BY Hakkı Yükselen / Kırmızı Gazete 10.14.2020
In the early 70’s, during a military coup against King Hassan II of Morocco, Libyan radios started playing military anthems, and the King, who suppressed the coup, directly blamed the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi! Gaddafi was an open person, he didn’t deny his role in the coup attempt as far as I remember! In fact, Turkish government did not have much of a secret. For example, while the Azerbaijani administration adopts a more cautious and diplomatic discourse on war, peace and reconciliation, Turkey use an irreconcilable discourse as it is their direct war. Indeed, with Russia’s intervention, the first symptoms shows to get to a (probably temporarly) compromise (which Turkey’s kept away). But in various international environment are expecting Turkey’s possible “provocative” intervention. We’ll see what will happen.
Erdogan’s Reason
Of course, the problem for the Erdogan’s Palace regime is not the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, which declared independence, the Lachin Corridor under Armenian occupation and other Azerbaijani departments; he is busy with his own troubles and goals. This excessive interest is in line with the regime’s domestic and foreign policies. While the regime loses support and gains a more bonapartist character, its foreign policy is gradually militarizing. This is now a form of existence, and so one of the military interventions is finished, the other begins. It is not known exactly where it will end, but it is clear that at first hand, it is clear that the masses are subjugated in an environment of chauvinist nationalist agitation and militarist oppression and that the ruling classes promise new economic opportunities and resources at the international level. It is calculated that such a success can sustain the regime with the joint support of both the exploiters and the exploited.
The Azerbaijani intervention is also part of the bargaining and balance politics linked to problems such as Syria and Libya; this is considered a convenient, useful tool in relations with both Russia and the US. The possibility that the future with Russia will not be very bright necessitates the restoration of warm relations with Western imperialism for the long-term interests of capitalism and the regime. In todays world, the regime calculates that this work can be carried out in the most profitable way by taking the regional subcontracting of imperialism by actively participating in a number of international crises, which Russia also includes.
Of course, there is also another task that has been tried (we will explain below) but has not been accomplished in the past: If possible, direct support to its own power in Azerbaijan or make the Azeri administration dependent on itself and establish hegemony over this oil-rich country. The reason for the “determination and militancy” on the war is to weaken the Azerbaijani administration by deepening the “national” reaction that will emerge if the Azerbaijani administration backs down or compromises. The existence of a government that is too distant and experienced (and secular) to not allow them to act as they wish is actually a problem. Of course, we cannot know what calculations the regime has made regarding the consequences of such an initiative in terms of regional balances, the reactions of Russia and Iran, and the relations to be established with US imperialism in such a case.
Background of the problem: First Azerbaijan expedition!
First of all, the Azerbaijan problem is not new; it is one of the economic-political ambitions of the Turkish bourgeoisie. Even after the dissolution of the USSR in the time of Özal (with the effect of the First Gulf War), under the slogan of “Turkish Century from the Adriatic to the Great Wall of China!” Azerbaijan was the first goal of an expansion policy with the aim of becoming a “regional power”. It would be entered through this gate to the Turkic republics (markets) of Central Asia and exited from the Chinese border!
But it didn’t happen; Fascist militants of the MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) were also recruited. And after giving some neoliberal advises, the real face of those, who tried to rob and defraud these people was revealed. The chauvinistic nationalist language and the capitalist exploitation policy, which looked down upon the peoples of Azerbaijan and Central Asia and actually humiliated them, did not find a response inside these people. Due to its proximity to language and distance and its geopolitical position, Azerbaijan was taken under a much tighter mark, and more advanced and daring steps were taken in the political plan. Plans made on Elchibey government (Pro-Turkey president) and on oil, gas resources, were promising a bright future for the Turkey’s bourgeoisi with the support of Western imperialism.
Meanwhile, because of the Karabakh War, many fascist volunteers began to flow from Turkey to Azerbaijan. They started to develop their military abilities and organizations in line with their “national goals” that cover the whole “Turkish World”! However, in a short time it became clear once again that these things were not that easy. Russian entered the scean again and “old wolves” raised in the bureaucracy of the USSR took the power in Russia and caused the overthrow of the Elchibey administration and destroyed the dreams of the “Turkish gray wolves (Symbol of Turkish fascists)”. Turkish state had to reposition itself in the face of these new realities.
During the government of former Politburo member and KGB General Heydar Aliyev, another move was made. Fascist militants who were operating in Turkey and Azerbaijan, to bring Elchibey back to power, organised a coup attempt in March 1995.
However, this initiative was suppressed by Heydar Aliyev after President Süleyman Demirel gave notice. Azerbaijan coup planners were preparing to seize power in Turkey.
“Regional power”, even a “world power”; why not!
If we return today, the goal is still to make “Turkey a hegemonic power in the zone” (this time even a” world power “). The rulers also seek to rise higher in the world economic and political hierarchy and to a stronger position in the imperialist system. We now have a new regime that tries to realize Özal’s expansionist dreams, in a much more comprehensive manner and with its own methods. Moreover, this regime has also eliminated the “old regime” forces (high judges, generals, etc.) that restrict Özal; There is no other obstacle apart from “objective boundaries”.
And also the regime is trying to solve its own problems and the troubles of the bourgeoisie it represents, through all kinds of pressure and strikes at home and military interventions abroad.
Whose interests are “national interests”?
They say workers that this expansion is a requirement of our “national interests”. The historical rule is already clear: You cannot raise your class interests to the level of our “national interests” without taking power! This is only possible by being included in the class struggle as an independent and organized force. This is the only way for workers for to not die in the epidemics and wars triggered by capitalism.
It is clear that a war caused by the aggressive class interests of the Azerbaijani and Armenian bourgeoisies has nothing to do with the interests of the laborers of both countries, in a region where a thousand kinds of “imperialist tricks” have returned. Just as the military-political support of the Erdogan’s Palace regime and their regional hegemony activities have nothing to do with the real interests of the Azerbaijani people.
Only solution for working class of the region is the self-determination of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. This can stop nationalist politics that divide both nations. This can also be a step for the resolution of Armenian question in Turkey.