looking for more effective ways of extending its hegemony. And of course, deployment of NATO troops and unilateral independence are closely correlated facts, as it has been witnessed in Kosovo.

It is needles to say that unilateral declaration of independence will many damages to the Palestinian cause, and most important of all, will mean accepting the division between the West Bank and the Gazza Strip. Thus, it will only serve the interests of Israel and imperialism.

Iraq, which is under imperialist occupation, is also likely to suffer from divison. Already the country is practically divided into three parts. As the developments since the occupation has proven, the Kurdish authority in Northern Iraq has been collaborating with the USA, having the role of a second Israel in the region.

The developments in Kosovo have led to deeper discussion in two other important issues, namely the Kurdish issue and the Cyprus issue.

The Turkish part of Cyprus, which has declared unilateral independence twenty five years ago, but has not been recognised by any country except Turkey, has started to put forward new demands for its recognition. Russia, as a response to Kosovo’s recognition by imperialist states, made threats that it will recognise the Turkish republic in Cyprus. Such a development will result in the division of the island to become permanent.

The Turkish republic was created and has existed until today with the help of the divisive policies of imperialism. The division of the island served the US interests and that of NATO. The continuation of the division through recognition of the Turkish republic will only continue this pattern.

Kurdish issue in general and in the related countries alike, has been showing seperatist characteristics in the recent years and has become a major issue within the imperialist plans, a threat that is being used against the territorial integrity of Iraq, Iran and Turkey.

The latest Turkish military operations in northern Iraq are serving only imperialist benefits. The Turkish army has been involved in a bloody adventure. The incursion of Turkish Armed Forces into Iraqi territories has nothing to do with finding a solution to either Turkey's or the Middle East's problems. This operation has launched an era, in which Turkey will frequently be put in front of a line of fire by the imperialist countries, particularly by the USA. Most probably Turkish armed forces will be involved in possible future atacks on Iran and Syria, in one way or the other.

Kurdish seperatism is getting stronger, also thanks to the military operations. The Kurdish collaborators, Barzani and Talabani, have growing power on Kurdish politics within Turkey. With the help of imperialist interventions, Turkey can face disintegration through the Kurdish problem, much sooner than anybody can expect. After the collapse of the socialist system, Turkey lost its conventional role as the spearhead towards the Soviet Union, within the imperialist system. Thus, the present integrity of the country is not essential for future imperialistic plans. This is even more real, when it is recalled that the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1920’s was a move against the imperliast trends of the time. It can even be regarded as an offshoot of the changes caused by the October Revolution in Russia.

The ruling classes in Turkey are extremely in favor of American interests and serving their big brother in the best way they can. However, this does not prevent the USA from considering a metamorphosis for Turkey, which can mean getting smaller and disintegrated. A Turkey that has a populatin of 70 million and that extends to the Balkans, to the Caucasus and the Middle East is too much for this system. Thus, Turkey faces an uncertain future in which a possibility of division is extremely serious.

The role of collaborators within imperialist plans has always been important. The hierarchy within the imperialist system and its leading inernational organisation NATO gives distinct roles to third countries like Turkey and Greece.

In the aftermath of the collapse of the socialist system, both countries have been influential in the integration of some countries in the Balkans within the imperialist system, namely Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and some former Yugoslav republics.

Turkey’s role has distinct characteristics. Unfortunately Turkey played many roles in this imperialist intervention in the Balkans via governmental and religious organizations, due to its common religious and ethnic identity with many peoples living in the Balkans. We may see that Turkey's role in the Balkans was manifold. It established bases of ideological and political manipulation by using aid mechanisms, it have helped to send weapons and military equipment in the countries like Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina by using aid organizations, or sometimes directly by using its NATO troops or allowing the NATO airplanes to use its air bases; and it has established some cultural centers and schools to be used as ideological tools for the flourishing of separatist ideas and organizations.

A governmental organization found right after the dissolution of socialist countries gives an idea of how Turkey took part in the imperialist plans in regions where mostly Turks and Muslims live. This organization is called Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) and has coordination offices in 20 countries and operates in many countries across Africa, Asia and Europe; most significantly 5 of these offices are in the problem areas of Balkans: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania. The other countries where TIKA has coordination offices are also in the regions where Turkey plays roles according to imperialist plans. These are countries in the Caucasus, ex-Soviet countries and Afghanistan, Palestine and Sudan.

Accordingly, the role of the organization is defined as “providing economic, commercial, technical, social, cultural and educational cooperation to developing countries “ and more significantly “establishment of government organizations in developing countries, preparation of legislation, placement of civil servants, provision of assistance required during the transition to a free-market economy”. The role of TIKA becomes clearer with the many projects it has undertaken in the "reconstruction" of Afghanistan. This is clear that this organization is a tool of the Turkish government to establish bases of manipulation and intervention in these countries.

For example, TIKA has undertaken many projects in Kosovo since 1997. Most of these projects are on the field of education. The organization has provided teachers for schools giving education in Turkish or students from Kosovo have been disposed at the schools in Turkey. Another project of TIKA in Kosovo was to establish a radio station in Turkish. All these projects point out that Turkey have played an important role via this organization in the preparation of the ideological climate in Kosovo which has resulted to the declaration of separation from Serbia.

Another medium of Turkish government to intervene in the problem areas of Balkans are the schools established in these countries by Fetullah Gülen, the head of a mighty religious organization in Turkey who has strong and obscure relations with USA. Fethullah Gülen has more than 100 schools and cultural centers all over the world and 13 of them are in the Balkans. There are 2 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 4 in Macedonia, 4 in Albania and 3 in Bulgaria. This is obvious that these schools have an ideological impact on the Turks and Muslims living in the region. This ideological impact seeks on flourishing reactionary ideas that prepare the background for the manipulation of imperialist countries.

Turkey’s role in the region is not just ideological manipulation. It also provided illegal military support for the organizations fighting for separatist aims and backed by imperialist countries. Especially in the 1990's, during the civil war in Bosnia, Turkey has been involved in the illicit arm trade accomplished by USA and NATO forces in Yugoslavia.

There is strong evidence that religious reactionary organizations in Yugoslavia have been supported by USA and NATO, especially in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In the first half of 1990’s the Muslim organizations in Bosnia were supplied money and weapon under the name of civil and aid organizations. Turkey was also involved in this business. For example Third World Relief Organization (TWRA) was a medium to supply illegally weapon to the Muslims in Bosnia and in 1996 Turkey donated 5 million USD to this organization. This is clear that during theses years of UN arm blockade over Bosnia, Turkey played a key role in the illicit arms trade in Bosnia. For example, it is argued that weapons worth 15 million USD have been brought to Bosnia by the intermediary of Turkish and Malaysian UNPROFOR troops. It is also known that USA in 1990’s many times supplied arms to Bosnian Muslims, these weapons were brought from Middle East to Bosnia by airplanes and Turkish airspace and Turkish bases have been used in these operations.

The disintegration process is imroving in such a way that, as the example of Turkey clearly shows, no matter how good a collaborator a state is, its fate can also be disintegration in one way or the other.

Certain US officials had, in the past, stated that they would like to see around 1000 countries in the world, rather than the approximately 200 at present. The trend is towards this target. They do not want proper states. Instead, they would prefer small units that are controlled by companies, families or tribes.

One of the foremost tasks of the peace movements is to oppose the disintegration process while struggling against imperialism. They should demand the continuation of the territorial integrity of countries and maintaining of present international boundaries.