ANNOUNCEMENT
THE TASKS OF COMMUNISTS
The Communist Party of Turkey held a meeting in March with the participation of a number of invited active cadres. The main item on the agenda was the key tasks facing Turkish communists today. This subject was discussed at length and a number of resolutions were passed. These resolutions are binding for all comrades who submit themselves to party discipline.
At the meeting of the central committee held in August 2001, it was decided that the party was at a critical point organizationally. It would be possible to overcome this situation provided all comrades who had the CPT at their heart co-operated fully.
The unexpected loss of comrade Veli Dursun soon after, hindered the activities required by the resolutions. Some comrades refused to support the activities. Some comrades did not or were unable to keep their promises. And some actually hindered the activities. Other shortcomings compounded the problem. The party retains its critical status.
It is essential that communist cadres of the CPT conduct a comprehensive revaluation of organisational work and take the necessary corrective action if they are to retain their self respect and responsibilities to the working class.
First among the reasons for this situation is the worldwide reactionary phase and the impact it has had on the awareness of the cadres. The CPT pointed to this eventuality long ago. The CC, in its analysis of the current situation stated in 1990, stated: “The extent of the damage will be clearer as this ‘huge collapse’ is assimilated. It is already evident that the ideological onslaught has intensified and will intensify even further….The revolutionary movement will face crises the world over. We shall witness a war of attrition for a while to come”
Communists should certainly read this article once more. A lot is to be gained through recalling its recommendations and the tasks it set for the party:
“Our party retains the prospect of significantly increasing its strength even at a time of crisis for communists under conditions of a worldwide and countrywide war of attrition…
This can only be achieved through defending and developing Marxism in the most orthodox fashion, through showing the flexibility required in politics and our daily work, through breaking the established mould and recognising the psychology of the masses….
The war of attrition requires a revolutionary, strident and attacking style of work. We do not propose to withdraw into our ‘shell’…. A war of attrition with many casualties, but a war to win the hearts and minds of the masses…..different tasks are coming to the fore, with different tasks accentuated.…
It is impossible to overcome this crisis without further developing Marxism. The premise that: “We will advance or retreat, remaining stationary is not an option”, which reflects the state of the party is also valid for Marxism, for the world revolution and the revolution in Turkey…
Marxism can only be developed through understanding it better…. Ideological strength will be our main armour in attack and defence in the forthcoming war of attrition. Developments dictate the foremost importance of ideological work….
Secondly, establishing sound financial strength. The war of attrition requires extensive financial strength…
Thirdly, to have as many publications as possible to reach the targeted population, to have an aggressive publication policy in place.
Fourthly, to look beyond our organisation, to establish extensive links at home and abroad…”
Mindful of the aforesaid and giving due consideration to the state of the organisation, the meeting determined “The three most important tasks facing communists over the forthcoming year” as follows:
1. Re-organization
Today it is essential to look at organizational work objectively and with vigour, grasp the situation and act accordingly. It is impossible to witness organised party work worthy of the CPT and within the discipline set by the rules.
The lack of organised work has left gaps in certain tasks that need to be fulfilled. Individual work has replaced collective effort in many spheres. As a result arbitrary acts, inconsistency and insufficiency have become the order of the day. Tasks are either not fulfilled or half done. Certain other tasks have become a heavy burden on other comrades.
With due consideration of the present situation, a new temporary set-up is essential, entrusted with re-organisation from top to bottom. The temporary body will assume all the authority vested in the Central Committee and be responsible for all work. The work programme for the forthcoming year and the measurements for its achievements should be pre-determined. Its entire work should be measured against these targets.
All work of a secondary nature should be set aside and limited financial and human resources should be directed and concentrated towards result-oriented activities. We must stop working as small shopkeepers. A disciplined, central style of work, worthy of the CPT, should again become the norm.
2. Publication oriented education and debate
Thoughts and actions are intrinsically linked. The fact that, today, organisational unity and discipline have suffered has its roots in the breakdown of ideological unity in the party.
We no longer find the enterprising, aggressive and creative work fitting with working class communist emancipation. Petty bourgeois inclinations have come to the fore as a result of the erosion of awareness. Communist norms have been replaced by the petty bourgeois features of inertia, pacifism and routine.
For this very reason ideological work is the determining task for communists who want to put the organisation back on its feet on the basis of the purest communist emancipation. The main task here is the undertaking of comprehensive work on the question of “The programme of the Communist Party in Turkey, Today”.
We must enable the widest participation in this debate and ensure it is publication-based.
The new style of work should proceed according to a plan, be disciplined, publication-targeted, and with target dates. Debates and ideological work should be result-oriented. Discussions and ideological work should be organised and conducted with as wide a scope as possible.
The web site, which is no longer being updated on a regular basis, has to improve as soon as possible with contributions from all communists.
Publication oriented work should gain momentum in Turkey, the number of books printed should increase commensurate with expenditure. Our aim should be the launch of a periodical by the end of the period.
Concrete steps should be taken to ensure the participation of inactive comrades in the struggle of the working class and for democracy in order to strengthen our ties with the masses.
3. Consolidating our Financial Strength
One of the most important tasks is the speedy conclusion of the reorganisation work in connection with our finances. The main aim of this work is the consolidation of the assets of the party under a single entity. We will ensure that these resources are used towards meeting the present and future needs of the CPT and the Turkish working class movement.
Centralisation and discipline should be enhanced in this respect. The practice of haphazard expenditure and the funding of expenses from the proceeds of disposals have been ceased. The guiding principle, here, is that no expenditure should be funded through the sale of assets. Only proceeds from income may be used to finance expenditure. Openness and accountability should be increased. The confidence of comrades and friends, damaged as a consequence of some wrong financial decisions and practices, should be regained.
We must make very effort to maximise the contribution of comrades working in this sphere.
We shall need more funds to finance increased levels of party activity in the future. The answer lies in every activity generating its own funds and not spending existing resources, not spending existing funds in a haphazard fashion, but working prudently and productively.
A diligent work programme should be observed to avoid slip-ups in the reorganisation in the financial sphere. A rapid conclusion of this programme will allow us to utilise both financial and human resources more efficiently.
The meeting appointed a Temporary Co-ordination Committee from among comrades suitable for the prescribed tasks.
In the extraordinary organisational conditions we find ourselves in, the meeting directed the Temporary Co-ordination Committee to: re-organise the party structure, to re-establish the rules of conducting party work and work towards normalising party work over the forthcoming year. The meting pointed out that the ideological grounding of our party created the basis for the convergence of views in most fundamental subjects concerning party work. It also stressed that the following points convey a “strong” platform in order to fulfil the difficult tasks that lie ahead.
· The CPT aims to be the vanguard of the political struggle of the working class, link with vanguard workers, raise their consciousness, learn from them and enlighten them, and organise them within its ranks.
· The CPT aims for the rule of the working class. It believes the rule of the working class can only be established and preserved through a revolution by the leadership and the widest participation of the class. The political rule of the working class can only be the dictatorship of the proletariat – offering the widest democracy to the toiling masses.
· The CPT believes that the consciousness of the working class is the driving force of its revolutionary struggle. Consequently it puts to the core the struggle against all elements that blur the consciousness of the class and fortify bourgeois inclinations.
· The CPT supports proletarian internationalism from its heart. It supports the revolutionary unity of the entire working class of the world against the rule of the united forces of finance capital.
· The CPT opposes all strands of national oppression. It unequivocally supports the right to self-determination of the Kurdish people including the right to secede. It believes the working class of the oppressing nation cannot be emancipated so long as the oppression of the former continues.
· The CPT believes that nationalism falls outside the scope of the ideology of the working class. It is against left sounding nationalistic rhetoric, patching the working class to its national bourgeoisie under the guise of the “common struggle” against imperialism, religious reaction etc.
· The CPT is resolute to learn from and apply the revolutionary consciousness that has been instilled in the working class of the world by Marx and Engels, and the revolutionary experiences gained by the world working class on the basis of many of its bloody struggles, victories and defeats.
The CPT is giving a new impetus to its work. It is a difficult task which needs communist consciousness and resolve. All communists to the helm !
Communist Party of Turkey
Central Committee
March 2004