From: Zeynep Tufekcioglu <zeynept-AT-turk.net>
Subject: Suicide bombs & Middle Eastern mentality/reality
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 1996 00:49:32 +0300


The loss of Iran as the "gendarme of US" in the Middle East was arguably the
single most important event of the past two decades. The US supported coup
in Turkey became a matter of life-and-death for imperialism. That is why
Turkey was almost the largest single receipient of IMF money after the coup.
Islam emerged as a political force. Iraq was "promoted" towards a war with
Iran, which lasted a decade. Every single country was affected greatly.

There is almost no left group here that even mentions an "anti-imperialist"
alliance with Islamists. We have a lot of Tudeh members here in Turkey, who
could survive the bloody aftermath. It happened right under our nose. It
became very clear that anti-imperialist sentiment had strong roots, and if
communists could not lead, others would. 

Young Hamas militias strap bombs to their body to blow up US/Isreali
targets. As brutal and insane as this sounds, it is in the air people
breathe in the Middle East. This year, in the May Day rally, the police
aimed at the crowd, fired, killed, and the crowd did not disperse. As we
walked, there were police stationed on top of all the roofs around the rally
area. Guns aimed at the crowd. They did not hide. It was meant to scare. It
did not.

Today's the third anniversary of the Sivas massacre. Three years ago, the
fundamantalists (supported by the government forces, as they just watched,
and not interfered) surrounded a hotel, where leftist/progressive people
were staying, because there was a cultural event in the city. Most were
Alawites. They burned the hotel down, killing 32, I think. I'm beginning to
forget the exact number of deaths.

A few days after the massacre, the funerals were brought to Istanbul. A
150,000 strong crowd turned up. Many were Alawites. With my group, there
were a quite large number of people, who I could tell were coming for the
first time for such an event. Dirt-poor Alawite slum population. They kept
together mostly, as they knew each other, and were rather alien to the left
crowd. We dispersed our people who had more experience among them, because,
anything might happen, and experience is very important, well, for even
saving lives. You run, and you'll crush people. I've suffered more serious
injuries by other people running in disorganised manner after police
attacks, compared to police beating.

Well, the expected happenned and the police opened fire on the crowd about
100-150 meters ahead of us. The rally was diverted from the main roads, so
we had been walking for 7 hours, and I had gotten to know people very well.
I knew, this was their first time in the street. 

I remember thinking, "how the hell do I take care of all these people". I
had at least 50-60 of the inexperienced type between me and the next
comrade. First, there was initial commotion, as we tried to stop people from
running. Then, the crowd settled quite quickly. I saw most of the women I
was worrying about walking towards the sound of gunfire, in a very
determined manner. (I had stayed with the women, as they are more
comfortable with other women). The slogan of the moment was
"murderer-state". These people had never shouted a slogan in their lives.
Some had brought their teenage children with them. I tried to get a few to
leave the march, and take their children away. It is too big a
responsibility. I hate having children around, it is my nightmare. I begged.
One of the woman said; "if they don't kill us here, they'll burn us. If they
don't burn us, they'll kill us". The children and the women stayed. 

I've seen the same happen again and again. It sounds surreal. I myself can't
sometimes help wonder in disbelief. 

The other day, a young Kurdish woman made a suicide attack in a Turkish
military base in the Kurdish areas. She made a phone call, probably minutes
before blowing herself along with 7 other soldiers. The conversation was
recorded. In the recording she says, "we don't want to kill and get killed.
You leave us no choice. All those that are blind to the blood are guilty".
She was a PKK guerilla, and her husband is still in a Turkish prison.

The number of "disappearence-death" under custody, in prison, by police guns
has been around 15 per month since February. It is an higher average than
last year. Some are 17 year old kids selling for selling leftist newspapers
in the street. Some are high profile revolutionaries, well known and loved.
Some of it is random, when the police "overbeat". There have been an
horrific number of miscarriages under arrest by pregnant women who were
arrested for, well for Turkey, rather minor matters. They beat the hell out
of anyone they get their hands on. There is now a tradition of naming the
murdered children - names like Peace, Free, Revolution.

Zeynep



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