They forgot for a moment that they have to preserve the appearance of democracy!


A group of scientists and historians wanted to hold a conference on "the Armenians in the twilight days of the Ottoman Empire".

Bourgeois press columnists and both foreign and Turkish historians were to take part in the conference.

They were under the impression that there was democracy and that under the AKP government progress had been made as regards freedom of opinion.

For some time the state has been saying that the state archives are open to everyone to examine the situation of the Armenians, and those who did would have nothing to fear and they were ready to talk. These people believed the state's claims.

It has turned out that these claims about democracy, freedom of opinion and democracy are empty. Nobody cares about the truth and it has all proved to be a game.

Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said in parliament that those who wanted to organise and take part in the conference were stabbing the country in the back.

Nor was that all. He complained that as justice minister he had had to hand over the right to carry out prosecutions to the state prosecutor's office. He was in effect hinting at what the state prosecutor's office should do.

Then he said, "Let's see what Bogazici University and YOK (note: Higher Education Committee, a state body which supervises universities and colleges, often with police methods) do about it" and dropped another hint.

After these open threats, which whip up chauvinism and create a basis for new lynching attempts (note: a number of which have been carried out by fascist mobs against those of contrary opinions), Bogazici University carried out Cicek's wishes and declared the conference postponed.

Moreover YOK criticised the organisers of the conference and stood on the side of the oligarchy.

This picture speaks for itself.

Nobody can express themselves contrary to the official theses of the state.

Cemil Cicek represents the state here. And those with a contrary opinion are silenced with all available means:massacres, punishments and intimidation.
This is a mentality that cannot bear what others say. Are there really democracy and freedom of opinion here?

Why would they open the archive! Can such a mentality allow even a grain of truth to remain in it?

And the best of it is that even the conference participants don't think there was genocide against the Armenians (note: in World War I) even if they criticise the official version of events.

But the oligarchy wants unconditional obedience.

They cannot bear even innocuous criticism, that history cannot be gainsaid through lies and cheap propaganda.

And that is the problem. Science and opinions must fit into the state's scheme of things. The oligarchy knows no other way, cannot listen and has to oppress on the spot. It was always like that. The oligarchy has partly silenced the opposition through massacres, torture and prison sentences. Today they are polished up with the EU's phrases about democracy. But that doesn't mean they are following a different policy.
Those who think the AKP has a democratic mission are bound to think again.

Was it not the AKP which issued EU laws to abolish everything that stood in the way of freedom of opinion and democracy?

Some are surprised. They wonder whether nobody should criticise what has happened because after all there is democracy in Turkey. Others think democracy has suffered setbacks. But all of them are in collision with Turkey's reality.


What kind of democracy are we talking about here?

Democracy is a game in Turkey. They have not understood that. One day they will. They will forget this incident and again support the government for the sake of their own interests. And each time they will encounter the true face of the government. They will see more clearly that this government whose image they try to polish does nothing but carry out fascist policies.
For years we have called this the "democracy game". Turkey is a country that gives the appearance of being ruled with a parliament and laws but in reality these are the laws of fascism.

The rulers of Turkey carefully apply this window dressing.

Their main support comes from European imperialism.

The latter write reports that there are perhaps some failings but democratisation is striding forward.

Government chiefs in Turkey who are not in the slightest democratic play their parts with all the skill of theatre actors.

But Cicek has forgotten his lines!
Cemil Cicek, who stood at the podium and scorned "opinions and freedom", thereby showed his true face.

It was the real Cemil Cicek, when he forced others to "think like we do or else be traitors".

The Cicek, who constantly talks of freedoms, justice and rights suddenly vanished.

Just like Turkes (late leader of the far right MHP) who at the moment he was to wear the mask of democracy, let slip his views on the "mosaic" of Turkey's ethnic make-up.


But not only is democracy pushed to one side but science and academia serve to preserve a false appearance. Otherwise Bogazici University would not have banned the conference and YOK would not have given Cemil Cicek the right. They would have defended their right to engage in independent scientific enquiry.
And the so-called opposition has taken part. They present themselves to the people as social democrats. What democrats!

The speaker of the CHP (Republican People's Party, which presents itself as social democratic) Sukru Elekdag, was of the opinion that "the honourable minister was quite lenient and could have gone further" and then went on to compete with him to present those who think differently as "traitors".
They are all the same because they share the same culture and ideology. The government, the parliamentary opposition, the bourgeois media and the universities are all cut from the same cloth.
And in the F-Type prisons they try to inculcate this attitude.
Even bourgeois media columnists share this opinion and would everyone to think the way the state does. Hasan Cemal of the high-circulation newspaper Milliyet wrote: "In democracies nobody has to share the state's view..." Which is quite true.
Once again one should recall why the F-Type prisons were introduced and why prisoners were forced into them. The prisoners have an opposition, revolutionary attitude. The state wants them to change that, adapt themselves to the official attitudes of the state and lead their lives accordingly.

People have been dying over the past five years for the sake of freedom of opinion and to oppose coercion designed to make them accept the state's ideology.

119 people have lost their lives doing that.


Those who stand for freedom of opinion in a place while the opinions of revolutionaries are meant to be destroyed, those who at one point call out for freedom of opinion while the opinions of revolutionaries are to be destroyed and those who call people traitors for wanting to discuss the forced resettlement of the Armenians are all in the same boat. They oppose resistance and favour isolation imprisonment.

We call for a genuine struggle for democracy, not this democracy game.
For all the talk of freedom of belief, all whose opinions deviate from the state's are classed as traitors to the state. For all the talk of freedom to organise, opposition trade unions are closed down. For all the talk of rights and freedoms, all those who seek their rights will barely escape lynching and those who are responsible for the lynching attempts will not be brought to justice.
In Turkey there are examples every day which show the democracy game for what it is.
And EU democracy is no different. Nothing but lies and deceit.

Those who support rights, freedoms and democracy should know that it is not possible under this system.
A truly democratic country is only possible when it is independent.

And an independent Turkey is only possible through the people's struggle.


Haklar ve Ozgurlukler Cephesi

Front for Rights and Freedoms